IS this the face of health care to come?
People in Studley and Alcester could find themselves having an electronic ‘e-consultation’ under a pilot project from Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust (CWPT).
The Trust, provides mental health and learning disability services in Warwickshire and Solihull, is testing electronic e-consultations in three of its services in a bid to speed up appointment waiting times, and provide an alternative way of accessing services.
The pilot services are Integrated Sexual Health Services; Improving Access to Physiological Therapies and Primary Mental Health Team, known as RISE.
Patients wanting an appointment at the services will now have the option to opt for an e-consultation, meaning they will not have to attend the appointment in person as it will take place over a videocall; similar to Skype or Facetime.
Mel Coombes, Chief Nurse at CWPT said: “Since launching the trial in December we are finding this system is helping people from many different walks of life access our services in a new way.
“People lead busy lives and can sometimes struggle to attend appointments with the time pressures of work, family and other commitments.
“By offering e-consultations, it can fit around anyone’s schedule, because they can choose to seek advice at a time and place that suits them.”
The e-consultation can be accessed through a free app that they download to a smartphone or tablet.
The pilot was launched earlier this month, and is due to end in June 2020.
