Primary care systems provider EMIS has announced that its Access online appointments booking systems has reached two milestones.
Latest figures show that two years since it was launched online bookings have passed 100,000, and there have been more than 50,000 requests for repeat prescriptions on the system.
According to figures from EMIS 559 GP surgeries across the UK are now using EMIS Access, a figure increasing at 10 per cent a month. In March approximately 460 appointments were booked every day, compared with an average of 177 a month a year earlier.
Access allows patients to book, change, or cancel appointments over the internet; email queries to their GP, or request a repeat prescription – 24 hours a day.
Patients use a PIN number to access the system via a central website which is linked to their own surgery’s appointments diary. Appointments can then be viewed and updated in real time.
Sean Riddell, deputy managing director of EMIS, said: “We’re delighted to have passed these significant milestones with EMIS Access."
Riddell said the system put patients in control: "Patients can book an appointment at any time of day or night without having to try to get through on the telephone to often busy surgeries."
Sheffield University Health Centre was the heaviest user of the system. In March 1,290 patients booked appointments at the busy surgery.
Dr Jennifer King of the surgery said: “EMIS Access has been hugely popular with our patients, most of whom are students and who have access to IT and the internet.”
Dr King added: “It has also proved very successful with the staff here and has taken a lot of pressure off the telephone system, making for greater efficiency. We can only anticipate that the use of EMIS Access will continue to grow as more and more patients become aware that it’s an option for them.”
Second and third highest users were the Edenfield Road Surgery near Rochdale and The Surgery at Highlands in Flitwick, Bedfordshire.
Beech Tree Surgery in Selby, North Yorkshire was the heaviest user of the EMIS system for prescription requests, with 414 in March. Richard Gregory, practice manager explained that benefits of moving to online prescription requests had included easing congestion on telephone lines, particularly in the very busy period from 8.00am to 9.00am.
He added: "It’s also helped with risk management as patients have to specify exactly what medication they require on the website – so it reduces the margin for error."