A Patient Participation Group in Warwickshire is now leading one-to-one sessions with patients to help more people use the NHS App, following a collaborative project with Coventry & Warwickshire’s Digital Champions.
The opportunity
With the NHS App at the heart of plans to digitise the NHS and give patients more control over their healthcare, Integrated Primary Care’s Digital Champions team has been working with practices and PCNs to help patients, including those at risk of digital exclusion, get set up via dedicated patient sessions. The success of these sessions prompted the Patient Participation Group (PPG) at Clarendon Lodge Medical Practice to work with the Digital Champions to run their own sessions for their patients.
The goal of this collaboration was to empower the PPG’s volunteers to independently deliver face-to-face support sessions for patients, helping more individuals to access and gain confidence using the NHS App. The PPG recruited seven volunteers to work on this project, two from the PPG and five other patients from the local community. The GP practice has fully supported this project and been involved in all the decision making.
Our approach
The project began with the Digital Champions team delivering a troubleshooting and familiarisation session for the PPG’s volunteers. This session allowed participants to:
- Ask questions about the NHS App
- Understand key features such as appointment booking, prescription requests and accessing health records
- Learn how to troubleshoot common issues patients may face
This first step ensured that the volunteers felt comfortable using the app themselves before supporting others.
The Digital Champions team subsequently held regular catch-up meetings with the PPG to support them in planning their own patient sessions. We explored different delivery models and concluded that appointment-based sessions would be the most effective approach to:
- Provide patients with dedicated time and support
- Allow volunteers to focus on one person at a time
- Create a more organised and manageable environment.
To support this process, the Digital Champions provided a range of resources they had developed, including:
- Step-by-step NHS App guides
- Video tutorials
- Planning materials outlining how to run an appointment-based support session
- Practical guidance on logistics and delivery.
Shadowing and Skills Development
To help build confidence, the Digital Champions delivered a patient NHS App support session which the PPG volunteers attended to shadow the process. Patients were recruited by the GP practice.
This session took place in a large hall at a local church, providing a comfortable and accessible space for patients. PPG members observed how Digital Champions:
- Assisted patients with downloading and registering for the NHS App
- Resolved common technical issues
- Explained key features of the app
- Delivered one-to-one patient support.
The shadowing opportunity allowed the volunteers to see the session structure in practice and gain confidence in their ability to deliver similar support.
PPG-Led Pilot Session
The PPG then organised their own appointment-based NHS App session for patients recruited by the practice.
Two Digital Champions supported the session, remaining on standby in case additional help was required. However, it quickly became clear that the preparation and learning journey for the volunteers had been highly effective and additional support for the champions wasn’t needed.
The PPG volunteers delivered a well-organised and structured session, confidently answering patient queries and providing one-to-one support.
Outcomes
Through guidance, resources and hands-on experience, the Digital Champions team has successfully supported Clarendon Lodge PPG and its volunteers to develop the skills and confidence needed to independently deliver NHS App support sessions. The support of Clarendon Lodge Medical Practice and its managers has been crucial in enabling this project to succeed.
The pilot session has already delivered several positive outcomes:
- Clarendon Lodge patients who have attended the sessions are now more confident using the NHS App
- Patient feedback from the sessions has been positive, with attendees strongly valuing the face-to-face support
- PPG members and volunteers feel confident in delivering digital support sessions independently
With the support of the practice, the PPG has now planned additional NHS App bi-monthly sessions with patients over the next 12 months at a local community venue, reaching 120 additional patients directly. We expect even more people to benefit indirectly as patients share their learnings with friends and family.
By building capability within the PPG, the project has created a sustainable model of community-based digital support. This means Clarendon Lodge patients benefit from a trusted, local and face-to-face approach when learning to use digital health services, extending the initial reach of the Digital Champions service to improve outcomes for more patients.
This collaboration demonstrates how Digital Champions and Patient Participation Groups can work together to deliver high-quality digital support to patients. A similar approach could be extended to other local community groups to help more patients access NHS digital services with the right support.
Photo shows the team in action, helping residents get set up on the NHS App
