What is PATCHS?
Patchs is a new and easy-to-use tool that GPs nationwide have specifically created to improve access to healthcare. With Patchs, you can conveniently contact the practice online by filling out a short online form from the comfort of your own home and avoid long call queues. This form will ask you a short series of questions you can answer in your own words that, once completed, come straight through to the practice, ready for review by our team.
(Please note that as this is a standardised form, one or two of the questions presented may not always be relevant to you in your specific situation, and that’s ok. You can usually skip these questions, or you can simply write ‘Not applicable’ / ‘Don’t know’ / ‘Not relevant’ etc.)
‘Online’ can sound like a scary term, but there is no reason to be worried. As Patchs has become our primary communication method with the practice, this will free up our phone lines for our patients who are less confident or digitally excluded and unable to log requests themselves online. This ensures that everyone has better access to healthcare. It’s important to remember that once you have submitted a Patchs request, there is no need to call us to chase the status of your request as we will contact you back once we have reviewed your request. Each new request that comes into the practice is assessed for urgency by our clinical teams and dealt with within a clinically appropriate timeframe.
How do I access PATCHS & submit a request?
The first time you access PATCHS, you will need to register and create your PATCHS account using your own mobile number and email address. You can access PATCHS in any of the following ways;
- Via the services tab of the NHS App
- By clicking on the large Patchs banner on our website homepage
- Click on the Patchs icon within the online services section of the website
- By visiting Patchs directly at https://patchs.ai/practice/glenroydmedical
NHS App Example
Parents & Carers
If you are a parent or a registered carer (with appropriate consent on the clinical record), you can submit PATCHS requests on behalf of those you care for.
If you are registered at the same practice
Once you are registered and logged into PATCHS, click on the Make a Request link at the top of the page. This will load the How can we help you? page, where you need to click the Someone I care for button.
You will now be taken to the Choose Dependent page. Here, choose a dependent from a list (if they have already been set up). If they have not been set up, you can add someone new by clicking on the Add someone I care for link.
Clicking the Add someone I care for link takes you to the Add Dependents page.
Here, you will be able to enter the details of the person you are caring for. You will need to confirm (i) that this person is registered at this GP practice, and (ii) that you are authorised to act in the capacity of parent or carer for this person. Do this by checking the boxes at the bottom of the page.
When you have finished, click the Add button.
Now select the dependent from the Choose Dependent page.
If you are NOT registered at the same practice
When creating a PATCHS account for the patient you care for, instead of selecting the ‘Create an account as a patient’ option, you would select the ‘Create an account as a carer only’.
Please note that we MUST have appropriate written consent on the clinical record when the patient is aged 16+ in order to accept requests submitted on behalf of someone you care for.
