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Primary Care

Working together with NHS Digital

Riccardo Garavani  | 22nd October 2020
NHS Digital

We worked with NHS Digital to integrate eConsult into the NHS App, including single sign-on with NHS login

eConsult is the first online consultation supplier to integrate with the NHS App. We worked closely with the app team to ensure the eConsult triage platform was built seamlessly into the app for an optimal patient journey.

This included integrating NHS login into the native eConsult platform to verify each patient’s identity and pre-populate demographic details.

Read about our partnership

eConsult is the first online consultation service to be integrated with the NHS App

eConsult is the first online consultation provider to integrate with the NHS App. Your patients now have access to this service and can submit an eConsultation to your practice from the app. The NHS App will feature in the NHS and Public Health England’s national flu and winter pressures campaigns and comprehensive guidance for GP practices on how to make the best use of the app is available, including how to promote it to patients. For specific information about how to eConsult from within the NHS App see our video.

What does this mean to NHS patients?

Patients will now be able to access eConsult from either their own practice website, or via the NHS App. One of the benefits of the NHS App is that patients use NHS login which means they do not have to provide their personal patient demographics each time they use eConsult. Patients can login with a password, or using Face ID or fingerprint if their mobile device supports it.

eConsult and our integration with the NHS App helps improve a patient’s remote access to their own NHS healthcare. This improved access is especially important during the COVID-19 pandemic and with social distancing. eConsult and the NHS App gives patients the ability to contact their own NHS healthcare safely from home.

Why the NHS App?

The NHS App is a national initiative to give patients better access to their own healthcare and NHS services. For users who are used to using a smartphone and apps, the NHS App will be a more natural and intuitive way to submit an eConsultation and connect with their practice. With other services also built-in, the NHS App is set to become the go-to place for patients when starting a healthcare journey. As with the current eConsult offering via practice websites, the NHS App can be used from anywhere, any time of day or night. 

We have worked closely with the NHS App team to build our own clinically developed questions into the app, so the journey for the patient is seamless and you still receive the eConsult information in the usual format.

Read more from NHS Digital