Who
GP Access is a company with the simple vision “to transform access to medical care”. Formed in 2011, it grew from a community of over forty pioneering GP practices around England. They wanted to develop and make known their discovery of a better way to provide access for patients to GPs.
One of the services they have developed is askmyGP. When a patient phones their practice they’ll talk to the receptionist who passes the information on to the GP. The GP calls the patient back, usually within the hour. If either the doctor or the patient sees the need for a face-to-face appointment, the doctor asks the patient when they’d like to be seen. In many cases there’s no need for an appointment and the issue is either dealt with by advice, prescription or a referred appointment with the nurse.
This system not only frees up doctor’s time, it enables them to see the patients who need to be seen sooner. Patients love the service because it’s fast and reliable. Doctors love the system because it gives them more control over their workload.
“Because we have eliminated the barrier to appointments and have total control of which patients we bring in, we know we are seeing quickest those that need us most”. says Dr Phil Dommett, a Falmouth GP.
Jenny, a nurse practitioner says “My nursing skills are better employed. I’m seeing the right patients, sooner.”
Harry Longman, Founder of GP Access, had a recent chance encounter with a patient who had nothing but praise for her practice, having experienced GP Access system first hand, she said “…they were so caring, doctors so good, they called back within minutes…”.
What?
A growing number of GP practices are taking on the new patient access system to make it faster and simpler for patients to see their doctor when they need them. GP Access collaborated with Health and Care Videos to produce the video ‘Making it Easier to See Your Doctor’ to show patients how to use the system with a rebranded version being produced for every GP practice that adopts the new approach.
The video has had an overwhelming 2500 hits, which is proof that patients are not only using the internet to gain more information, but are taking control of their healthcare.
