Digital Champions

The Digital Champions service is largely focused on providing practical support, training and advice for Coventry & Warwickshire’s 119 practices and 20 primary care networks (PCNs) to help them make best use of digital technology.

Working in conjunction with the PCN digital transformation leads, our team of Digital Champions work with practices to:

• Assess practice digital capabilities, and codevelop plans to enhance digitally enabled services.
• Develop targeted projects to tackle specific priorities such as:
  • Increasing uptake of the NHS App among patients – which has just been shortlisted for a 2026 HSJ Digital Award 
  • Improving the visibility of 111 slots within clinical systems
  • GPAD appointment mapping
  • Supporting the PCIT rollout.
• Provide ad hoc support. Practices can request assistance on issues such as creating forms and templates in EMIS, running searches, ‘how do I’ questions and phone system configuration etc.
• Deliver training sessions: internal training sessions to enable practices and users to gain more from Clinical Systems (EMIS, AccuRx etc) and develop a better understanding of the Microsoft office suite of products, IP telephony systems and other commonly used software.
• Share learning and best practice through regular digital transformation forums and webinars.

Digital Transformation

In addition to our team of Digital Champions, our Digital Transformation Lead works with the team, PCNs and practices to support and transform ways of working, identifying where processes could be changed or enhanced using digital technologies.

This includes hosting collaborative forums and shaping guidance to support adoption of new technology such as artificial intelligence (AI) to help GP practices develop safe and consistent approaches to adoption.

Our services

The support we provide varies based on ICB and practice requirements, but principal projects include:

• NHS App uptake

We support practices and PCNs in driving better uptake of the NHS App among patients. This includes reaching digitally excluded communities, supporting access the NHS App and Website at  libraries and other community estates. In conjunction with practices of PCN’s we can provide drop-in sessions at community events, universities, colleges and major employers to help people access their health records, book appointments or order repeat prescriptions at a time convenient to them.

Every practice need is different. Contact our team today to discuss your requirements and how we can help.

• GPAD Mapping

GPAD mapping is all about making sure practices can report on activity and be recognised for the work they do. Our support has included changing slot mapping to fit best practice, demonstrating to practice managers and GPs how to manage the clinics with mapped appointments, and guiding PMs and clinic co-ordinators to use the appropriate process.

• NHS 111 appointment access

Practices are contractually obliged to offer a certain number of appointments to NHS 111 so call handlers can directly book patients in where needed. We work with practices to troubleshoot issues that can prevent slots from showing up correctly and being visible to 111 operators, which supports contract compliance.

• Training

We deliver training to enable staff, including new starters and additional roles, to make the most of digital tools and systems. This includes clinical systems as well as administrative tools, and newer technologies.

• Digital transformation

We provide a mixture of direct support and shared learning to enable practices and PCNs to transform services. In line with the government’s shift from analogue to digital, we help practices improve processes through effective digitalisation, and share skills and guidance on emerging technologies such as AI.

• Practice intranet development

Practices are increasingly using SharePoint to provide a single focal point to manage internal processes and communication. We help practices set up SharePoint sites to meet their specific requirements, supporting timely and consistent information-sharing.  Having a central source of documentation and a hub or resources is seen as a valuable resource by CQC.