MORE and more people across Bury are going digital and accessing GP services online.

Over 35,000 patients in the borough have opened online accounts with their GP's services since the scheme launched in April 2015, with over 20,000 signing up last year alone.

Bury is also leading the way in "digital maturity", with free NHS wifi in all GP practices and a Digital Champion to help patients find out more about services on offer.

The online system allows patients to book and cancel appointments, order repeat prescriptions, and access parts of their GP record online from their own homes β€” saving time and unnecessary journeys.

Online services can further help patients better understand their medications by enabling them to review their medications, dosage and frequency it should be taken.

Electronic prescribing also means patients can collect their prescription straight from their nominated pharmacy, saving a trip to the practice.

Numbers of patients using the service to order repeat prescriptions, have similarly increased, with 51.44% more made online in 2017 compared to 2016, and more patients are using the facility to book or cancel appointments.

Health bosses are predicting further increases in people using online services as they move away from traditional methods and explore what the scheme has to offer.

Dr John Hampson, local GP and IT lead for NHS Bury Clinical Commissioning Group, said: β€œThe availability of GP online services is making a huge difference, not only to our patients who are using it to make appointments and order repeat prescriptions, but also to GP surgery staff.

"It frees up time in practices allowing staff to allocate more resource to patient care.

"It offers our patients the choice of how they can order a repeat prescription and book appointments, with online requests complimenting the more traditional methods.”

To register or for more information visit your GP Surgery or www.nhs.uk/GPonlineservices