We sat down with Healthera’s Head of Product, Andrew Bellingham, to discuss our latest integration with NHS Login.
What does NHS Login do?
Having NHS Login provides 3 main benefits for our patients:
- It allows patients that use the app to login using a single account. If they have NHS login already, they can just use the same details. It’s a much simpler way to log in.
- It makes the registration process faster, if you’re creating a new account with Healthera. NHS Login can provide many details already stored on their system, such as your personal details, GP details and medication details.
- It enables patients to register to use our fast track service much quicker. This means that patients can send repeat requests directly to the GP prescribing system. What used to require the patient taking two forms of ID in person to their GP surgery for a digital linkage key, can now be achieved automatically via NHS login.
Why is it a significant milestone for Healthera?
Healthera is already the go to app for patients & pharmacies alike to deliver their medicine related needs. The integration of NHS login is another key feature that aims to make the process of prescription ordering as safe & simple as possible for both patients and pharmacies. Providing Integration with other services form a key strategic pillar in our Product roadmap with other exciting opportunities coming up in the near future.
Why did we do it? Why now?
More and more GP surgeries want their patients to use online services instead of ordering prescriptions manually. The best, and most efficient, way to do that is through GPSoc integration with GP clinical systems. NHS login makes it a lot easier to achieve that.
We regularly seek feedback from patients and our pharmacy partners, and many confirmed that this feature would be beneficial to both patients & pharmacies
How did we do it?
It was a very technically challenging project requiring cross-functional working and a very close relationship with the NHS Digital team.
The quality assurance required for transferring patient data is obviously very stringent, so we had to undertake a series of stage gates with NHS Digital & gain final approval to provide this solution that we now have.
This feature was delivered by a great engineering & QA team that had to work to very challenging timelines. The end result is a great new feature that will provide significant benefit to patients and pharmacies alike.