Can I book online with my GP?

Can I Book Online With My GP?

In an age of Deliveroo, Uber and AirBnB you'd think that booking a NHS doctor’s appointment should be as easy as clicking a button. Yet you don't have to skim too many tabloids to quickly see that the common experience of NHS patients is one of frustration, with waiting lists, 8AM rushes and call back queues - in other words, booking a GP appointment online remains a pipe dream.

So why are so few appointments made available by GPs for online booking? Here we explore the reasons why.

Understanding Online Booking Options

Most GP practices have the facility to offer online booking services through platforms such as the NHS App, Patient Access, or SystmOnline. The NHS App is 'Matt Hancock's Gift' to the national health service, whilst the latter two apps are provided by the two main electronic health record providers. All three of these platforms have the facility to allow patients to:

• Book Routine Appointments: You can often schedule routine appointments online, but availability varies by practice.
• Order Repeat Prescriptions: Patients can conveniently manage their medication refills without having to call the surgery.
• Access Medical Records: With online services, you can check your health records from the comfort of your home.

However, for various reasons, you'll generally see that few, if any, appointment slots are actually exposed online. This is despite an edict from the NHS centre, which dictates that at least 25% of appointments should be bookable online. What's the issue?

The Shift Towards Digital Triage

While online booking options exist, the reality for many GP surgeries is that they prefer to utilize a digital triage solution or care navigators - staff trained to guide patients to the most appropriate services. This approach helps manage patient demand and ensures that GP appointments are reserved for those who truly need them. Triage is essentially a direct outcome of the fact that the supply of clinician time is outweighed by the demand for appointments.

Why NHS GP Practices Use Digital Triage?

• Efficient Resource Management: By gathering all patient requests in an inbox where they can be sorted, GP practices can then direct patients to other healthcare resources rather than GP appointments. This allows practices to alleviate the pressure on GPs, who are often overloaded with appointment requests.
• Faster Care Access: Triage systems can quickly assess a patient’s needs and refer them to the right professional, whether it's a practice nurse, physiotherapist, or mental health specialist. Whilst patients might think they need to see a GP, this isn't always the case
• Focus on Urgent Needs: Triage tends to flag up urgent cases, and so allows GPs to focus on more complex cases that require their specific expertise.

Why Practices Use Hero Health - And How This Changes The Game?

Hero Health is a modern alternative to the NHS App, Patient Access and SystmOnline. The Hero tools combines two features:

1. Care navigation - A configurable flow, that channels patients towards the appropriate service, whether that be an online consultation, a directly bookable slot or a service elsewhere within the ICB
2. Appointment booking - Classic online booking, but improved to give practices more control over who can book what

On this second point, Hero is completely differentiated. Examples of how practices use Hero include:

• Requiring patients to complete a custom intake form, where patients must provide information relevant to their booking. For example, cervical smear patients can be required to a) confirm they won't be on their period for their appointment date b) confirm they aren't pregnant and c) provide the date of their last period
• Limiting access to appointment slots based on age or gender. For example, cervical smear slots to those over 30 and female.

Hero also uniquely works at both for:

• GP practices
• Hubsites - such as Federation and PCN hubsites

This latter point means that Hero can support direct booking for Enhanced Access appointments, in order to provide patients with more flexible appointment times.

Conclusion

In summary, while you can book certain appointments online with your GP, the process may not be as straightforward as it seems. Many practices are transitioning towards digital triage solutions and care navigation, which can limit the availability of online booking for GP appointments. If you need an appointment, it’s advisable to check with your specific GP surgery to understand what options are available to you.

FAQs

1. Can I book any appointment online with my GP?

Not all appointments can be booked online. Most practices reserve online slots for routine or non-GP appointments. Check with your surgery for specific availability.

2. What platforms can I use to book online?

You can book online using the NHS App, Patient Access, or SystmOnline. However, the availability of appointments varies by practice. Some practices may offer direct booking with Hero Health.

3. What are Enhanced Access appointments?

Enhanced Access appointments are weekend and out of hours appointments that offer more flexible access for patients. These appointments typically cannot be booked through standard online systems, but can be booked by sites using the Hero platform.

4. How can I get help if I can’t book online?

If you're having trouble booking an appointment online, consider calling your GP surgery directly. The receptionist can help you understand your options and schedule an appointment based on your needs.

5. What should I do if I need to see a GP urgently?

If you need urgent care, it’s best to contact your GP surgery directly. They may offer same-day appointments or direct you to other services that can assist you. In an emergency always call 999 or follow the NHS' online guidance for using the 111 service if there is no immediate danger to life.

By understanding the current landscape of GP appointments and the role of online booking, you can better navigate your healthcare needs in a digital world.