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NHS /local online services

Fitness tips, Relaxation, Mind and Body
AleisterCrowley
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NHS /local online services

#396243

Postby AleisterCrowley » March 16th, 2021, 5:49 pm

I'm registered with my local (West Berks) GP/Medical Centre
I don't, as far as I know, have an online NHS account - I do have an NHS number

The local surgery have sent me a guide to accessing online services with a linkage key/ODS code/Account ID
There is also an instruction to set up an account with one of the following 'service providers';
Patient Access
Evergreen Life
Dimec
myGP
digi.me
Echo


Is there much/any difference?

Will this be my sole 'NHS' online account or is it just for the local trust/partnership/whatever?

thanks
AC

Moderator Message:
This calls for more discussion than a DAK post, so I've moved it to a better place. (chas49)

DrBunsenHoneydew
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Re: NHS /local online services

#396269

Postby DrBunsenHoneydew » March 16th, 2021, 7:24 pm

AleisterCrowley wrote:I'm registered with my local (West Berks) GP/Medical Centre
I don't, as far as I know, have an online NHS account - I do have an NHS number

The local surgery have sent me a guide to accessing online services with a linkage key/ODS code/Account ID
There is also an instruction to set up an account with one of the following 'service providers';
Patient Access
Evergreen Life
Dimec
myGP
digi.me
Echo


Is there much/any difference?

Will this be my sole 'NHS' online account or is it just for the local trust/partnership/whatever?

thanks
AC

There is not a central database. All GP run their own database. However nearly all GP outsource the running of their database to one of a few providers.

When you log into any of these "access platforms" they pass your request onto the GP's database, then display the results that the GP has permitted to be released.
There is nothing stopping someone using more than one of the "access providers". Some might provide better interfaces or might not do full functionality. Patient Access is the most used.

Perhaps think of it like email, where to can choose one or more email readers to access the email from your Internet service provider's email server.
Different readers are more or less user-friendly.

AleisterCrowley
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Re: NHS /local online services

#396280

Postby AleisterCrowley » March 16th, 2021, 8:17 pm

There is not a central database. All GP run their own database
(Gulp..) Really ??

Mike4
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Re: NHS /local online services

#396287

Postby Mike4 » March 16th, 2021, 8:38 pm

My GP shepherded me to an on-line access service called patient-services.co.uk. I didn't realise one had a choice!

Patient Services works ok but the user interface is grim. It looks and feels like something designed around 1997.


(Edit the date!)

AleisterCrowley
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Re: NHS /local online services

#396295

Postby AleisterCrowley » March 16th, 2021, 9:28 pm

I'll try the first on the list (which is patientAccess.com)
I assume the NHS have a central medical records database somewhere which GPs can access..?
Edit: may skip that one, it seems to be poorly reviewed
https://www.trustpilot.com/review/patie ... com?page=2

AF62
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Re: NHS /local online services

#396296

Postby AF62 » March 16th, 2021, 9:37 pm

AleisterCrowley wrote:I don't, as far as I know, have an online NHS account


You probably do - https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/online- ... s/nhs-app/

Mike4 wrote:My GP shepherded me to an on-line access service called patient-services.co.uk. I didn't realise one had a choice!

Patient Services works ok but the user interface is grim. It looks and feels like something designed around 1997.


I gave up with my local surgery’s access (SystmOnline) once I was aware of the NHS app as the interface was far superior to the ancient SystmOnline one.

XFool
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Re: NHS /local online services

#396305

Postby XFool » March 16th, 2021, 10:20 pm

AleisterCrowley wrote:I'll try the first on the list (which is patientAccess.com)
I assume the NHS have a central medical records database somewhere which GPs can access..?
Edit: may skip that one, it seems to be poorly reviewed
https://www.trustpilot.com/review/patie ... com?page=2

Goodness. Never had those problems with PatientAccess.

88V8
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Re: NHS /local online services

#396309

Postby 88V8 » March 16th, 2021, 10:44 pm

AleisterCrowley wrote:There is not a central database. All GP run their own database
(Gulp..) Really ??

