Today, we are proud that over 1.6 million people trust myGP® to simplify their access to healthcare. Especially at a time of pandemic, it is a hugely important role which we are proud to achieve, while recognising that as we manage critical technology, others put their lives at risk serving in the frontline. We thank doctors, nurses and other colleagues for their effort, determination and brilliance.

What can we do to help our myGP members through this pandemic?

First, we can help you access correct information about the virus, its symptoms and spread. There is a huge number of rumours and speculative theories swirling around at this time of crisis. On myGP you will only find information from reliable sources including Public Health England and the NHS. From this week, myGP will offer access to Covid-19 symptom checker and a link through to the Public Health England dashboard regarding local case numbers.

Second, we can help you access the services of your own GP from self-isolation. In a recent development we equipped 2,000 medical professionals with the ability to review your request for care and, then, to message you or conduct a video consultation – all within myGP. We can get a new practice connected in a few days and more doctors are constantly joining the myGP service.

myGP members ordered over 315,000 medicines on myGP in March – the vast majority for ‘click-and-collect’ from their favourite community pharmacy. Over the last few months, we have also been trialling medicines home delivery to ensure that you do not have to go out of your way to collect your medication. The results were clear, and that having a delivery option met the needs of our members in terms of user experience and patient choice, but we must also ensure that home delivery complements the incredible work done by high street pharmacists. We celebrate community pharmacy and we do not wish to destabilise it.

To simplify access to healthcare beyond primary care (GPs and Pharmacy) we partner with a range of specialist providers whose services you can access on myGP. We are fully committed to the NHS ethos of free at the point of care so the services that you can access depend on local NHS funding and, therefore, on where you live. Right now, we offer mental health support and other referal services on myGP with more partners being added all the time thanks to the popularity of the app.

Finally, we can help your doctors look after their most vulnerable patients. In another recent development, we have added tools for your GP to offer selected patients the ability to monitor key vital signs for Covid-19 (temperature, pulse, respiratory rate and oxygen saturation) and feed this important information back to them for review and, then, streamlined filing into their IT systems. This will help them take better care of people who are at elevated risk.

Responding to member needs and constraints imposed by the virus, myGP is moving in the direction of home delivery of healthcare. It seems to work. Fuelled by proactive patient engagement, medicines orders and remote consultation we were humbled to see transaction volumes on the myGP platform increase from 12 million in February to 27 million in March.

All of these services are free to myGP members and available to use by your GP surgery.

We hope to continue to help our members and NHS partners through this crisis and play our important role in simplifying access to healthcare.

Hope to see you soon on myGP!

Regards,

Tobias, CEO at iPLATO Healthcare