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Digital provider secures deal to offer video consultations in 150 NHS practices

Digital healthcare app Livi has partnered with over 150 new GP surgeries in a major expansion across England. 

The surgeries are spread across Birmingham, Shropshire, Northamptonshire, the south-east, and Surrey.

Previously, the app was being used by practices in north-west Surrey and was available to some 360,000 patients. But the expansion now means that LIVI works with over 200 practices in total and will be accessible to more than 1.85 million patients.

A spokesperson for the app said it comes at a time of ‘significant pressure’ for primary care networks, and will provide a way to ‘take the strain off GPs’. 

The app can be used during core hours and out-of-hours and will be able to provide medical advice, fit notes, prescriptions, and referrals. GPs who staff the app are also given specialist training on delivering care online.

Livi UK country manager, Luke Buhl-Nielsen, said: ‘Livi’s mission is to improve access to primary care for every patient, and we do so in a way that significantly relieves pressure on GP surgeries.

‘Our first partnership in North-West Surrey highlighted within the first six months the positive impact that LIVI can have – offering GPs greater workplace flexibility, decreasing attendance at A+E or Urgent Care Centres, while delivering excellent care for every patient. We’re excited to see the future impact of our new partnerships for both patients and care providers.’

Livi lead GP, Asimah Hanif, added: ‘Our aim first and foremost is to partner with NHS services to deliver an improved, more flexible service for patients which cuts waiting times at the same time as driving up the quality of GP consultations.

‘I am proud we are bringing this service to even more patients, in even more parts of the country, and in the process supporting local NHS GPs to deliver care in a more flexible and responsive way.’

It follows the news that patients are now able to access health information through voice-assisted technology as part of a partnership between the NHS and Amazon

Earlier this year, six GP practices in Edinburgh and the Lothian regions were warned not to roll out a video consultation scheme until the platform could be integrated with the existing NHS IT systems, after they were found to have constant connectivity issues.