Video consultation appointments rose a staggering 1,451% in March 2020, the myGP healthcare app can reveal.
As the UK continues to be grounded by the Covid-19 lockdown conditions, tech-savvy patients have signed up for the app, which allows users to access appointments at their surgery through their mobile phone.
The NHS-funded application, available on both Apple and Android devices, allows users to book GP appointments, order repeat prescriptions and set up medication reminders on your smartphone.
In March, 915 video calls/consultations were made using the app, compared to just 59 video appointments in February 2020 as patients listen to Government advice to only leave home if it really is essential.
There was also a 179% increase in medications successfully delivered directly to patients’ homes, as digital prescription orders almost doubled — a 47% rise from 93,116 orders in February, to 137,022 in March.
Louise Kitchingham, Communications and PR Manager at myGP, said: “myGP allows patients to have a remote consultation with their registered doctor so they do not need to worry about travelling from home to the surgery.
“The last few months have proved difficult for everyone, both those working in the healthcare sector and for its patients. The uptake in video consultations is amazing and we must credit our partners and consumers for making it possible.
“It is important, however that people continue to seek the help of their GP should they have concerns about their health. Through myGP, this is all possible without having to leave the house, so there is no reason why people should be putting off ‘seeing’ their GP.”
Over 21 million text messages (21,557,533 were transmitted in March alone, a rise from 8.9 million (8,969,322) being sent since in February.
