A new digital consultation system developed by local GPs is helping patients in Leeds to access GP services without hassle and delay, while saving the equivalent of 285 appointments every week.

Many patients experience frustration having to join the so called "8am queue" and take up a valuable face-to-face slot with their GP when there's no other option.

SMARTconsult, developed by GP-founded Fuller & Forbes Healthcare Group which operates Middleton Park Surgery, Cottingley GP Surgery and Bramley Village Health and Wellbeing Centre, is tackling this, by allowing patients to log their symptoms online in just minutes. Many receive same-day advice or treatment either in-person with their GP or through expert advice online or via a local pharmacy.

One patient described it as:

"Much quicker than waiting on the phone at 8am. I booked a call about a bladder infection and got antibiotics from my local chemist the same day."

Patients in the region already face challenges accessing a GP, with the most recent GP patient survey showing just 51% of patients in West Yorkshire describe trying to contact their GP by phone as 'easy'.

But now SMARTconsult is helping practices in Leeds to safely manage a large number of straightforward cases by directing them to the most appropriate source of expertise - including GPs, nurse practitioners, or local pharmacies. This avoids patients competing for limited GP appointments and ensures that those who most need to see a GP face-to-face are able to do so smoothly.

Unlike other systems, SMARTconsult links directly to the NHS's Pharmacy First service. Patients with common conditions such as sore throats can be booked straight into a local pharmacy for assessment and treatment, bypassing the GP surgery or a line at the pharmacy completely.

Practices using the tool have already seen a saving of 71 hours of GP time per week - the equivalent of 285 GP appointments every week.

If the tool were used across all of the 88 GP surgeries in Leeds, this would create the equivalent saving of 25,000 GP appointments in the city per week - transforming how local people access GP and primary care services.

Adam Bolton, a Practice Manager in Leeds, said:

"Since implementing SMARTconsult, we have seen a remarkable transformation in the way we deliver care to our patients. The system is now a vital part of our daily workflow, enabling us to manage and expand our patient contact capacity by over 250 additional interactions every single week. The tool has not only streamlined how patients access care, but it has also significantly improved clinical efficiency and triage accuracy."

Practices already using SMARTconsult are each saving up to £300,000 a year in GP time, while giving patients more choice and quicker access to care.

Dr Mark Fuller, Chief Medical Officer and Co-Founder of Fuller & Forbes, commented:

"People deserve to be able to access appropriate healthcare treatment smoothly and without additional stress. Every unnecessary GP appointment that is avoided is time given back to the NHS, freeing up doctors to focus on patients who really need them. At a time when general practice is under more pressure than ever, these results show digital consultation tools can make a meaningful difference to patients and GPs."

This post is based on a press release issued by Fuller and Forbes Healthcare Group

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