Caithness GP backs Near Me system as remote consultations are escalated
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The NHS in Scotland is escalating its use of a ground-breaking system that allows clinicians to consult with patients remotely.
Developed and tested in 2018 and 2019, the Near Me video-consulting service was initially used mainly in the Highlands, where distances can be an issue.
Now its use is being ramped up across Scotland as part of the Covid-19 response. All GP practices in the country – including those in the NHS Highland area – are now equipped to use Near Me and most are doing so.
Jason Leitch, the Scottish Government's national clinical director, 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 seeking to ensure that there is enough 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.
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.
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.
Clare Morrison, who helped to introduce the new system in NHS Highland, now co-leads the national Near Me programme.
She said: “Patients and clinicians alike are finding Near Me to be an easy-to-use, secure resource which reduces the risk of Covid-19 exposure.
“When Near Me was introduced, the aim was to improve access to services for patients. This included reducing travel to appointments, minimising the time taken off work to attend and making it easier for people who found it difficult to leave home. Reducing travel also has significant environmental benefit.
“All these aims remain important, but obviously the current focus on the use of Near Me is to reduce infection exposure.”
Among the Highland doctors to have embraced Near Me is Caithness GP Dr Alison Brooks. She had been using the system for several months before the Covid-19 pandemic but has since accelerated its use.
“It’s a valuable tool for us,” said Dr Brooks, of the Thurso and Halkirk Medical Practice. “Patients understandably don’t want to come to the practice to see a doctor and have been happy to use Near Me.
"From our point of view, it has been a welcome addition to the practice. For example, I recently had a Near Me consultation with a mum who was concerned about her year-old son.
"Through Near Me I was able to see the boy and establish that he looked fine, and I couldn’t have done that with a phone consultation. We are also using it for mental health support for people who prefer the face-to-face contact Near Me allows.”
Dr Brooks added: “Before Covid-19 there may not have been the same need to use Near Me but when this is over we will certainly be looking to use it more. It’s not just about need – it’s about convenience.”
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.
Near Me is web-based and is powered by a video-consulting platform called Attend Anywhere which was procured for national use across Scotland by the Scottish Government. Attend Anywhere is an Australian company that has been providing video consulting services in that country for many years.
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
