What do you think of the NHS App?

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everydayupsanddowns

everydayupsanddowns

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Do you use it? Have you never used it?

There is a survey being undertaken by the Digital Coalition (details below) where you can give your feedback - whether positive or negative!

The survey closes next Saturday 7th October.

There’s a link below to take part.

The Patients Association Chairs the Patient Coalition for AI, Data and Digital Tech in Health (known as the Digital Coalition) – which Diabetes UK are a part of. The aim of the Coalition is to bring the patient voice to the development and introduction of digital health technologies. ​
​
We want to understand your experience of using the NHS Appto ensure you have the support you need to gain access to healthcare through it. We also want to encourage policy makers to consider your views in the implementation of the app. ​
We want to hear your views on the NHS App if:​
• You are a user of the NHS App​
• You have never used the NHS App​
• You support friends, family or other members of your community to use the NHS App.​
​
We also want to hear from people who rarely use digital devices and apps. Do you have friends, family and community members who need help to use the app, or who don’t use it at all? What is stopping them and how could they be supported? You’ll find an additional section in the survey for you to answer on their behalf if you wish to do so.​
​
If you or someone you know will find it difficult to answer this survey online, please call the Patients Association helpline on 0800 345 7115 and one of the advisers will run through the questions with you over the phone. ​
Follow the link in the button below to take the survey. ​
​
The survey will close on 7th October; thank you for your support.​
​
Survey link:​
 
Thanks for the link Mike
I particularly like being able to
  • order prescriptions at any time of day,
  • accessing test results as soon as they are available
  • having the access to the actual numbers rather than a receptionist telling me a result is ‘high’/‘low’
  • being able to check back on patterns in results.
  • ….
I don’t think I use anywhere near the full resources in there.
 
In terms of access to results, appointments, prescription ordering etc it has no advantages over Systm Online which my GP surgery uses.

Not relevant to me at present, but my OH would welcome the ability to view/manage hospital appointments.
 
I’ve done the survey. The way the questions were slanted, it didn’t make it easy to say that the only reason I don’t use the NHS app now (after downloading it to provide proof of Covid jab status) is that I carried on using Patient Access for everything else. Once you said you don’t use it, it assumed you were either unable to access tech, or terrified of it.
 
Sorry your situation didn’t fit the format @Robin - a perennial problem with online surveys it seems.

Everyone that has replied - Do please consider filling in the survey to make sure your voices and experiences are heard 🙂
 
It's one of the only two ways to order a repeat script from our surgery now. Either ring the POD or use the NHS App. As the App is available for more hours of each day than the POD, we both routinely use it. They did used to use System Online, but that stopped sometime ago so we just had to remember to make sure we rang the POD so no panic with the App, hence better for us and means when we're away in the moho elsewhere (frequently) we can order anytime we're away to just pick up whatever from the pharmacy on our return. They have both our mobile phone nos, so will usually ring us if any prob and also send a text to say dispensed and ready to pick up.

I was more than happy to complete the survey and tell em it would be helpful if a. the GP enabled more things and b. the hospital put their test results on it too.
 
I will follow up on the survey link before the cut-off date. But I've recently moved from a small GP Practice, where there were 2 small Practices within safe walking distances from my former home and a further 2 not very far away but with dedicated parking. I now have joined a very large "Town Medical Centre" with more Dr's than they bother to name on their website always a different person at Reception and never anyone who can answer a query at the time. This latter Clinic uses IT a lot and many of the IT links then are in turn linked to AI "bots or monkeys" which spew out a series of notifications with loaded questionnaires - seeking reassurance about how brilliantly they are doing and with little scope to say "pretty rubbish really".

This preamble (rant) is pertinent: the information viewable on my NHS app (new to me, formerly was using Patient Access) is also pretty poor - essentially because the info recorded is poor. A superficial glance might lead one to think it's fine: many, many entries over the last 2 months and include many, many what are essentially duplicate entries in slightly different formats from a source described as Docman (or something like that) and clearly generated by an administrative "app / bot / monkey". No doubt there is some administrative necessity for such records - eg safeguards from when I've had to prove my identity to get a recent Doctors report that wasn't on the visible records. And that's the nub of the problem: plenty of unwanted (by me) admin rubbish but a seriously brief resumé from the GP who actually saw me, inadequately recording details about a real-time heart issue that has recurred. Also not recording what my wife and I recall what was said about follow up - that is now changed (frustratingly delayed). All of this is resolvable - but needs the ability to communicate ideally with the GP who said one thing and wrote another. The NHS app can't help with that communication.

Meanwhile various parts of this Medical Centre seem to be bogged down in documenting unnecessary "stuff" yet don't seem to have the capacity or courteousy to notify the patient of changes in arrangements - which could possibly be done by the NHS app but is not currently within the scope of this app. Nor is there much accuracy in much of the details and once things have been recorded inaccurately that misleading data seems destined to be perpetuated because a human being is needed to establish the correctness then adjust what is incorrect. Apps aren't good for such common sense.
 
I think what I've very long windedly just said is that rubbish in will always display as rubbish. There is a great risk of more time being spent in correcting rubbish than actually spent with patients.
 
