FROME Medical Practice is expanding its support to patients to help them to use technology to support their health and general wellbeing.

Will Palmer, a digital community connector at the practice, said the new offering is there to help patients keep up with the pace of technology and how they can use it to make appointments online, order repeat prescriptions or check your medical record.

Support is available via several drop-in sessions, either at the practice or out in the community, at a digital cafe or via an online form.

Mr Palmer said: “The pace of changes in the way we use technology can be difficult to keep up with.

“There’s always something new happening and we want to support patients with this.

“We are fortunate at Frome Medical Practice to have a number of resources and support structures in place to provide solutions, help and answers to questions our patients might have about the use of technology in relation to their health.

“We have a dedicated digital team to help you with all those difficult questions surrounding technology, for example, how to make appointments online, how to order your repeat prescriptions, how to check your medical records and downloading the NHS App and you can find our digital team at various places around Frome throughout the week, every week.”

The practice also works with Donate IT and are at times able to supply free-of-charge refurbished devices such as phones, digital tablets, laptops and PC’s, as well as SIM cards to support people with the cost-of-living increases and help ensure they can get online.

The practice now offers the following drop-in sessions (no appointments needed):

Digital health drop in sessions

The drop-in sessions are open to any patient registered with Frome Medical Practice, who need help with issues such as installing and using the NHS App, setting up a linked profile on the NHS App so they can use it on behalf of someone else, booking appointments via text links or using online forms on the practice website.

Sessions are held at regular times at Frome Medical Practice and also as pop ups at various venues around Frome, as followed:

• Every Tuesday from 10am to 12pm at the practice
• Every Thursday from 4pm to 8pm at the practice
• 1st Sunday of the month at the Frome Independent Market
• 1st Tuesday of the month at Asda, Frome from 1pm to 3pm
• 3rd and 4th Tuesday of the month at Sainsbury’s Frome from 1pm to 3pm
• 3rd Wednesday of the month at Fair Frome, Martson Trading Estate from 10am to midday
• 2nd Saturday of the month, venue and time will vary (please check practice website and social media for updates.)

Digital Cafe (no appointments needed)

Members of the practice team, along with colleagues and volunteers from Spark Somerset, are available at the digital cafe to help people with any general technology queries they need support with, for example using a mobile phone or laptop, accessing information online and using apps.

These sessions are open to anyone in Frome and surrounding villages.

The digital cafe takes place at the cafe in the Cheese and Grain (Market Yard, Frome) every Thursday from 10am to 11.30am.

The practice has been holding digital health drop in sessions and a digital cafe for well over a year and in that time around 4000 people have been supported with issues ranging from setting up and using the NHS App, filling in online forms and learning about online shopping and banking, for example.

The team have also been able to support the distribution of 250 devices and 150 sim cards to people in need.

Another digital health connector at the practice, Steven James, said, “We are seeing the use of technology more and more in the way we manage our healthcare and we want to give patients as much support as we can to ensure they get the best out of these new systems.

“If you have any queries or concerns we can help with, please come along and chat with us at one of our sessions.

“We are a friendly team and love talking to and helping patients and we firmly believe there’s no such thing as a silly question, so come along and ask us about anything you need help with.

“If you can’t make any of our sessions visit the digital health support page on our website  and you can drop us a message using our online form.”

More details about the digital support offered by Frome Medical Practice is available on the practice website and updates are also shared regularly on the practice Facebook page (@FromeHealth) and Instagram accounts (@frome.medical.practice).