LEEDS, England, March 13, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

The UK's first GP appointment booking app was launched today - enabling patients to book appointments with their doctor directly from their smartphone.  

The Patient Access Mobile app, from the UK's leading independent health information site Patient.co.uk, will also enable patients to:

• Order repeat prescriptions
• Securely message their practice
• Update personal details e.g. change of address

Patient.co.uk is owned and operated by EMIS -  the UK's leading supplier of healthcare software and related services to GP practices. The EMIS system is what enables the app to connect directly with practices.

The app is one of the first to feature in the NHS Commissioning Board's new Health Apps Library - a collection of recommended online tools designed to improve the health and wellbeing of the nation. The library was launched at the Healthcare Innovation Expo 2013.

Patient Access is currently used by more than 1.8 million patients from over 2,200 GP practices. In January 2013 alone, more than a quarter of a million requests for repeat medication were made through the service, and over 148,000 GP appointments were booked.

Historically the service has enabled patients of EMIS practices to access such services online via their desktop computer or laptop. Feedback from GPs and their patients suggested an appetite to move this capability to mobile devices.

Dr Sarah Jarvis, clinical consultant at Patient.co.uk, and a GP in Shepherds Bush, London, said: "Over a third (39%) of visits to the Patient.co.uk site are now via mobile device. As a working GP, this isn't surprising to me - more and more of my patients are seeking out new ways, often involving technology, to manage their health. Booking GP appointments and ordering repeat prescriptions quickly and easily via an app is a significant development that is absolutely in tune with modern living."

Notes to editors

• The Patient Access Mobile app is available for both Android phones and iPhones.
• Initial registration to the Patient Access service is required prior to use of the app.
• Patient.co.uk is owned and operated by EMIS - the UK's leading supplier of healthcare software and related services to GP practices http://www.emis-online.com
• The new NHS Commissioning Board's Health Apps Library will also feature Patient.co.uk apps including: its Depression Calculator, IBS Symptom Tracker, Sleep Diary, and the main Patient.co.uk info app.

For further editorial details, please contact:

Claire Hawes
+44(0)7896547206
claire@judgeandhoward.com

SOURCE Patient.co.uk