Forum Topic

Changes to GP services

As many of you know I am a Healthwatch volunteer (anyone can be) and have been hearing about the introduction of new systems to our GP service. If anybody reading this have experienced the following, can you let me know? On line prescription request and/or renewalOn line appointments booking serviceAccess to your own summary care record (notes in old money)Text messaging to remain you of your appointmentA&E able to access your GP recordsRequest from your GP to visit surgery with proof of ID to formally agree the new system can access your records.All these changes and much more are being rolled out across the Borough and every GP practice except three have signed up to the new system. It will take time to reach everyone, but I am curious how far our GPS have got.

Maire Lowe ● 4223d14 Comments

Hello MaireI have access online at Northfield Surgery W13 to:On line prescription request and/or renewal (I can also do this direct with my local pharmacy who are 'hooked up' to the surgery for renewals.On line appointments booking serviceText messaging to remind me of any appointmentI was also requested by my GP to visit surgery with proof of my ID to gain access.

Nigel Brooks ● 4223d

Northfields surgery ahead of the curve then. Another thing. Has your GP surgery begun to offer early morning/late evening/weekend appointments on a rota basis? Have you been told that if you ring 111 and they think you should see a GP, they will direct you to the local GP practice open for business. Obviously if you ring during the night, it will be the out of hours service. The good news here is that the dreaded Harmoni have lost the contract and a new provider is coming on board.None of this information comes to me via my GP. Maybe I am not sick enough.

Maire Lowe ● 4223d

I am with Hillcrest Surgery and after providing proof of ID I am able to book online appointments and telephone calls. Also the system of receiving text reminders of appointments is excellent and has been operating for quite a while now.I have been taken by ambulance to Charing Cross A&E a couple of times in the past three weeks and have never been asked if A&E could access my GP records.

Paul Ambridge ● 4223d

Mill Hill surgery have offered on line prescription service for some time.  Also on line booking system if you sign up to it.  Texts sent to remind you of appointment, also you can cancel appointments by text.  Don't know about availability of records to A and E.On another matter, last week I had a minor accident at home.  Phoned 111, was told to go to A and E at Charing Cross,  i replied that I was rather shaken and bleeding fairly profusely and couldn't face the thought of three buses or trains.  Was then told to phone GP for urgent appointment, which I was given.  The nurse at my GP surgery cleaned me up and despatched me to Minor Injuries at the hammersmith where I was seen quickly and efficiently.  Pity 111 couldn't have suggested this.

Nina Battleday ● 4223d

We can order prescriptions online at Crown Street surgery - and they now get transmitted to the pharmacy of your choice directly - which is great for not going to pick them up but the default one is the rather awful Boots in the Oaks and I fear the independent chemists will suffer if people don't realise you can nominate your own (go Zahra!)You can book appointments online too - but I never have.Plus you get a text message to remind you of an appointment and Dr Pambakian tweets merrily about useful health stuff - but engages in no debate.So pretty 21st century really.

Sara Nathan ● 4222d

Great.All these things should be making GPs and patient lives easier The systema is called System 1 and the intention is that all our medical records are in one place and accessible to every clinic, surgery and social services department that need to know, plus ourselves of course. We should be giving permission for this to happen. My own surgery at Cloister Road has kept quiet so far and I occasionally accompany a neighbour to Hillcrest who have said nothingAgree about the pharmacist of choice, but that is for the GP practice to decide.Boots has gone so they must be changing the system. Zahra for me too.

Maire Lowe ● 4222d

I think Boots is still there, well it was last week. I wish something could be done about having to take a prescription from the hospital to my G.P then have to go back the following day to collect it when the doctor has printed the prescription out, seems such an old-fashioned way to do things!

Anne Fennell ● 4222d

Well System one should deal with the time-consuming paperwork around appointments, prescriptions,etc. It was all supposed to be implemented by end March but somehow I feel this is optimistic.

Maire Lowe ● 4222d

It's NOT for the GP to decide where I fill my prescriptions.I am am the customer paying for my prescriptions and I would wholly object to being made to go to the rather inept Boots when there is a delightful, hard-working and enterprising small business on my doorstep which offers a service that is superior in every way.

Sara Nathan ● 4222d

See Cloister Road Surgery website www.cloisterroadsurgery.co.uk

Don Kelly ● 4222d

You can nominate your own preferred chemist I have done so.

Bob Crossley ● 4221d

Thanks Don. I didn't know they had a website, let one anything else. How funny. I was there last week and there wasn't a notice or anything n thec waiting Rom. This us the practice who took on an additional 700 patients from the student accommodation in North Acton. I wonder if they put them on line?

Maire Lowe ● 4221d

I guess the students are a money-spinner, not needing much care but still yielding a per-capita payment.

Susan Kelly ● 4221d

So have I - but it's not clear that you can unless you fiddle about with the web-site. I initially thought I HAD to go to Boots.

Sara Nathan ● 4221d