Healthy London Partnership has launched an app – NHS Online – designed to provide accurate, non-urgent medical advice to more than 240,000 Bexley residents, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The app is being piloted in Bexley, south-east London. The Bexley version of the app, NHS Online Bexley, is easy to use and will help patients to get the care they need faster and more directly. The app also enables patients to communicate in a new way with their GP by requesting an online consultation.
Patients living and working in the area and registered with a Bexley GP can download the app to receive the medical advice they need in the palm of their hand. This app is designed to complement, not replace, the existing GP practice online services and offers the additional service of online consultations.
Dr Sid Deshmukh, Sidcup Medical Centre GP and NHS Bexley Clinical Commissioning Group chair, said: “This is great news for Bexley patients and practices. NHS Online Bexley will revolutionise the way in which patients access health services. Currently there are lots of GP access tools, apps and websites patients need to register for and log into. NHS Online Bexley will combine these into one accessible platform – making it much easier for patients to access the information they need, when they need it. This app is the one-stop-shop for patients to manage their health and access GP services on-the-go.”
The user friendly design aims to make the app experience quick, smooth and stress-free. People in the borough will be able to get the free app in a number of ways:
- Bexley practices will send SMS automated messages for information on the app and patients will be able to download.
- The app can be downloaded and used for free from either the App Store or Google Play by simply searching for ‘NHS Online Bexley’ and tapping on the ‘NHS Online Bexley’ icon button.
- Individuals will need to be registered at their practice for access.
- If individuals are not registered for online services at their practice, they will be able to register on the app and book their first appointment. They will also be asked to enter a few personal details including their: name, date of birth, postcode and gender.
- The app will offer the individual the opportunity to book an online appointment, order a repeat prescription, and view their healthcare record.
In less than two minutes, the app can help people decide whether they need to see a GP, go to a hospital, visit a local pharmacy or stay at home. If the person needs to speak to a clinician, the app will offer an online consultation where the person will be responded to in 24 hours by a clinician from their practice.
