Online booking for GP appointments by 2015

Posted 22/05/2012

Ministers are promising that patients will be able to book GP appointments and access test results online by 2015 taking the hassle and inconvenience out of the current system. It is reported that prescriptions will also be accessible online. Going one step further, it could mean that patients could have access to all of their medical records electronically giving a greater transparency to their care and treatment.There are a number of GP surgeries across the country who have been trialling an electronic system for a number of months. There is little doubt that there would be a significant cost involved in implementing the system, but it appears that the government are striving ahead with the initiative by encouraging private companies to develop health apps for smartphones and tablet PCs.Sharon Allison, a medical injury lawyer at Ashtons Legal says: “I think, for some, the opportunity of electronic access to GP appointments, medical records and prescriptions would be a huge advantage and would save a great deal of time. However there are a number of patients, especially the elderly, who might not benefit. As long as the systems run parallel, i.e. what you can access electronically you could still access the conventional way, then I think there are number of avenues that can evolve from such an advance in technology”.