Medicspot to offer new healthcare options in Telford

Medicspot to offer new healthcare options in Telford

With 12% of people in Telford and Wrekin waiting longer than two weeks to get seen by a GP, a new option will be available to local residents in the new year.

Recent NHS figures suggest that 55% of residents in the area were not offered a choice of time or date for their appointment, and six in ten did not get a same-day appointment with a GP.

45% of people in Telford and Wrekin find it difficult to get through to their practice by phone, and 23% of people in area described the experience of booking a GP appointment as poor.

The new report comes from Medicspot, a digital health company hoping to put an end to the wait in Telford by allowing doctors to perform remote examinations using equipment operated by the patient.

This new initiative allows doctors to listen to a patient’s heart and lungs, look into their ears and throat, and take their vitals including blood pressure, oxygen levels and body temperature – all without needing to be in the same room.

Dr Zubair Ahmed, Co-founder of Medicspot, says “In light of these figures, we hope our service will offer a convenient alternative for people in Telford and help ease some of the pressures the NHS is facing.

“Longer wait times lead to more strain on an already struggling NHS. When patients are forced to wait weeks to see a GP, they often end up waiting for hours at A&E”, Dr Ahmed explains.

A national survey of patients who have used the new service revealed 40% of respondents would have gone to accident and emergency if they didn’t use Medicspot – generating a £1.2 million saving for the NHS.

This saving comes after news A&E waiting times have hit the worst level on record, with one in six patients waiting more than 4 hours and warnings that patients are about to endure one of the bleakest winters in NHS history.

Medicspot is already available in over 250 pharmacies across the UK, where patients pay £39 for a same-day GP consultation. The company plans to bring the service to pharmacies across Telford early next year.

While the majority of Medicspot patients are comfortable operating the equipment themselves, a trained pharmacist is always available for those who need help.

Pic: Co-founder Dr Zubair Ahmed with the new Medicspot digital health service, complete with blood pressure, thermometer, pulse oximeter, close examination camera and stethoscope connected devices. The station will be introduced to pharmacies across Telford early next year.