A new outreach project to improve health outcomes in rural areas is taking to the road with a series of drop-in sessions focused on de-mystifying the NHS online app.

The sessions, hosted by local doctors’ surgeries, are providing free and friendly support to help people get started with the app and make the most of its features.

For people who have not yet downloaded the app, Community First Yorkshire project lead, Silvia de Sousa, can help get patients up and running. She’s also keen to promote a useful facility that allows parents, family members and carers to link their account with a child’s or vulnerable adult’s. This means they can easily manage health services on behalf of their child or elderly relative for example.

“The app offers a range of health services at your fingertips, from booking appointments and ordering repeat prescriptions to accessing health records,” said Silvia. “Using the app also helps reduce pressure on GP staff, with fewer phone calls, lower printing costs and less time searching for prescriptions as they can scan digital barcodes.

“We understand though, that not everyone is tech-minded and so doesn’t realise how easy the app is to use and the benefits it has to offer. That’s why we are running these local drop-in sessions offering one-to-one, friendly help to try and increase downloads – especially in rural areas, where accessing medical services can be more difficult.”

Various venues

The drop-in sessions organised so far are taking place in the following areas:

• Mowbray House Surgery, Malpas Road, NORTHALLERTON, DL7 8FW   –   Thursday 13, 20 and 27 March from 10am to 12.30pm
• Mayford House Surgery, Boroughbridge Road, NORTHALLERTON, DL7 8AW  –   Thursday 13, 20 and 27 March from 1pm to 3.30pm
• Glebe House Surgery, 19 Firby Road, BEDALE, DL8 2AT  –  Friday 14, 21 and 28 March from 10am to 12.30pm
• Stokesley Health Centre, North Road, STOKESLEY, TS9 5DY

As part of the sessions, Silvia hopes to help boost people’s confidence generally when using digital tools. More specifically, everyone that attends will get help with downloading, registering for and navigating the NHS app, learning how to access health and wellbeing services from anywhere and supporting friends and family to gain control of their health and wellbeing.

Posters have been produced for the events. They can be viewed digitally by clicking on the image above, or can be downloaded by clicking on the appropriate venue: Northallerton morning, Northallerton afternoon, Bedale morning, Stokesley morning.