Arran doctors now on call round the clock to patients

Arran Medical Group has introduced a radical new method for patients to make contact with their GPs.

They have launched an online system called eConsult, which has been introduced on a trial basis.

The aim is to improve access for patients as they can send an eConsult around the clock which is then forwarded to the attention of a GP or advanced nurse practitioner.

The pandemic has seen a huge change to the way patient treatment is administered not just on Arran, but across the country.

Telephone consultations are the now the norm, with visits to the surgery still extremely limited.

Now there is an attempt to move more care online. eConsult is a clever bit of software that allows you to quickly and safely get help and advice from the practice online, for free, from anywhere the patient may find themselves. It is a form-based online consultation platform, which should only take three or four minutes to complete. It collects your medical or administrative request and sends it through to the practice to triage and decide on the right care for the patient.

By submitting an eConsult the doctors can make sure every patient gets the right care, saving appointments for those that need them. Using eConsult also means freeing up the phone line for those who are not able to use the internet.

Dr Andrew Gaw of Arran Medical Group said: ‘The idea is that it will improve patient access to medical care but also help patients find more information about their condition and/or symptoms and how they can use pharmacies or over the counter remedies if appropriate.

‘The Covid-19 pandemic has thrown up many logistical challenges for healthcare and as a practice we are looking into ways to make sure we are doing our very best for our patients. eConsult aims to make sure patients are seen within an appropriate timescale and let us discuss different ways to manage their symptoms.

‘Our main priority is to make sure that we continue caring for our patients despite the Covid-19 pandemic which has inevitably changed the way patients interact with their doctors.

‘We welcome any feedback during this trial period and an in-depth review will take place in the autumn/winter into how effective it has been.

It can accessed through the Arran Medical Group by clicking the link on their website: www.arranmedical.co.uk

‘The idea is it will improve patient access to medical care... to make sure we are doing our very best...’