The challenge
As part of the national Primary Care Access Recovery Plan, NECS were commissioned to support GP practices with increasing utilisation and awareness of the NHS App and its functionalities.
Within the delivery plan, Alex Mills, Project Manager at NECS who lead on the project, chose to incorporate a means to promote the NHS App, to relieve some of the promotion responsibility placed on GP practices. Alex and the team decided to engage with local Universities across the North East to explore what opportunities there were to promote the NHS App amongst students and younger people.
Lucy Harding, Student Wellbeing Coordinator at Durham University, responded to Alex’s request for collaboration in promoting the NHS App amongst their students by facilitating access to a stall in a popular areas of the University’s campus.
Our response
On two occasions, Alex attended the University and setup the stall with information on the NHS App. One was located at the Teaching and Learning centre (lecture theatres), and the other at the University’s Sports and Wellbeing Park, with the intention of promoting the App by engaging with students, faculty and additional stakeholders in the University, as they made their way into the locations.
Outcomes
Engaging and promoting the NHS App with Durham University presented an invaluable opportunity to enhance student patient involvement in their healthcare journey.
While chatting with students and faculty, Alex established that most people were aware of the NHS app and had signed up to it, however, they weren’t fully aware of all the functionalities available. On multiple occasions, Alex explained that the NHS App can provide access to their health records.
By increasing the awareness of the NHS App and what it can do, it empowers students to take ownership and control of their health. In addition, it improves patient experience by enabling them to access their health records online, at a time that suits them, offering convenience and reducing the need for traditional methods of contact with their GP practice.
An additional outcome of this engagement has been an increase in the NENC ICB and NECS stakeholder matrix. Collaborating with Durham University for this project will pave the way for future NHS initiatives, by giving access to the University’s campus for fairs and future engagement with the younger population, in accessing and managing their health needs.