A new service designed to help people attend online video healthcare appointments is now up and running in Powys.

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Using funding from the North Powys Wellbeing (NPWB) Programme, two Digital Facilitators have been taken on to provide advice and support to those people who need support to attend online video appointments, using the bespoke Attend Anywhere system or Microsoft Teams.

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As well as working on long term plans to improve health and care provision in north Powys – including the development of a Multi Agency Wellbeing Campus in the centre of Newtown – the North Powys Wellbeing Programme is funding a number of short term projects to improve health and wellbeing such as this.

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Services currently offered using online video system include psychology, physiotherapy, pain management and smoking cessation although other services are regularly being added.

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 Cath Quarrell is Service Development Manager with Powys Teaching Health Board. She explained:   “We understand that not everyone is used to using the technology that, for many of us, has become part of our working world since the onset of the pandemic. So, thanks to the NPWB funding we’ve been able to invest in support staff to guide people through this process, helping them log onto the video session using the technology they have.”

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“Within the services which we are supporting, we’ve seen the percentage of missed appointments reduce from some 20% down to around 3%,” explained Cath.

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And Tim Smith, Lead Digital Facilitator added: “We expected that we’d be supporting an older demographic who weren’t so comfortable with online technology but often we are working with younger people who simply don’t have access to the equipment that they need. In addition to the work with the North Powys Wellbeing Programme team, we are also working with partners across Powys to give more help in this respect.”

 

He explained that most tablet computers , smartphones, PCs and laptops that have some form of camera can be used with these video systems. Patients are offered the help of the Digital Facilitators when health staff arrange appointments for them although the health board recognises that, for some people, a face to face appointment is more appropriate.

 

Owen Hughes is Head of the health board’s Pain and Fatigue Management Service. He commented: "The average Powys resident has a round-trip of 37 miles to access healthcare – if you’re experiencing the effects of long-term pain or chronic fatigue this can feel much further, not to mention the cost and time involved in attending appointments.  Anything that helps us overcome these challenges is good news for individuals – especially if it helps us to reduce our carbon footprint at the same time.”

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Photo: Digital Facilitator Jon Patterson demonstrates the Attend Anywhere system on his laptop.