NHS App and GP websites - your experiences

[ebikeerwidnes]

Hi all
background - I volunteer for AgeUK helping older people (!) with computer/phone/tablet things
The main thing we help with in installing the NHS App and helping them use it

OK -
Now today I had to send a message to the GP about on ongoing problem - nothing major just some info and asking for a blood test

But the GP has switched from Patches - which worked through the NHS App - to Binx Paco
which does not

I was fine with it - I "do computer" so it would have to be terrible if I failed at it
but my clients need me to help because they are not so computer-literate - and often get confused easily

So it seems to me that GP surgeries are moving over to system that do not use the NHS App and hence require more computer skills

while the NHS itself is still pushing people to install and use the NHS APP


so the question?

Do other people feel that this is true?
DO people feel that GPs are moving away from the App?
Do people thing things are getting more complicated?

and anything else in that vein!!


I am just wondering so I can talk to the people at AgeUK that are pushing a campaign to help - possibly in the wrong direction

 

[Dogtrousers]

My own experience is the reverse of what you say. My surgery was on Patient Access but has recently been pushing us to use the NHS app instead. I only use these services to order repeat prescriptions* so not much difference. And anyway I'm (allegedly) "computer literate".

* Also, I had a blood test last year and used the app to see the results. So I lied - I do use it for other stuff.

 

[fossyant]

Ours seems to be via the app still, certainly moved my prescriptions via the app.

 

[All uphill]

The App works well for us (at the moment).

Good on you for volunteering with Age UK!

 

[stephec]

Patient Access for my GP, works well but if you want an on the day appointment you're better getting straight on the phone when they open at 08:00.

 

[wiggydiggy]

NHS App

Messaging needs a select all/multi select option. I have to view a message, then delete it, then goto next message.

 

[presta]

At one time or other, my surgery's used Systmonline, Anima, Doctorlink, and Accurx, and they've now changed to Evergreen since I last used it. I haven't bothered registering an account yet, in case they change again before I need to use it.

 

[teeonethousand]

We were with Evergreen but since moved to NHS app. We had to get further ‘permission’ from doctor to have access to full health record. It works well for annual blood test results.…thankfully we rarely use the doctors for anything else.

 

[Once a Wheeler]

I would have thought that 'Message your GP' would be the obvious route to communicating with one's GP. However, this service has always been clearly labelled 'Your practice does not subscribe to this service'. So they have set up a system through which you cannot contact them. Using another means, I once made an appointment which I turned up for on time. To log in for the appointment I had to use a touch-screen. Once I had notified my presence to the screen it immediately presented the notice 'You cannot arrive for your appointment'. I went home and sent an email to the practice manager pointing out that: 'If one makes an appointment and turns up for it on time, one is being disparagingly rubbished if one is then told that one cannot arrive simply because one really has actually arrived, that is how one knows that the system cannot deal with you. What is the point of blaming patients for doing exactly what they have been asked to do?' On another occasion the system sent me an appointment. The touch-screen logged me in and directed me to a waiting room. An hour after the appointment was due, I went to the reception and asked if the doctor in question was free. I was told that the doctor would not be in that day. When I showed them the print-out of the appointment they were mystified; and then started on a drawn-out series of excuses all beginning with 'You should have…' which of course led to me hitting the ceiling. In the end they had to admit that if the system calls me in to attend an appointment at a certain time, the appointment should be arranged and ready.

So overall, the IT is patchy, ill-used, good at keeping patients away from doctors and keeping me away from all sorts of useful advice. I struggle through but look forward to the day when the IT serves the practice and its patients and ceases to be a source of wholly inappropriate patient blame prefixed with 'You should have…'

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

I would have thought that 'Message your GP' would be the obvious route to communicating with one's GP. However, this service has always been clearly labelled 'Your practice does not subscribe to this service'. So they have set up a system through which you cannot contact them. Using another means, I once made an appointment which I turned up for on time. To log in for the appointment I had to use a touch-screen. Once I had notified my presence to the screen it immediately presented the notice 'You cannot arrive for your appointment'. I went home and sent an email to the practice manager pointing out that: 'If one makes an appointment and turns up for it on time, one is being disparagingly rubbished if one is then told that one cannot arrive simply because one really has actually arrived, that is how one knows that the system cannot deal with you. What is the point of blaming patients for doing exactly what they have been asked to do?' On another occasion the system sent me an appointment. The touch-screen logged me in and directed me to a waiting room. An hour after the appointment was due, I went to the reception and asked if the doctor in question was free. I was told that the doctor would not be in that day. When I showed them the print-out of the appointment they were mystified; and then started on a drawn-out series of excuses all beginning with 'You should have…' which of course led to me hitting the ceiling. In the end they had to admit that if the system calls me in to attend an appointment at a certain time, the appointment should be arranged and ready.

