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eConsult
eConsult - Online Consultation
What is eConsult?
eConsult enables NHS based GP practices to offer online consultations to their patients. This allows patients to submit their symptoms or requests to their own GP electronically, and offers around the clock NHS self-help information, signposting to services, and a symptom checker.
eConsult is the most widely used digital triage tool in NHS primary care, built by NHS GPs for NHS patients, designed to enhance patient access, improve practice efficiencies and signpost patients to the right place at the right time for their care.
How does eConsult work?
eConsult is easy for patients and practices
eConsult lets you consult with your NHS GP online by completing a quick form that is sent and reviewed by the practice. You can also be directed to patient self-help, pharmacy advice and local self-referral services.
You can search for information about your condition and will be provided with self-help and pharmacy advice.
Should you wish to get further advice from us, you will be given the opportunity to start an online consultation. Simply complete the online questionnaire and it will be sent securely to us at Westcourt Medical Centre. We will review your response and aim to get back to you within one working day, with either treatment advice, a telephone consultation or a booked appointment once your report has been reviewed by one of our clinicians.
Please note that the submission of online consultations is only available on weekdays between 07:00 and 18:00. If you require healthcare outside of practice hours, please contact NHS 111 or, if your need is urgent, dial 999.
The Benefits
You'll wonder how you did without it
- Patients may not need a trip to the surgery and their query may be resolved with a phone call
- There is no need to change surgery to get digital first access. Patients complete an online GP consultation with their own practice when they need to
- Medical advice is available 24/7 even when the practice is closed – Patients can check their health symptoms online and receive on the spot medical advice and treatment guidance thanks to NHS content
- Patients will get a response from their own NHS GP practice by the end of the next working day or sooner
- Access wherever and whenever patients want from any device. Unlike a telephone call patients can complete an eConsult at a pace that suits them, without taking up practice time
- Patients can request sick notes and test results without the need for an appointment saving patient and practice time
How Does It Help Improve Our Efficiency?
If we have as much information as possible about your condition in advance we can ensure we deal with in the most efficient way, utilising the most appropriate staff. In some cases, like sick notes or referrals, our administrative team can process, keeping unnecessary work away from our GPs, paramedics and nurses.
Even if your online consultation results in a telephone or face to face appointment, because the clinician has all the questions and answers submitted from your online consultation, the subsequent appointment will be much more efficient as they don’t have to ask all the questions again.
The system is on between 07:00 and 18:00 on weekdays (not including bank holidays). Submit an online consultation instead of waiting on the phone!
Photos and Privacy Concerns
You can attach photos to an eConsult submission that will be seen by the GP, nurse or paramedic. These images will be saved permanently to your medical record so it is important to remember this when sending images that are sensitive in nature.
This is especially important to note in the case of parents sending pictures of their children which could potentially be considered indecent images. Therefore, we recommend that online consultations, undertaken on behalf of children under the age of 16 or vulnerable adults, requiring visual diagnostics (image or video) of an intimate area (genitals, anus, breasts) are not undertaken and you instead contact the practice to ask for a telephone consultation. We can then offer alternative methods for viewing images that will not compromise confidentiality.
Your Sensitive Data
eConsult deletes all personal data associated with a consultation once the summary has been sent to Westcourt Medical Centre.