Following the COVID-19 pandemic, the subject of patient access has garnered significant attention across the healthcare system and beyond. Low patient satisfaction rates are often attributed to patients having to face long waits on the phone or engage with multiple systems in order to see their GP.
Our recent integration of our Patient Triage online consultation feature with the NHS App aims to help patients more easily access GP services - and here’s how.
How Patient Triage via the NHS App works for patients
Around 12 million patients at 1,200 GP practices in England can now access GP services with Accurx through the NHS App, where they can submit medical or admin queries to their practice with ease. Already, 165,000 patient requests have been submitted through the NHS App via a short and simple form, which has seen significant benefits for both patients and practices.
The NHS App gives patients a trusted single point of access. It means they can now:
- Click on the ‘Advice’ section of the NHS App to get help from their GP practice via Accurx for medical queries. This includes the ability to upload images to provide more detail and context if necessary to support care teams with their Online request
- Use the NHS App’s ‘Messages’ section for admin queries via Accurx, for example requesting a sick note, test results or a repeat prescription
The patient triage forms are short, simple and quick to fill in. In fact, a separate Accurx survey of 72,682 patients who have used Accurx's Patient Triage found >81% find the form ‘easy’ or ‘very easy’ to use. Patients’ personal details collected as part of completing NHS login are stored safely and securely, and the NHS App is independently tested against standards set by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC).
“Accessing Accurx through the NHS App provides another trusted place where patients can request GP services, in addition to being able to access them via GP websites. It’s convenient and simple, and will help free up phone lines for patients who might prefer them, or don’t have the means to use the NHS App.” - Jacob Haddad, CEO and Co-founder of Accurx
How does Patient Triage via the NHS App benefit GP practices?
For the ~1,200 GP practices currently using Patient Triage via the NHS App, all requests submitted via Patient Triage – including those from the NHS App – arrive collectively within the Accurx toolbar:
- Practices can view NHS App requests alongside all incoming Patient Triage requests in their shared inbox within Accurx.
- They can easily assign requests to colleagues, directing patients onto the best route of care seamlessly and quickly.
- Requests submitted via the NHS App arrive already ‘matched’ using the patient’s NHS number to verify them. This makes the triaging process more efficient and easier at a practice level.
- All incoming requests are also able to be saved to the patient’s medical record with one click.
“We’ve been using Accurx’s Patient Triage feature for a long time now, and we love it. For our patients, the form is quick and easy to fill in. It asks 3-4 simple questions, gathering information about their care needs, concerns and expectations. At our practice, we can easily deal with incoming requests and assign them to the right colleague. Having the ability to work as one team, around a patient, is crucial for delivering effective care.”- Dr Osman Bhatti, GP, St Andrews Health Centre in East London
“We’ve been working closely with NHS Digital and GP practices to make Accurx Patient Triage available in the NHS App for around 12 million patients in England. We’re so excited to make this a reality now, and to see the impact of access to Patient Triage via the NHS App and future integrations.” - Jacob Haddad, CEO and Co-Founder of Accurx
If you’d like to find out more about Patient Triage you can visit this webpage or get in touch by emailing enquiries@accurx.com