The challenge
This case study examines how Monkwearmouth Health Centre was supported by the Primary Care Digital Support Hub (PCDSH) with increasing utilisation of the NHS App.
As part of the national Primary Care Access Recovery Plan (PCARP) programme of work issued by NHS England, NECS was commissioned by North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board (NENC ICB) to provide support to GPs within the local area. Recognising the diverse needs and challenges faced by GPs, NECS set up the Primary Care Digital Support Hub (PCDSH) as part of the PCARP work delivered in 2024-25.
Alex Mills, NECS Project Manager and Tamarra Edwards, NECS Business Change and Benefits, attended Monkwearmouth Health Centre to discuss the NHS App with their Practice Manager, Felicity Tait in November 2024.
Our response
NECS initially worked through the PCDSH NHS App Implementation Plan with Felicity. This document consolidates all the national promotional materials and includes guidance, actions, and recommendations to help practices effectively promote the App in practice and online.
During the initial meeting, it was established that the practice faced challenges in supporting their patients due to limited knowledge of the App’s functionalities and technical complexities it presents for some users. Additionally, the practice’s ageing patient demographic had experienced difficulties in adopting technology to manage their health, which has created barriers to increasing the App’s utilisation. These factors were acknowledged with empathy, as they highlight the need for tailored support to ensure all patients can benefit from the NHS App.
As of June 2024, the practice had approximately 4,600 registered patients. In the same month, the NHS App data was established using three month average baselines for the following categories:
- Repeat medication prescription ordering – 501
- Patient population registered with the App – 53.74%
- Logins – 2,815
NECS collaborated to identify key components of the NHS App Implementation Plan that would be most beneficial for the practice. After careful consideration, the practice determined that procuring an NHS App promotional banner would be an effective way to engage with their patients. NECS also managed the procurement process by coordinating with a local printing solutions company to secure the banner. The practice placed the banner on display for all patients to view and sign up to the App, via the QR code on the artwork.
NECS visited the practice on two occasions. The first was to provide support for the workforce who would be implementing the App from a Business Change point of view, focusing on facilitating patient sign-ups and ensuring a smooth integration into the practice’s operations. The aim was to empower the practice staff with the knowledge and tools needed to effectively support patients, and promote the benefits of using the App for better health management.
During NECS’ second visit, support was offered to patients using the NHS App, focusing on guidance through the sign-up process, ensuring they were comfortable using the App as part of their healthcare routine. The aim was to provide patients with the tools and knowledge to effectively use the App to manage their health, accessing services, and staying connected with their healthcare providers, ultimately enhancing their overall health management experience.
Outcomes
As of February 2025, the NHS App data established new three month average baselines due to the success of the practice promoting the NHS App. There were:
- Repeat medication prescription ordering increased by 16%*
- Logins have increased by 23%*
- Patient registrations with the App has increased to 57%*
*Since June 2024
As a result of the practice’s efforts to promote the NHS App, they have realised benefits for their workforce and their patients. These were:
- An increase in the percentage of patients signing up to the App, enabling them to take ownership and control of their health record if they choose to do so.
- Improved patient experience by being able to access their health record online at a time convenient to them.
- Improved practice efficiency by streamlining work processes to adapt access to patient records to include the digital electronic patient record.
“In July 2024, Monkwearmouth Health Centre (Dr Gellia & Dr Balaraman) began the General Practice Improvement Programme (GPIP) with Kay Brydon, Business Change and Benefits Lead – Digital Transformation & Optimisation Service. As part of this programme, Kay introduced me to Alex and Tamarra to support in the development of our practice presence with the NHS App to help with our capacity and access plan. Alex and Tam kindly attended the practice to discuss our App usage and the barriers surrounding our low usage. I identified that staff knowledge was the first barrier, as no specific training had been completed before. Staff also didn’t use the App themselves which meant the overall understanding of its relevance, benefits and impact was low. Subsequent barriers included communicating to our patients and resolving their queries when the download or access wasn’t straightforward.
We planned the following:
- Practice to order banner for reception to advertise the App and its benefits – supplier/artwork provided by Alex which meant no increase in workload for the practice.
- One training session with staff to increase their knowledge and awareness.
- One drop-in session (based in reception) for patients, once the banner arrived, which would be staffed by Kay and Tam.
The sessions were really useful for us all and I feel as though Alex and Tam also got some insight into the problems people with no App knowledge face when trying to download and use the App, which I hope was useful for them too. I feel as though this has been very beneficial to the practice as a whole and we still continue to advertise the NHS App, and the team is growing more confident in helping patients with queries. The App has many benefits, and it is really good to see the impact in the statistics provided by Alex.
Thank you to all the team for their invaluable support, training and patience!”
Felicity Tait, Practice Manager, Monkwearmouth Health Centre
“I feel as though this has been very beneficial to the practice as a whole and we still continue to advertise the NHS App, and the team are growing more confident in helping patients with queries.”