But a number of GP practices across the UK still face a host of challenges when it comes to streamlining their patients’ digital journeys… and it all starts with its practice website.
Current issues with practice websites:
- Many staff in practices have limited time and experience in managing digital platforms
- Currently, many are not meeting accessibility standards leading to patient disengagement
- Telephones then become the path of least resistance
- Leading to reduced confidence… and less compliance
- Third party branding on websites can confuse patients around accessing trusted services
- Services are often not fully compliant in digital format
- Last but not least! Current practice websites are not working as hard for a practice as they could be: they are not reducing demands on the physical practice as they don’t have the ability to manage many patient needs, digitally.
How our NHS-branded practice websites can help
We’re experts in building GP practice websites that drive online engagement and make it easier for you to manage patient demand.
Built to current accessibility laws, our demand management platform helps to reduce pressure on practice staff with in-built forms such as; cancelling an appointment, getting a FIT note and ordering repeat prescriptions. Our websites use NHS design, web domain and branding, to give a practice a consistent, high-quality, responsive website that’s trusted by patients.
What else can practice websites offer patients?
We’re continuing to work closely with practices to help change the narrative on GP websites.
It is our aim to evolve existing GP websites into hubs that provide navigation to other care resources – in addition to information and services provided by the practice itself.
As well as acting as the first port of call for patients at a particular practice, our platform can also become a fully accessible and joined up digital front door for primary care. Through our platform, Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) will be able to share important content – such as wider health and social care services and resources – we know not everyone who contacts a GP needs medical help, it can often be for loneliness or struggling to pay bills that causes anxiety. By signposting to services such as local welfare assistance schemes it can redirect them to more appropriate care to multiple GP sites from a central location.
Creating a digital first culture
With ICS’s coming together from 1 July 2022 digital journeys must reflect these new partnerships that come together to plan and deliver joined up health and care services. The health and care sector must be digitally seamless and allow patients to self-serve by aligning and signposting services such as mental health, physiotherapy and local welfare assistance schemes together.
To build patient confidence when visiting their GP website, we have a selection of forms for help and advice that save phone calls to the surgery and give access to submit forms outside of GP opening times. With no sign in or password necessary patients can now request things such as cancelling appointments, repeat prescriptions and fit notes. With many more features such as requesting travel advice or a GP letter coming soon.
All of these features, designed in an accessible, user-friendly and compliant way, will encourage patients to self-serve, take ownership of their care pathways and help to create a digital first culture. These will also steer patients towards utilising digital solutions, resulting in reduced telephone calls to practices, and helping to alleviate pressure on face-to-face demand.
Ultimately, we believe it will help to provide more efficient and effective care for everyone.
