Online GP provider LIVI has expanded its services to Birmingham, Shropshire, Northamptonshire, and parts of the South-East through new NHS partnerships.

The expansion enables access to app-based video GP consultations for more than 1.85 million patients, the provider said.

The partnerships will also mean local GPs can work on the platform to treat patients in their area digitally.

Services that already existed for 360,000 patients in Surrey will also be increased.

The expansion comes as a result of new collaboration with local federations including Our Health Partnership, Northampton General Practice Alliance, and Alliance for Better Care, building on previous work with the NICS GP Federation in north west Surrey.

Luke Buhl-Nielsen, UK country manager of LIVI, said: “LIVI’s mission is to improve access to primary care for every patient, and we do so in a way that significantly relieves pressure on GP surgeries.

“Our first partnership in North-West Surrey highlighted within the first six months the positive impact that LIVI can have – offering GPs greater workplace flexibility, decreasing attendance at A+E or Urgent Care Centres, while delivering excellent care for every patient.”

Asimah Hanif, lead GP at LIVI, added: “Our aim first and foremost is to partner with NHS services to deliver an improved, more flexible service for patients which cuts waiting times at the same time as driving up the quality of GP consultations.

“I am proud we are bringing this service to even more patients, in even more parts of the country, and in the process supporting local NHS GPs to deliver care in a more flexible and responsive way.”

LIVI signed a deal with the GP Federation in north west Surrey in November 2018. Once signed up with LIVI, patients were able speak to GPs who can provide medical advice, prescriptions, fit notes and referrals.

Founded in Sweden in 2015, LIVI allows patients to access online consultations via their GP practice and has delivered over half a million consultations across Europe.

It’s the second digital GP service to expand it’s services in the last few months, with Babylon’s GP at Hand give the green light to expand to Birmingham in June.

Dr Richard Vautrey, British Medical Association GO committee chair, said of LIVI’s expansion: “Any arrangement that works in partnership with practices, rather than in competition with them, can be helpful.

“However, this needs to be part of wider, nationwide fully-funded IT investment in general practice so that all practices and patients have access to the same technology.”

In January this year Juliet Bauer, for chief digital officer at NHS England, announced she was stepping down from the role to join LIVI.

Bauer took up a global product role at the online GP provider in April 2019.

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