That's right.
A week or so ago there was a woman from Easyjet talking about vaccine passports and the moot that airlines could 'log into the NHS database'.
She pointed out that there isn't one.

So if you're admitted to A&E in a comatose state, how can they ascertain your history and allergies.
Hmmm.
Perhaps better not to think about it.

V8

AleisterCrowley
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Re: NHS /local online services

#396310

Postby AleisterCrowley » March 16th, 2021, 10:49 pm

Well I've logged in to the NHS desktop jobbie using the details sent to prove my ID and it all works (BMI 24.7...diet time)
Not sure what benefits I get from a third party app
I can only see my history from when I registered with local GP in 2019 though
They must have a record of the stuff from 'year zero' - nothing complex but I know I've had BCG/smallpox/polio vaccs etc, and a tonsilectomy in the 90s

mc2fool
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Re: NHS /local online services

#396314

Postby mc2fool » March 16th, 2021, 11:04 pm

AleisterCrowley wrote:I'll try the first on the list (which is patientAccess.com)
I assume the NHS have a central medical records database somewhere which GPs can access..?
Edit: may skip that one, it seems to be poorly reviewed
https://www.trustpilot.com/review/patie ... com?page=2

Well I've been using Patient Access for yonks and I just don't recognise the picture painted of it on TrustPilot.

But my GP doesn't offer any choice, Patient Access is it -- and it seems as you do have a choice you can sign up for several and compare and contrast them. Do let us know what you find. :D

On a central database, I don't think so. A few years ago my GP wanted to refer me to a consultant at local hospital A, and having had previous experience of that hospital (medical care good, administrative side a lot less so) I asked if he could refer me to another local hospital B instead, and he said he could but I'd probably find B's admin as lackluster as A's and he'd prefer me to go to A 'cos A had direct access to the practice's patient records, whereas with hospital B it was letters in the post.....

AleisterCrowley
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Re: NHS /local online services

#396316

Postby AleisterCrowley » March 16th, 2021, 11:12 pm

Am I going to get anything extra from using Patient Access (for example) compared with the NHS sites?
It's all new to me :)

UncleEbenezer
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Re: NHS /local online services

#396355

Postby UncleEbenezer » March 17th, 2021, 9:08 am

AleisterCrowley wrote:Am I going to get anything extra from using Patient Access (for example) compared with the NHS sites?
It's all new to me :)

You're sounding too impatient for patient access there.

stewamax
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Re: NHS /local online services

#396370

Postby stewamax » March 17th, 2021, 9:36 am

mc2fool wrote:On a central database, I don't think so. A few years ago my GP wanted to refer me to a consultant at local hospital A, and having had previous experience of that hospital (medical care good, administrative side a lot less so) I asked if he could refer me to another local hospital B instead, and he said he could but I'd probably find B's admin as lackluster as A's and he'd prefer me to go to A 'cos A had direct access to the practice's patient records, whereas with hospital B it was letters in the post.....


The NHS is half pregnant:
- there is a central repository of patient records called SCR that is a summary populated from your GP's records
- the NHS is still the single largest fax user. And even this is unreliable: my GP needed to contact a consultant for me and said she would send a letter as faxes to that hospital's department often just vanished.

absolutezero
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Re: NHS /local online services

#396394

Postby absolutezero » March 17th, 2021, 11:34 am

At least you can see your medical records.
My GP will only just allow ordering prescriptions online.
I'm working on being able to see my medical records vis the app.
You just know this is how the vaccine passport will work. (Or not as is more likely.)

ten0rman
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Re: NHS /local online services

#396441

Postby ten0rman » March 17th, 2021, 1:59 pm

I have used Patient Access to order repeat prescriptions. That was until they introduced additional identity junk. I ended up going back to the old system of ringing up whenever I need repeat prescriptions - it's a lot simpler, a lot easier (for me that is) and doesn't need reams of id's, passwords & other assorted junk. It may even be cheaper for me. Fair enough, it does mean that the surgery has to have someone able to transcribe my speech onto a form, but that applies to every other person who doesn't have computer ability. As you may gather, I'm not a fan of Patient Access.

