By Barrie Holding, NHS Partner Manager at iPLATO, Nati Shoa, Sales Manager at eConsult and Laura Perring, Customer Success Manager at eConsult
Last week, we had the privilege of representing iPLATO and eConsult at the Scottish National Users Group (SNUG) event. At this year’s event we focused on the challenges and opportunities of digitising patient pathways—a topic we are passionate about as we strive to equip general practices with the tools they need to provide more effective and efficient care.
Our joint workshop session, “Digitising Patient Pathways” was a highlight for us. Together, we explored how the combined expertise of iPLATO and eConsult is reshaping patient pathways across Scotland. From automating communications to enabling AI-powered health tracking, we showcased how digital tools can create a more streamlined, patient-centric approach to healthcare.
Challenges in Scottish Primary care
Scotland’s primary care sector, like England and Wales’, is facing significant hurdles:
- High patient demand: Rising chronic disease prevalence and aging populations are stretching resources thin.
- Inefficient workflows: Many practices still rely on manual processes that contribute to inefficiencies and burnout.
eConsult has a strong presence in Scotland, having been used by approximately 1.5 million patients while, having been used by approximately 1.5 million patients while, on the other hand, iPLATO is gaining ground, and fast. With a comprehensive number of iPLATO products working in Scotland, such as Bulk Messaging, Selfbook, Appointment Reminders and Patient Questionnaires, iPLATO and eConsult are leaders in the market.
Our products have demonstrated tangible success in real-world settings, including areas with similar challenges to Scotland. For example, NHS practices using iPLATO Connect+ have reported significant time and cost savings. In one region, sending appointment reminders through the platform in 2023 led to 7,891 cancellations. With the average cost of a GP appointment being £42*, this helped save £331,422. These cancellations also freed up around 1,184 hours—or roughly 49 days of clinician time—enabling practices to redirect resources to patients who needed care the most. This level of efficiency could deliver comparable benefits to Scottish practices, where addressing patient demand and optimising resources are key priorities.
Founded and led by NHS clinicians, eConsult is the most widely used form-based digital asynchronous consultation and triage platform in the UK. eConsult captures over 100 common clinical conditions, with in-built red flags to identify and redirect patients presenting with urgent and emergency symptoms and highlight symptoms that may require priority review. Patients are also presented with administrative, self-help and signposting options to help drive lower acuity demand away from practices.
Over the last year, across Scotland alone, there have been over 900,000 eConsults submitted, leading to an estimated 500,000 appointments being saved!
“Demand for care from within the community is increasing every day. Our challenge is to find ways of delivering more interactions with no extra funding. e-Consult has enhanced our patient access by offering a digital route to access our services, meaning patients have access to a quick and easy online way to get help,usually without needing a face to face appointment, freeing up their time… and ours.”– Stephanie Parnell, Practice Manager (North Surgery, Annan)
What we covered at SNUG
Our session tackled real-world solutions to these challenges, demonstrating how our innovative technologies can drive meaningful change. By automating patient communications, practices can save valuable time with features like automated appointment reminders, test results notifications, and health check invitations. This reduces no-shows, improves patient compliance, and requires minimal administrative effort.
Through digitised consultations, patients can submit symptoms online 24/7 using eConsult’s Triage, alleviating phone bottlenecks and improving triage accuracy. This allows clinicians to prioritise care effectively while enhancing overall efficiency. Additionally, both iPLATO and eConsult help in reducing practice phone calls by streamlining patient interactions, freeing up staff to focus on other critical tasks.
For chronic disease management, online appointment booking simplifies care pathways, making it easier for patients to access reviews, follow-ups, and ongoing care. Meanwhile, AI advancements and patient health tracking tools monitor patient progress, flag potential health risks, and support early intervention. We also introduced Huma Intelligence, an AI-powered tool designed to enhance the quality of patient messaging while reducing SMS costs. Initial trials have shown a 20% reduction in SMS expenses, enabling practices to maximise their budgets without compromising communication quality.
Reflections from the event
We were struck by the energy and passion of the attendees. Scottish primary care professionals are clearly ready to embrace digital innovation, but there’s a recognition that adoption must align with the realities of clinical workloads and patient needs.
While eConsult is already a trusted name in Scotland, it was exciting to introduce iPLATO Connect+ to practices that may not yet have explored its full capabilities. Attendees were particularly enthusiastic about how our solutions work together seamlessly, creating a unified experience for both patients and staff.
What’s next?
If you missed our session but are eager to learn how iPLATO and eConsult can support your practice, we’d love to hear from you. Together, we can:
- Reduce administrative burden
- Improve access for patients
- Deliver better outcomes for communities across Scotland
To get started, contact us today and take advantage of our exclusive free trial offer for SNUG attendees. Reach out to us at sales@iplato.com .
* The Kings Fund, https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/insight-and-analysis/data-and-charts/key-facts-figures-nhs
