Falkirk GPs getting closer again to patients

All you need is a smartphone, tablet or computer with a webcam and internet connection to use the Near Me video consulting service to talk to GPs and other health professionals in Forth Valley.

The system has already been used successfully in the Highlands and plans were already in place to roll it out to help make it easier for patients to attend appointments.

But those plans have been rapidly escalated as part of the Covid-19 response and all GP practices in Scotland are now equipped to use Near Me.

Jason Leitch, National Clinical Director, Scottish Government, said: “Near Me is proving to be an invaluable tool in the fight against coronavirus.

“Offering quick and easy access to health services without the need to travel is vital for patients, especially if they are self-isolating because of coronavirus.

“Near Me works exactly like a face-to-face meeting except that patients do not need to travel to see a GP.”

The Scottish Government says it has been working to ensure that there is sufficient capacity to meet the growing demand for Near Me and insists it is an “appropriate, effective and secure” way to conduct remote consultations.

Patients speak to their GP first by telephone then Near Me will be used if a video link is felt to be more appropriate.

As with any other appointment, patients must first contact their GP practice and it will arrange for an appointment to be booked in the normal manner. This may be by telephone, virtual or face to face.

Clare Morrison, who helped to introduce the new system in NHS Highland, now co-leads the national Near Me programme.

She said: “When Near Me was first introduced, the aim was to improve access to services for patients.

“This included reducing travel to appointments, minimising the time taken off work to attend and making it easier for people who found it difficult to leave home.

“Reducing travel also has significant environmental benefit. All these aims remain important, but obviously the current focus on the use of Near Me is to reduce infection exposure.”

And it’s not just GPs who are using the new service.

In NHS Forth Valley, the physiotherapy team are now using it for all consultations other than those where face-to-face contact is absolutely necessary.

Team lead Nicky Butler explained : “As physiotherapists, we obviously can’t touch patients but we can get them to move around so that we can see their range of movement and, obviously, we can give them advice and exercises to do at home.

“At the start we thought that we would have face-to-face consultations at the first appointment but we now find that is not necessary. Near Me works well and we will be using it more and more as the Covid situation continues.”

General information about Near Me is available at www.nearme.scot and a short video is also available showing how easy it is to use.

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