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Managing Your Health Online
Understand the difference between our online triage platform and the NHS App.
Notifications
Responses and messages from the online triage platform often appear in your NHS App messages first, then fall back to SMS (text message) if unread.
Online triage platform vs NHS App
The key difference is their primary function.
- The online triage platform is used for assessing medical need.
- NHS App is a patient’s personal tool for access to the wider NHS.
Our online triage platform (Anima)
- Purpose: A specific tool for your GP practice to manage online patient requests, acting as a "digital front door" for appointments.
- Functionality: Patients submit detailed forms about symptoms, administration requests etc, which are assessed to decide the best action (appointment, advice, etc).
- Access: Primarily accessed via a web link provided by your surgery.
- Key Feature: Focuses on efficiently directing your practice's demand, sorting requests by urgency.
When to use
- When you need a GP appointment for a medical assessment.
- When you have an administration query.
- Please continue to telephone the surgery to book nurse appointments.
- Please telephone the surgery if your GP has requested you to book a routine follow up, or, if your medical need is non urgent and can be booked in the future (beyond 2 weeks).
Use your NHS App account
- Purpose: A national, multi-functional app for accessing various official NHS services across England.
- Functionality: Check symptoms (NHS website integration), order repeat prescriptions, book appointments (some types), view your NHS health record, and access other national health services.
- Access: Download the app and log in with your NHS Login.
- Key Feature: Your single point of access for many NHS services, not just your GP practice.
NHS App – When to use:
- Overview of medical record, including confirmation of appointments booked throughout NHS services.
- View test results.
- Order repeat prescriptions.
- Appointment booking currently switched off, but blood tests may reopen in the future.