Accessing Healthcare Digitally: insights from communities

The aim of this project was to hear from residents, patients, and carers about their thoughts and experiences of using digital health tools, to better understand the impact of the NHS’s ‘digital first’ strategy on local people.

As the NHS pushes ahead with this strategy, listening to patients’ voices and learning from their experiences remains as important as ever. It is vital that changes do not adversely affect local people, and that services remain accessible.

As services change, and digital health becomes a larger part of how people receive care, health and social care service commissioners and providers must remain receptive to patient feedback, to ensure that services improve and work for all members of society.

Digital tools can work well, but they must not work well at the expense of people who are unable to, or who do not want to, use them.