Here in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, we’re using the NHS App as our main ‘gateway’ to access health and social care.
We caught up with Laura Stokes, one of our Digital and Social Inclusion Coordinators to learn more about her role and what support she offers to local patients and NHS staff.
From ordering repeat prescriptions, managing GP appointments or accessing health plans, everything can be done via the App.
However, it’s important that the benefits of the internet and digital technologies are available to everyone accessing health and care services in our locality, ensuring that no-one is left behind.
As part of our work to improve digital inclusion, our Digital and Social Inclusion Coordinators are a team of specially trained digital champions working across Primary Care Networks and Hospital Trusts. The coordinators offer proactive support to encourage increased use of digital healthcare tools, particularly with patients who would benefit most from access to digital health services.
Question 1: Digital Notts (DN): Hi Laura, how long have you been in post?
I’ve been in my current role since June 2023, and the time has really flown by.
Question 2: DN: What area of Nottinghamshire do you cover?
I work on behalf of Newgate PCN and Larwood and Bawtry PCN, covering GP Practices across areas like Worksop, Bawtry and Blyth.
Question 3: DN: How can patients access your support and guidance?
Patients and residents can contact me in a variety of ways.
Sometimes I host scheduled sessions within my GP Practices, where patients can simply drop-in if they have any questions.
Or specific referral requests can be made by the GP or a health professional if they know a patient would benefit from a 121 digital support session.
Alternatively, I spend a lot of time out in the community.
I host digital support hubs in libraries or job centres. I’ve attended local coffee mornings and dementia hubs, which often focus on patients and their carers, and how the NHS App can help them through the use of Linked Profiles.
It’s just really important to be out in the community, making myself available to those who need my support.
Question 4: Please tell us what happens during a 121-referral session?
Every interaction for a Digital and Social Inclusion Coordinator is specific to the individual.
I spend a lot of time listening to our residents, understanding their particular challenge and making recommendations specific to that person.
I could be supporting patients to register for the NHS App for the first time or providing more detailed help on how to use its many features, such as setting up a Linked Profile or making an online request into the GP Practice.
For example, a GP recently made a 121 referral for a patient who needed my support. The patient needed to take a picture of a mole via their mobile phone, to enable a referral to secondary care, but the patient did not know how to do this using their phone.
At the Digital support appointment, I helped the patient to take the required picture and send it via the NHS App, but also to:
Question 5: Do you only provide help to patients? What about Practice colleagues?
We want everyone to be able to talk confidently about using the NHS App, particularly as it becomes more integrated into the NHS.
I provide digital advice and guidance to anyone within the GP, including my practice colleagues.
In the past, I’ve helped some practices get the NHS Wi-Fi enabled within the surgery, working in conjunction with our IT support colleagues.
It’s helpful that I have an understanding of the practice’s patient management systems as well as the NHS App.
I can advise on how the two systems integrate and how the App can be used to send the patient messages via the NHS App.
Question 6: What impact can improving use of the NHS App have on Practice teams?
It is important to recognise that enabling patients to use the NHS App can have a positive impact upon the Admin teams within the surgeries.
Practices can triage online requests more efficiently and quickly, often freeing up time for those patients who need in-person support.
We all know that the NHS and GPs are under pressure, but even a small increase in the use of digital technology can have a positive impact on time and resources.
Question 7: And finally, what do you like most about your job?
I really like the variety and the sense of satisfaction. Every appointment can be different, but that’s what I love the most about my job.
It’s often more than just getting people accessing and using the NHS App. Yes, I can see the impact on people’s health and well-being, but the positive knock-on effects can be really rewarding and motivating across all aspects of a person’s life, not just their health and well-being.
Key information:
Digital and Social Inclusion coordinators were first introduced to Nottingham and Nottinghamshire in June 2022 and are embedded within several PCNs. In the past 18 months, our Coordinators have:
For more information, please contact sfh-tr.nottsdigitalinclusion@nhs.net