In respect of my records, one does have to wonder just how much has been computerised considering that a few years ago the town centre was flooded and a lot, majority perhaps, of the paper records were irretrievably damaged. And in any case, what use are the records when the staff don't consult them properly. Four years ago I had to have new hearing aids prescribed. At one point I saw a nurse practioner (at least, I think that's what she was). I noticed that she had a stack of paper relating to my hospital treatments over the previous 9 years, of which the bottom pile was all about my Menieres and the resultant operations. In between was info about gall bladder and ontop was info about heart attack. She was about to start making new notes about my hearing loss until I mentioned Menieres. She had not even skimmed the notes!

It also appears that all the local hospitals and surgeries in my area are linked by some sort of network as for example, a blood test is done 4 weekly on me by the surgery staff: the actual blood testing is done by one of the two main hospitals here, and the results appear online for my cancer specialist unit at the other main hospital. Furthermore, when I recently telephoned the specialist unit to remind them that they hadn't included the note of the blood test requirements last time, I was told to tell the surgery nurse that the requirements will be on something or other (can't remember what I was told - I did write it down but it's in another room).

ten0rman

chas49
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Re: NHS /local online services

#396455

Postby chas49 » March 17th, 2021, 2:46 pm

Moderator Message:
This calls for more discussion than a DAK post, so I've moved it to a better place. (chas49)

supremetwo
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Re: NHS /local online services

#396506

Postby supremetwo » March 17th, 2021, 6:22 pm

I only require treatments that the NHS provides.

Patient Access has many links to private treatment providers even after you are logged in to your GP NHS records.

I was trying to find out about blood tests and I was directed to a private provider's blood test appointment page.
I then got an email from Patient Access chasing that click.

I consider that such advertising is completely unacceptable under medical data protection with sharing of NHS patient clicks to private treatment providers from a supposedly NHS logged-in access page.

But, no doubt Patient Access and probably the other providers are getting commission from the privateers and are supplying the software to GPs free or at a minimal cost.

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Re: NHS /local online services

#396524

Postby Alaric » March 17th, 2021, 7:27 pm

ten0rman wrote:I have used Patient Access to order repeat prescriptions.


Don't the pharmacy chains such as Boots offer this as a service? That said the local NHS area might muck about with the system. After some years relying on Boots to automatically process the repeat every 8 weeks, I was then informed that I had to order through Patient Access due to some edict from above. After realising there was no direct link from the GP's website to the Patient Access login, I got this operational remembering to reorder when I was down to about a week's supply. Lo and behold they have changed the system back again, so it's again down to the Boots computer and presumably their pharmacy staff who text me when the prescription is ready.

ten0rman
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Re: NHS /local online services

#396549

Postby ten0rman » March 17th, 2021, 9:44 pm

Alaric,
In our surgery there are three options for prescriptions: one is a pharmacy run by the doctors themselves, another is Boots whilst the third is a privately owned pharmacy (as far as I know). When the doctor's own pharmacy was set up, there was, as you might expect, something of a push to try and persuade patients to use it. That idea appears to have dropped by the roadside. It is worth pointing out that the surgery and pharmacy are out of the town centre and therefore Boots & the private pharmacy being town centre located are much more convenient.

Many years ago, I could have 2 months supply at a time: this then got reduced to 1 months supply. Furthermore, recently, the surgery has stopped Boots collecting prescriptions before 15:30. I assume the same applies to the private pharmacy but because I don't use them, I don't know. I also seem to remember that Boots used to re-order but that got stopped quite a few years ago. Boots do indeed text me (sometimes) when a prescription is ready to pick up.

I/we have used the doctors pharmacy occasionally because sometimes I want a prescription pdq and am prepared to put up with the awkwardness, but also if having seen a GP it's easier to use their pharmacy rather than travel into town, park the car and then wait in Boots for it to be prepared.

I suppose swings & roundabouts really = what's most convenient for me!

ten0rman


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