Patients of Frome Medical Practice are being supported to use technology to help their general health and wellbeing.
Support is available via a number of drop-in sessions, either at the practice or out in the community, at a digital cafe, or via an online form.
Digital community connector at the practice, Will Palmer, said, “The pace of changes in the way we use technology can be difficult to keep up with, as there is always something new happening and we want to support patients with this.
“We are fortunate at Frome Medical Practice to have a number of resources and support structures in place to provide solutions, help and answers to questions our patients might have about the use of technology in relation to their health. We have a dedicated digital team to help you with all those difficult questions surrounding technology, for example, how to make appointments online, how to order your repeat prescriptions, how to check your medical records and download the NHS App and you can find our digital team at various places around Frome throughout the week, every week.
“In addition, alongside our partner Donate IT, we are at times able to supply free-of-charge refurbished devices (phones, digital tablets, laptops and PCs, as well as SIM cards) to support people with the cost-of-living increases and help ensure they can get online.”
The practice now offers the following drop-in sessions (no appointments needed):
Digital Health Drop-In Sessions
The drop-in sessions are open to any patient registered with Frome Medical Practice who needs help with issues such as installing and using the NHS App, setting up a linked profile on the NHS App so they can use it on behalf of someone else, booking appointments via text links or using online forms on the practice website.
Sessions are held at regular times at Frome Medical Practice and also as pop-ups at various venues around Frome, as follows:
• Every Tuesday from 10am to midday at the practice
• Every Thursday from 4pm to 8pm at the practice
• First Sunday of the month at the Frome Independent Market
• First Tuesday of the month at Asda, Frome from 1pm to 3pm
• Third and 4th Tuesday of the month at Sainsbury’s Frome from 1pm to 3pm
• Third Wednesday of the month at Fair Frome, Marston Trading Estate from 10am to midday
• Second Saturday of the month, venue and time will vary (please check the practice website and social media for updates.)
Digital Cafe (No appointments needed)
Members of the practice team, along with colleagues and volunteers from Spark Somerset, are available at the digital cafe to help people with any general technology queries they need support with, for example using a mobile phone or laptop, accessing information online and using apps. These sessions are open to anyone in Frome and surrounding villages.
The digital cafe takes place at the cafe in the Cheese and Grain, Market Yard, Frome every Thursday from 10am to 11.30am.
The practice has been holding digital health drop-in sessions and a digital cafe for well over a year and in that time around 4,000 people have been supported with issues ranging from setting up and using the NHS App, filling in online forms and learning about online shopping and banking, for example.
The team has also been able to support the distribution of 250 devices and 150 sim cards to people in need.
“Our work around the use of digital technology is two-fold,” said Will. “We want to help people feel more confident about using online technology to order prescriptions or book routine appointments, for example. But we can also help people access refurbished devices and data, if needed.
“The digital health drop-in sessions and cafe we have been holding have been going really well and we have been able to support so many people with a variety of questions and concerns about using the NHS App, or our online appointment request form for example, so it is brilliant we are now in a position where we can expand the support we offer.”
Another Digital Health Connector at the practice, Steven James said, “We are seeing the use of technology more and more in the way we manage our healthcare and we want to give patients as much support as we can to ensure they get the best out of these new systems. If you have any queries or concerns we can help with, please come along and chat with us at one of our sessions.
“We are a friendly team and love talking to and helping patients and we firmly believe there’s no such thing as a silly question, so come along and ask us about anything you need help with. If you can’t make any of our sessions visit the digital health support page on our website and you can drop us a message using our online form,” Will added.
More details about the digital support offered by Frome Medical Practice are available on the practice website and updates are also shared regularly on the practice Facebook page @FromeHealth and Instagram account @frome.medical.practice
Pictured: Digital Health Connector Steven James
