Promoting it, Dumfries and Galloway’s medical director Dr Kenneth Donaldson explained ‘NHS Near Me’ offers people the opportunity to use a laptop, tablet and even mobile phones to speak and see a clincian directly – cutting down on unnecessary travel, expense and inconvenience.
Recognising its value amid coronavirus, Dr Donaldson said: “NHS Near Me is a fantastic system, and it makes perfect sense to accelerate its roll-out in response to COVID-19. NHS Near Me is a secure and reliable system which uses web-based technology to provide an easy, convenient and safe alternative to in-patient appointments.
“At a scheduled time, someone can log in from a location of their choosing and speak face-to-face with a clinician.
“We’ve been using NHS Near Me in specific areas for a little while now, and it has proven extremely robust and useful – helping to remove the need for unnecessary travel, assisting people to manage long-term conditions and being used to address loneliness and social isolation.”
He acknowledged that the system is not appropriate for all appointments or every person. Dr Donaldson added: “And at a time when we’re working to prevent the spread of coronavirus, we believe it will serve a very important role.”
To use the system, a patient will be sent a link and, when clicked at the scheduled time, they will find themselves face-to-face with their clinician. For more information about NHS Near Me, visit the website www.attendanywhere.org.uk
