Medicspot - NSPA

Medicspot is an innovative health tech platform that gives patients access to private doctor appointments from their local pharmacy. We have national coverage across 50 cities in the UK. Our GPs can remotely examine patients and provide an accurate and safe diagnosis. Any prescribed medication can be instantly collected from the same pharmacy.

Medicspot is rated by the Care Quality Commission as a safe, caring, well-led and responsive service and was rated among the top 4% of all digital healthcare companies. We have helped thousands of patients and have been rated highly for our services. Medicspot’s technology allows 75% more conditions to be treated through digital healthcare and introduces an unparalleled level of clinical safety.

How does your organisation contribute to preventing suicide and supporting those affected by it?

As an online health provider, we get consulted by patients using our diagnostic stations for a variety of conditions including mental health. Our clinicians manage these consultations in line with NICE and local guidance, including treating, sign-posting to crisis services and counselling services as appropriate.

We would like to partner with the NSPA in order to raise awareness among our partners and help clinicians to identify those who present with suicidal thoughts and intent in an empathetic and urgent manner.

We would offer support to those affected by suicide in a similar manner by undertaking a consultation and managing ongoing issues with other stakeholders including the patient’s own GP.

What are your current priorities?

Online health poses challenges including not being present in the same room as the patient, partly mitigable by having the patient online.

We would like to develop our systems to be safer and easily accessible for those with mental health illnesses, including becoming better at sign-posting and managing those with SMI safely and in a time appropriate manner. We also aspire to become a beacon for online health service providers by developing quality standards.

What challenges are you currently facing?

Main challenges are being an online service, accessing and integrating with the NHS and also efficiently sign-posting to crisis teams and counselling and support services.