We are currently touring practices across the UK that have the highest number of enrolled patients to online services. The aim is to unravel the benefits that myGP has brought to staff and patients, as well as the secrets to promoting the app within the practice.
Last week we headed over to Latymer Road Surgery (NHS Enfield CCG), a practice in the heart of Edmonton Green in North London. We were tempted to stop by the iconic market but decided to go to the practice as planned!
We caught up with Sanji first,who took us around the premises…
“I actually recommended myGP to other surgeries, including the one that I go to myself. I recommend the app to everyone! Patients, practices, in patient forum groups because I think this is the way to go forward! Switching to digital prescriptions was hard for some of our elderly patients, but every time someone chooses digital it frees up our time to deal with others.”
Sanji, Practice Manager
It is just before 3pm and the practice is quiet; the afternoon patients will be in soon and it will be busy until closing time. In between calls we managed to speak to the Senior receptionist -she plays a vital part in the practice and is responsible for coordinating the way everything runs on reception.
It has always been the personalities and the interactions with the patients that’s kept me here for so long. No two days are the same and no two phone calls are the same. Every day is different, you don’t know what you are going to get from 10am through to 6pm. I’ve been working here for quite some time, it has evolved tremendously…When I first started, it was about the time computers were introduced to the surgery’s way of life. It was quite easy because we went from paper to computers in just a few weeks. I can’t really remember what it was like before and now if a computer crashes its awful!… I think sometimes people don’t understand the way appointments are structured but myGP helps because people don’t have to wait on the phone anymore, they can book an appointment themselves even when the switchboard is closed. To deliver a good patient experience we have allocated slots for myGP users as digital booking alleviates our workload. I would recommend myGP to everybody! Some older people are not comfortable with using an app but the younger people are – I think it’s convenient for everyone!”
Vivianne, Senior Receptionist