GPs in Fife increasingly using video consultations with patients

GPs in Fife are now using Near Me video consulting to offer urgent health care and advice to patients remotely from their own home.

The NHS in Scotland is ramping up its use of the ground-breaking system that allows clinicians to consult with patients remotely as part of the Covid-19 response.

All GP practices in the country are now equipped to use the Near Me system – which was developed and tested in 2018 and 2019 and used mainly in the Highlands where distances can be an issue – and most are currently using it.

Jason Leitch, national clinical director, Scottish Government, said: “Near Me is proving to be an invaluable tool in the fight against coronavirus.

“It means people can receive urgent health care and advice remotely from the safety of their own home, without exposing them or NHS clinicians to infection risk.

“It’s also possible for GPs and other clinicians to use it from their home if they are at high risk of infection.

“Offering quick and easy access to health services without the need to travel is vital for patients, especially if they are self-isolating because of coronavirus. Near Me works exactly like a face-to-face meeting except that patients do not need to travel to see a GP.”

The Scottish Government has been working to ensure that there is sufficient capacity to meet the growing demand for Near Me and is assuring patients and carers that it is an appropriate, effective and secure means of conducting remote consultations.

Remote consultations are being carried out in the first instance by telephone but Near Me is used if a video link is felt to be more appropriate.

As with any other appointment, patients must first contact their GP practice and it will arrange for an appointment to be booked in the normal manner. This may be by telephone, virtual or face to face.

Patients offered a Near Me appointment at home will need to have a device for making a video call, such as a smartphone, tablet or computer with webcam, and a reliable internet connection.

One Fife GP using the system is Dr Alan Corstorphine, of the Newburgh and Abernethy practice, who said: “I have had a really positive experience of Near Me.

“I had been aware of the use of video consulting for some time but hadn’t really seen a role for it prior to coronavirus.

“However, I was keen to avoid unnecessary visits to patients while still maintaining a good quality of care and saw that Near Me was the answer.”

Dr Corstorphine is one of a number of GPs who have used Near Me from home, having had to self-isolate there because his wife had developed a cough but was later found not to have Covid-19.

He added: “A number of my patients are socially isolated and are happy to see a face through Near Me.

“At times it can be difficult to reassure patients on the phone but it’s much easier when you can see them and they can see you.

“I also find that it’s particularly good for assessing children. I am able to see them moving and crawling around, which enables a level of triage you cannot get on the phone.”

To use the system patients are given a link to a Near Me clinic and can start their video call from this link. The system checks that they have everything in place for a Near Me call and then asks the patient to enter his or her name and date of birth. The patient is then held in a secure waiting room until the clinician joins the video call. Once the clinician joins, the consultation takes place as normal.

There were already plans in place to increase the use of Near Me in 2020. The Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated those plans but the expectation is that the system will continue to be used in order to make appointments more accessible for patients, both from home and from the workplace.

General information about Near Me is available at www.nearme.scot and a short video is also available showing how easy it is to use.

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