Online Consultations

 

Accelerated Access

On October 31st 2023, the NHS will automatically give patients full access to their medical records through online services for any future entries, access to past entries will still need to be requested through the GP surgery.

What does this mean?

Patients who already have online access will be granted full access if they don’t already have it, allowing them to view any future consultations, letters, test results, and entries made by their GP surgery.

Here are some short guides on what you should be aware of when you have access to your medical records:

• Your GP record
• What you need to know about your GP records
• Young people’s access to GP online services
• Giving another person access to your GP online services

Do I need to do anything?

If you would like to opt out of this access being given, you will need to let us know. We will message out to patients and ask this, or you can contact us and request it not be done.

If you are happy with this, then you will just need to sign up for online services, and you will be granted this access automatically. We recommend using the NHS app for this.

Getting started

Click here to see a guide to Getting started with GP online services

 

Click here to access Systmonline:

The SystmOnline app can now be downloaded free by searching “SystmOnline” within the app store on any IOS enabled device. Patients have reported that the app works really well and it is helpful to be able to order a prescription or book an appointment on the move.

Your repeat prescription token will be ready for collection in 2 working days from the surgery during working hours.  For example, an order placed on a Friday evening would be received at the surgery the following Monday morning and would be ready on Wednesday, or on Thursday if the Monday is a bank holiday. If you have requested an electronic prescription this will be sent to your nominated pharmacy within 2 working days during working hours, please allow additional time for them to assemble your medication (this will vary between pharmacist and you will need to check their policies).

Online Access To Coded Medical Records

Patients may now request online access to their medical records. There will be some exceptions in cases where the GP feels for patient welfare it wouldn’t benefit them to have online access.

We recommend using the NHS app as your choice for accessing online records as you can do identity checks without attending the surgery.  If you wish to use SystmOne online you’ll need to complete and bring to the surgery the below “Access to coded Medical Records” form along with the required ID.

If you have already registered for online services and you wish to have this greater level of access, you will need to read the information leaflet and sign an Application for Online Access to my Coded Medical Record. When this request has been received by the surgery the approval process may take up to 28 days. When approved you will receive a text message or email informing you that you now have access to detailed coded records.

Click here if you want to set up online services directly with the surgery using SystmOnline click  Access to Coded Medical Records.

Proxy Access

Proxy access to medical records can be granted with the consent of the person whose record you’re accessing.  In this context it relates to when both parties are registered at Countesthorpe Health Centre as patients.  In a similar way a parent or someone with parental responsibility can have access to a child medical record up to the age of 13.  At the age of 13 proxy access will be removed as per the Data Protection Act 2018.  A child may reapply themselves at the age of 16.

Online Appointments & Prescriptions

Online booking of appointments and ordering of repeat prescriptions

Obtaining A Username and Password

In order to use our online services you must be 16 years old or over. You first need to come in person to the surgery and produce some form of photo ID. The photo ID could be

A user name and password will only be issued to a patient registered at the surgery who can produce their own ID. This is a legal requirement to protect the confidentiality of each patient’s information. Unfortunately we cannot issue a user name and password to a family member or friend of a patient.

The receptionist will give you a printout of your user name and password and this will become active within 24 hours of it being generated. When you have these details, click on the link above and log into SystmOnline.

Please be aware: that if you allow another person to know your password, they will have access to your information about pastappointments and current medication. We do not adviseany patients to disclose their password.

When you log in for the first time it is advisable to change your password to something that is more memorable to you. Your new password must contain letters, at least one number and at least one punctuation symbol. It would also be very helpful if you would click on Change Contact Details and enter your email address and mobile phone number, along with any other information that may have changed recently.

Booking An Appointment

If you click on Book Appointment you will see the appointments available for booking up to one week in advance for GP sessions (doctors) and up to eight weeks in advance for Nurse Clinics and Healthcare Assistant Clinics.  Appointments are made available at 10:00 am each day for up to a week ahead for doctors.  In addition there will be some ‘on the day’ doctors’ appointments released at 8:00am.  You may only book one online appointment at a time so if you require more than one please ring the surgery in the normal way.  When you have selected and booked your appointment you will have the option to print out a booking confirmation if you wish.  You can also check that your appointment is booked by clicking on View Future Appointments.

Nurse and Healthcare Assistant appointments are now available for booking online:

Nurse appointments available are:

• Diabetic/Asthma/COPD/CKD(chronic Kidney Review/Smear test/HRT.

Healthcare Assistant appointments:

• Blood test requested by the hospital only

• Blood test/BP/height and weight appointment

NB: If you book online and do not attend or change the booking to another date and omit to cancel the existing appointment, we may deem it necessary to remove your online access as these are wasted appointments.

Ordering a repeat prescription

Click on Current Prescriptions and you will see a list of any medications that are set up as repeat prescriptions. Prescription medicine is always reviewed after a certain number of issues. This is usually done annually in the month of your birthday and may require you to attend the surgery for a blood test, urine test, blood pressure check or you may need to see your usual GP. If there are any reasons to attend surgery before your next prescription is issued there will be a clear message printed on the white paper attached to your prescription.

If your repeat medication has not been reauthorized for any reason, you will not be able to order it online. For all other medications, just click in the box next to the medication you require and press submit. Your prescription will be ready for collection 2 days after being received at the practice within working hours.

When you have finished ordering your prescription or booking your appointment, please make sure you click on the word Logout in the top right hand corner or on the home page. If you close the programme without logging out there is a possibility that somebody else could access your information from the same computer.