eConsult is a new service being launched in August which enables patients to access 24/7 medical advice via the Practice website.
This provides self‐help guides and videos about the most common General Practice conditions, symptom checkers and signposting to other services and it also provides eConsults. This allows patients to submit a condition based questionnaire to the GP for a response by the end of the next working day with feedback and treatment options. This service is not for urgent problems and unfortunately is not available to those under the age of 18.
In 2014, a six‐month study examined the benefits of providing e‐Consult to 133,000 patients and resulted in a 400‐hour reduction in GP appointment time. E‐Consult has shown that 60% of patients were able to resolve their health concerns without visiting a GP. The features and benefits of eConsult are:
- Significant improvements in patient access to their GP
- Better health outcomes through earlier detection of significant symptoms and earlier intervention
- Better Practice efficiency with more focused use of clinical capacity, shorter waiting times and fewer requests for GP appointments
- Reduced attendance at urgent care settings such as walk‐in centres or A&E
- A safe, convenient way for patients to self‐manage or consult with their own GP