New iPLATO NHS App integrations could save NHS £18m a year

iPLATO has made a significant announcement regarding its expanded NHS App integrations for GP practices, which could potentially result in savings of £18 million per annum for the NHS.

This exciting update encompasses several new features, including keyword replies and a triage function within the NHS App. Additionally, improvements to the remote consultation toolbar have been introduced. These enhancements aim to provide NHS commissioners with more transparent cost controls and a superior experience for clinicians while simultaneously improving patient accessibility to care.

Recent NHS data indicates that an impressive 53% of patients in England are currently utilising the NHS App. iPLATO anticipates that its existing customers will benefit from over £1.2 million in savings thanks to the introduction of keyword replies within the NHS App. If the platform were to be adopted nationwide by NHS England, potential savings of up to £18 million could be realised, as per the company's estimates.

A notable addition to the iPLATO offering is the introduction of web-based triage, which enables GP practices to establish a digital front door directly on their websites to manage incoming patient requests. The forthcoming release of triage within the NHS App is also on the horizon. iPLATO's tool is already accessible to patients via the myGP app and the web, making it one of the most popular patient-facing apps in England. This integration empowers patients with unparalleled digital-first access to GP services.

These three pathways allow patients to effortlessly submit administrative, prescription, or medical requests to their GP through a user-friendly triage process. Since April 2023, customers utilising iPLATO's patient messaging platform have been granted free access to the NHS App's messaging and notification service, offering patients a secure alternative to SMS messaging.

With over 30 million users, the NHS App is a powerful tool for patient communication, benefiting NHS commissioners significantly. iPLATO has introduced an optimisation dashboard that provides visibility into the app's population usage, helping to streamline this valuable channel.

Recent research into patient communication costs in the NHS has revealed that some regions spend over £1 per patient per year on SMS systems. iPLATO's in-app messaging and volume control features offer the potential for unlimited messaging with generous fair usage caps. This could result in up to 80% savings on SMS bills for ICB commissioners.

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