So overall, the IT is patchy, ill-used, good at keeping patients away from doctors and keeping me away from all sorts of useful advice. I struggle through but look forward to the day when the IT serves the practice and its patients and ceases to be a source of wholly inappropriate patient blame prefixed with 'You should have…'

One of the reasons that our clients tell me for wanting the NHS App is that they can never get through to the doctor's surgery - they give up before the phone is answered

So - I have been advising them to use the NHS App to send them a message as this works for us

However , I started wondering is my GP is just particularly good in that a message on the App normally gets a response within a few houts at most
and now you cannot do that on the app so need to use the GP website - which is more complicated for older confused people who were not brought up to use computery things

Sounds like people do have a lot of problems with GPs as I suspected

I will be talking to my "boss" at AgeUK tomorrow about all this and she will relay it "up the chain" - although that seldom does much good!

I will also be writing to our MP - who seems to be pretty good at relaying things to the relevant minister and making sure they respond


we shall see

Thanks for you responses - it is helpful to know how other people feel and what their experiences are

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Here in Scotland the NHS app doesn't work at all, Scotland is not included.
For a bit I needed a repeat prescription, I used Patient Access which worked fine for getting the prescription, but you can't do anything else on it, no appointments, no health records, nothing.
My GP's website is the same, nothing can be done online.

 

[Regular.Cyclist]

There is a lot of work going on in Scotland around how patients interact with the NHS. I know concerns are being raised around the fact that different services are backing different solutions with opposing options for opting in or opting out. May be ok if you just use one service but those those with complex needs, then they may have to navigate multiple systems.

 

[travellingwest]

Ours uses the NHS app alongside another service called Accurx Limited that are an "online service provider". Essentially that means when you submit a request for an appt or a 'triage' form or contact the surgery out of hours for an update or document, they deal with it.

It works and yet it doesn't. If it is urgent and that's determined by Accurx and the surgery, then you will recieve a response very quickly. If your request is not deemed urgent then it can take weeks sometimes to get a response.

The old dears, of which there are many locally, struggle with this system somewhat so they continue to ring the surgery but then the surgery staff will only fill in the appt request form or the triage form for them whilst on the phone. It's a bit of a faff.

What I do love about the NHS app is being able to see all my test results whether Xrays, blood tests or other, before the surgery has had chance to view them sometimes. Now I don't have to simply take my GPs word that 'I'm ok' or the 'blood tests were normal'. I can see for myself.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

As far as I can remember - the NHS App was supposed to be the standardised One-stop-shop
so everyone had the same start point not matter which GP thet went to


So - basically my concern is that the GPs are moving away from that - but we are supposed to still be pushing that line

From my point of view it has never been properly completed anyway - the GPS put everything on there
but the hospitals seem to be rather random
some put data on - most don;t
and even different departments in the same building do it differently


SO Thanks for your views - I will pas them onto AgeUK central and see it they can get some sort of central sense from the NHS
hopefully they will have more influence that "some bloke in Widnes"


but I will try writing to my MP anyway - you never know!

 

[nogoodnamesleft]

Several years ago I used the NHS App as it was useful for historic test results) and checking test results and appointment history.

But a year or so ago GP changed their computer system and now NHS App doesn't provide the same info (a lot less). That said I haven't really had occasion to use it for tbe last couple of years (no more than routine vaccination, no prescription). I may have already uninstalled it or if not probably will when I get round to it.

Was useful to double check I'd written down the eg vaccination appointment time correctly (I'm paranoid about not missing appointments). But new system no longer shows appointments, neither historic nor pending.

I always found it a very clunky app. Poor design or more just grown over time rather than any User Interface design,