
The NHS in Scotland is ramping up 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 rapidly escalated in Scotland as part of the COVID-19 response. All GP practices in the country are now equipped to use Near Me and most are currently doing so.
The Scottish Government has been working to ensure that there is sufficient 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.
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 Australia 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 and a short video is also available showing how easy it is to use.
For further details contact NHS Near Me communications lead on 07522 516043 or email NSS.TEC@nhs.net