24-hour help is a real shot in the arm
GP surgeries in one part of Wales are saving appointment time by operating a 24-hour online consultation service.
Web-based consultations allow patients in Merthyr Tydfil to access medical advice, prescriptions or sick notes from the practice website.
The scheme has been running for 15 months at Pontcae Medical Practice and has been rolled out at Morlais, Treharris, Brookside and three practices at Keir Hardie Health Park.
GPs in the area say they are saving up to six hours a week in appointment time by operating the system.
Pontcae practice manager Kevin Rogers said: “It is saving us about 25 appointments a week.
“The highest number so far is 39 appointments a week, all of which become available for other patients.
“One of the huge benefits is the self-help section of the website where patients can access a lot of information too.
“We were the first in Wales to bring in e-consult. For us it has worked brilliantly and is probably one of the best innovations we have had so far.”
Patients can access the system at any time of the day or night on the practice website.
One section details how patients should explain their symptoms for an e-consultation, another gives advice on self-care and another how to contact administrative help.
Feedback in July showed 100% patient satisfaction with the service, with the same figure saying they were contacted by the stated response time.
“The feedback from patients has been excellent,” Mr Rogers said.
Of the patients who used the service, 67% did not have to consult the GP practice or any other NHS service for the same problem within a week of using e-consult.
One person who used the service said: “It saved time attending surgery which also has a knock-on effect of freeing up a doctor appointment that can be used for somebody else.”
Pontcae Medical Practice has about 12,500 patients served by two GPs and three nurses.