Video GP Appointments to Be Offered at Local Surgeries
Free NHS consultations launched at 46 practices in the borough
Appointments with Push Doctors can be booked by app on phone
Patients at local GP surgeries are now able to have video appointments with a GP on the NHS due to a new partnership between area’s healthcare trust and Push Doctor a digital healthcare company.
The service has already been rolled out in 44 GP Practices across Hounslow borough and is supported by Hounslow and Richmond Community Healthcare (HRCH) NHS Trust.
The service will give patients direct access to secure NHS video GP appointments. It is hoped this will particularly help patients with long-term health conditions manage their condition more easily through better access to support, and child consultations will be available to children over the age of two.
Patients have direct access to book appointments from their smartphone or device 24/7, with appointments scheduled from 8am-8pm Monday – Friday, and 8am-5pm on Saturday. Appointments include same day prescriptions, instant sick notes, and record syncing, where doctor’s notes will be available to the patient’s local GP surgery. The service will also have access to video tutorials on the site and on YouTube.
From next month, digital appointments through Push Doctor will also include the ability to consult with other languages for communities in Hounslow where English isn't their first language. Languages will be introduced in a phased rollout.
Patients will remain registered with their GP surgery, with Push Doctor providing an additional service. Some GP surgeries will invite patients to use the service on a case-by-case basis, in which case patients will receive an invitation to register and use the service. Others will enable all registered patients to access the service directly. Patients can search for their GP surgery on the Push Doctor website through clicking ‘book an appointment’. If their surgery is live, they’ll be able to register and book appointments. It’s just like seeing any other doctor in your GP surgery, but by video call instead.
It is hoped access to Push Doctor will also help clinicians mitigate the impact of Covid-19 on the population and support the local community through its recovery, by opening and substantially improving access to healthcare.
Surgeries participating in the scheme as listed on the Push Doctor web site include:
Albany Practice
Brentford Group Practice
Brentford Family Practice
Wellesley Road Practice
Holly Road Medical Centre
Chiswick Health Practice
Chiswick Health Centre
West4 GPs
Chiswick Family Doctors Practice
The Bedford Park Surgery
Glebe Street Surgery
Acton Lane Medical Centre
Grove Park Terrace Surgery
Chiswick Family Practice
Grove Park Surgery
Dr Ivor Singh, Lead GP, HMC Health Heston, said: “Since introducing Push Doctor, we’ve definitely seen a difference on the ground, as a number of our patients are using the new service. This has allowed us a bit of breathing space so we can prioritise our patients with complex needs, as well as deliver Covid-19 vaccinations to housebound patients. It’s a relief knowing the option of additional video consultations is there to meet demand if required.”
Doctor Dan Bunstone, Chief Medical Officer at Push Doctor and an NHS GP, said, “Our mission is to make healthcare more accessible and convenient for patients and clinicians alike. It’s all about getting patients to the right care, quicker than before, reducing waiting times, improving recovery periods, and cutting GPs triaging workload, giving them more time to spend with patients that need it. We’re excited to see the benefits to the Hounslow community that this partnership will provide.”
Cllr Pritam Grewal, Cabinet Member for Customer Services and Corporate Performance, and lead Member for Digital inclusion, said: "Covid-19 has forced much of our daily lives into a digital world. While this has created innovation, it's also led to increased isolation among many of our residents who don't have access or the confidence to use digital technology.
“Promoting digital inclusion continues to be one of our priorities. We know where our digitally excluded residents are and have begun working with local community partners and businesses to break down the barriers leading to digital isolation in Hounslow. These initiatives range from providing digital devices to working with multi-generational households to ensure everyone can do tasks that many of us take for granted, like sending an email. It's great to link that work to developments in the NHS, such as helping residents to download and use the Push Doctor app. “
The partnership will start with GP appointments, with potential to bring on additional clinician types such as nurses and local physios and pharmacists at a later date.
The Push Doctor Patient Experience team is available at support@pushdoctor.co.uk or 0330 808 4702, from Monday to Friday 8am-8pm and weekends between 9am-4pm.
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March 19, 2021