GPs' surgery offers text option

Some Dundee patients can now text their local GP surgery

A Scottish medical practice is ringing in the changes by allowing patients to make appointments, order prescriptions and receive medical advice by text.

The West Gate Health Centre in Dundee lets patients contact it by using their mobile phones as part of a new project.

The message is converted into an e-mail which the GP reads, deals with and replies to when he is ready.

The surgery says the time saved by the service frees up staff to spend more time speaking to patients face-to-face.

Texting, e-mail, any kind of wacky technology is never going to replace the face-to-face doctor and patient meeting to resolve a problem Dr Ron Neville West Gate Health Centre

Patient Brian Peacock and his family regularly use the service as it saves him a 45-minute, two-bus, journey to the surgery.

Mr Peacock uses the system to order repeat prescriptions and receive simple medical advice.

He said: "The problem with the phone is that you're obviously inconveniencing the doctor who has a set pattern of patients to see.

"But if you've got text or email the doctor can get back to you at their convenience and it leaves you free to get on with your day."

Text services

Dr Ron Neville said there was some initial concern about using text messages to help run the practice but stressed it would never replace face-to-face medical advice.

Dr Neville receives the text message as an e-mail

He said: "There was a bit of quaking from some of our more mature staff members when we talked about introducing text but we assured them they wouldn't have to strain their thumbs and squint over a mobile phone.

"Texting, e-mail, any kind of wacky technology is never going to replace the face-to-face doctor and patient meeting to resolve a problem.

"I want to emphasize that the diagnosis part of our job is always going to be face-to-face.

"What we can do is take a lot of the routine administrative things, that can be done quickly and smoothly, and devolve that aspect of the health service to technology and that frees up doctors and nurses for more face-to-face time.

"It pushes back some boundaries and makes the NHS more accessible."