Manage your health online

WEST Lancashire residents are being reminded to use free online tools such as myGP and Patient Access to make GP appointments and order repeat prescriptions.

Patient Access and myGP are available to anyone online or through their smartphones app store. Simply search ‘myGP’ or ‘Patient Access’ in the app store, or online by visiting www.patientaccess.com/ or www.mygp.com/. If registering for the first time, patients can get their login details to use either app from their own registered GP practice. Some of the benefits to be gained from using the apps include.

Book and cancel appointments on the go

Order repeat medication

Set medication reminders and track progress

View medical records

Take care of loved ones by adding dependents

Track your weight and blood pressure

View local healthcare services

Access NHS 111

Set organ donation preferences

The CCG is promoting the use of Patient Access and myGP as a free option for patients to help them access making GP appointments as well as helping patients to manage and order their repeat prescriptions.

Dr Peter Gregory, local GP and chair at NHS West Lancashire CCG, said: “The world is now moving at such a fast pace and there is a great need for the NHS to keep up with this pace. To do this we need to embrace technology and look at how it can be used for the benefit of both practices and patients.

“We know that people need to be able to access information quickly and easily at just a few clicks and how the NHS can support this is by ensuring that how we manage our health can be done in this same way.

“Not everybody has access to the internet and therefore traditional methods of making a GP appointment or ordering their repeat prescriptions, such as by phone will continue to be made available.

“However, for those people with access to the internet and or a smartphone we would strongly encourage the use of apps such as myGP and Patient Access to not only help you manage your health in a more convenient way, but also to help ease pressure on our busy GP practices and pharmacy staff.”