Patients and doctors at a West Midlands practice have praised an online service that lets them do things quicker. The free Patient Access service (available as an app or a website) allows patients to book appointments with their doctor, order repeat prescriptions, and securely message their practice.
Dr Anant Sharma said of the service: "People say that you can't get an appointment with a GP. I want this to be real evidence that you can, and you can do it faster and quicker. Patient Access now lets people beat our telephone system."
"It's just the same whether you are using a smartphone or traditional computer. This is a simple, secure and easy piece of technology to use. We guarantee that they will prefer it."
Patient Access is currently used by more than 1.8 million patients from over 2,200 GP practices. In January 2013 alone, more than a quarter of a million requests for repeat medication were made through the service, and over 148,000 GP appointments were booked.
Elizabeth, a user of the service puts the benefits simply, saying: "Patient Access basically gives me a 24-hour receptionist."
Brenda, a patient at the practice said: "I book all of my repeat prescriptions on there now, and I find that is just as easy. It's absolutely fantastic, and I wouldn't go back to the old way."
And it's not just patients that benefit - it also leads to efficiencies for the practice. Dr Sharma concluded: "Patient Access now does work that my staff don't have to do. That means my staff now have time and ability to do other vital and increasing work."
Find out more about Patient Access: http://www.emis-online.com/patient-access
Download the app: https://patient.info/accessapp
Visit the website: https://patient.info/patient-access.asp