Dr Now is set to revolutionise the face of primary healthcare in the United Kingdom and beyond. Launching soon, it connects users with professionally-qualified doctors through video-based remote consultation – providing adults and children with the diagnosis and prescription medicines they need, when they need them.
By combining state-of-the-art cloud technology with the experience and knowledge of seasoned medical professionals, Dr Now provides an efficient service which can offer those feeling unwell a rapid remote diagnosis or a pre-planned appointment to fit in with their busy daily lives – meaning a doctor’s appointment no longer has to be an inconvenience. As the first platform of its kind to be approved by the Care Quality Commission, Dr Now has the potential to revolutionise the NHS, with the long-term aim of ensuring that all patients are diagnosed and on the way to recovery within a one hour window.
The Dr Now app, which is available for iOS and Android devices, allows patients to discuss their symptoms with professional doctors from the comfort of their own home or on the go. Dr Now’s national and regional city centre-based distribution hubs guarantee optional overnight delivery of medicines to a patient’s door or office, with those in central London able to receive their prescription within 2-4 hours of their diagnosis. Instant delivery to the rest of the UK is currently in a beta testing phase, with a full launch scheduled for October 2015.
As many as 340 million GP appointments are made in the UK every year, with 40 percent of patients facing at least a two day wait see their doctor (Daily Mail). 38 percent of 16-to-64-year-olds are forced to take time off work in order to attend an appointment, with almost 60 percent of this number having to take a full day or more off to do so (The Guardian). With over a half of patients unsatisfied with their experience of out-of-hours care, Dr Now aims to give users the instant medical care they need – eradicating lengthy waiting times and making appointments more accessible to the general public and private sector companies.
Led by Dr Andrew J Thornber, a doctor of medicine with over 20 years of practising experience, the Dr Now doctors are fully-qualified and hold MRCGP and RCGP certification. Trained in effective ways of providing diagnosis through remote appointments, doctors can assure patients of total privacy, with Dr Now’s strict security system ensuring that medical records are kept completely safe – creating a strong sense of trust between doctor and patient.
Steff joined the HRreview editorial team in November 2014. A former event coordinator and manager, Steff has spent several years working in online journalism. She is a graduate of Middlessex University with a BA in Television Production and will complete a Master's degree in Journalism from the University of Westminster in the summer of 2015.
