Consult Your Doctor Using Your Smartphone

Under the new digital health plan, patients will be able to consult with their GP and monitor their conditions using mobile apps.

17:42 14 December 2015

Health Minister Mark Drakeford has launched a new strategy that places digital technology in the heart of NHS care. Under the new digital health plan, patients will be permitted to consult with their GP using a smartphone and monitor their conditions using mobile apps.

 

NHS staff will also use the same technology to access, collect, and transmit data quickly.

 

Mr Drakeford said that such plan is needed as digital technology is now "an important part of our everyday lives."

 

"Our vision is for more interactive, personalised health and social services, allowing people to access services wherever and whenever it's convenient to them."

 

Tony Rucinski, chief executive of the Board of Community Health Councils, said that although the strategy's aspirations are "really exciting" it may be challenging to get all different organisations to make the plan work.

 

"We've got dense population bases, we've got rural communities, we've got challenges where people find it difficult to access healthcare, there are ideas and technologies out there that could transform that, free up resources and get the whole thing working so much better, that's got to be a good thing," he said.

 

Conservative Shadow Health Minister Darren Millar said: "Anything that improves access to GPs and other medical services is desperately needed in Wales but outcomes will only improve if the services are there in the first place."