I have recently started using the App and do find it useful much as SB2015 has already mentioned
Blood test Friday morning, results online Sunday with actual numbers. I previously had to have a telephone appointment with the GP to get HbA1c result as non medically trained receptionist would only tell me result was normal. Although only a short phone call I guess the cumulative effect of non essential GP appointments can be reduced.
I haven’t used the repeat prescription function yet, but this should also save some time for me.
I guess it is not perfect, but can be improved.
I will complete the survey now.
 
(1st para below on subject) rest is my personal view only.

I have not used it, I find far too many apps to download as it is so I am reluctant to keep downloading apps.

The way I am seeing things ; I don't like the way the government or other is trying to manipulate society into digital only, we need real doctors, properly trained nurses, pharmacists etc and cash. I am against going all digital to be honest. Some elderly folk don't even have a mobile phone or laptop or pc.

Currently I can access all my test results online and repeat prescriptions, in a secure portal my GP surgery gives patients access to on request. Sadly they have stopped the option to be able to book an appointment online and all patients are supposed to call in at 8am for a telephone appointment only and often one cannot get through to the surgery. I only get to see my doc if I write an email listing all the health checks outstanding.

Since covid started, I have only had blood tests done along with urine, on last blood test I had to go to the hospital as the surgery is short staffed, the surgery no longer has a diabetic nurse nor respiratory nurse, so basically my health care has deteriorated somewhat.

Just getting that off my chest, -- Just to say digital should be an extra not a replacement.
 
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I have done the survey, though had similar problems to Robin - I'm not remotely scared of technology but I don't have or want a Smartphone because tech like that tends to give me migraines (can't have Libre2 next to my head when I sleep) so I avoid it as much as possible, which meant my answer to most of the questions would have been "other" if there had been that option. I'd love a website which did all the things they were asking if people wanted the app to do, can't do most of them with Systmonline.

I also have the same issue as Jodee with our surgery here - we can no longer book appointments online, all we can book is phone calls, and thanks to my ME I can't use the phone so I'm a bit stuck. I don't like emailing the receptionists with details of what I want to talk to a doctor about, and don't have email address for doctor (thankfully do for diabetes nurse).

It is a good point about elderly folk too - my Mum is 95 and partially sighted, and doesn't have a computer or smartphone, she has trouble enough using an ordinary mobile.
 
I understand there are people without access to technology such as smartphones. But focusing on "the elderly" is incorrect.
My parents are in their 80s and very comfortable with their smartphones and apps. My dad has an appointment to manage his hearing aid.
On the other hand I have friends younger than me who cannot afford a smart phone apart from a very old one.

Can we stop lumping all of the elderly together as technophobes and realised there are reasons for any age not to have access to the latest technology?
 
my surgery insists on using 'klinik' an online nightmare system they shut out of hours. the NHS is for its own staff, not for the patients. Time to bring in the European social insurance type system I think.
 
Fair point, @helli - it's probably more to do with Mum's eyesight than her age that she has trouble with computers and mobiles. I suspect the people who don't have the latest technology do include a higher proportion of elderly and disabled people than of younger and healthier ones, but you're right that we should treat people as individuals not stereotypes.
 
helli said:
Can we stop lumping all of the elderly together as technophobes and realised there are reasons for any age not to have access to the latest technology?
Click to expand...


Not lumping all elderly together - I said "Some elderly folk don't even have a mobile phone or laptop or pc."

Same for some younger people.

My parents were very savvy in their 80s but in their 90s they can't be bothered to even stay in touch with people, yet they still need face to face health care as do others who choose not to keep downloading app after app. I've experienced all phones down and PC and I have been very cut off from even phoning an emergency service. That was my point, digital should be an extra not a replacement.
 
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Just did the survey. As someone managing a host of medical conditions I am using all the online services I can. But I simply don’t understand the point of the NHS app. It doesn’t have my full medical or medication info, I can’t book appointments there, I have to use PatientAcess for prescriptions, and two separate MyChart accounts for other things. Doctors are constantly unaware of my conditions as they sit in different systems. Why? My family in Denmark all have their files in one place, and it is super simple to check my mum’s medications and appointment…
 
Well like I said - use it to order our prescriptions AND test results are on it.
 
RJN123 said:
Just did the survey. As someone managing a host of medical conditions I am using all the online services I can. But I simply don’t understand the point of the NHS app. It doesn’t have my full medical or medication info, I can’t book appointments there, I have to use PatientAcess for prescriptions, and two separate MyChart accounts for other things. Doctors are constantly unaware of my conditions as they sit in different systems. Why? My family in Denmark all have their files in one place, and it is super simple to check my mum’s medications and appointment…
Click to expand...
That is weird
I have access to my test results and have full medical records accessible. I can also send an email to my GP with a query or access links to other support that might be helpful. I wonder whether it depends on your GP practice and whic services they have bought into.
 
SB2015 said:
That is weird
I have access to my test results and have full medical records accessible. I can also send an email to my GP with a query or access links to other support that might be helpful. I wonder whether it depends on your GP practice and whic services they have bought into.
Click to expand...
Yes, I suspect that is it. Just curious, do you also see results and medications from hospital? My care is split between two hospitals and my GP, so that probably doesn’t help - hence I would love for an integrated system.
 
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