Bipin Dittani is a local resident of Harrow, a GP patient and chair of his local practice patient group. Here he describes why he’s a fan of the GP online services that take the hassle out of seeing a GP.
I’m a big supporter of GP online services and feel so strongly about patients having better involvement in their health that I now chair my local GP practice patient group!
My big mission at the moment is to encourage people locally to sign up to GP online services. At my local GP practice in Harrow we have over 10,000 patients registered, all from different backgrounds, ages, abilities and health needs.
Many patients find getting an appointment with their GP a frustrating process; having to call at certain times, sitting in queues and sometimes not getting through at all. But this high volume of calls also impacts on practice staff and clinicians who spend vast proportions of their time fielding enquiries and booking appointments.
GP online services enables patients to make and cancel appointments, view their health records, check results and order repeat prescriptions; great for people with long term health conditions or those who provide a care role for others.
Those using the services, myself included, find it a brilliant system. Most of us manage our lives online, so why not manage our health online too?
Signing up for GP online services is easy to do. Old or young, you just need to register with your practice. If you have any problems with using technology or with access just speak to your practice staff who will be happy to assist you.
Why not give it a go? It really is simple to use and makes managing your health care so much easier.”
Find out what Healthy London Partnership is doing to promote online GP services in London.