GP practices across Thurrock in Essex are transforming how patients access healthcare, as increasing use of new digital systems and ‘total triage’ approaches are helping more patients get the right care at the right time.
Across Essex, practices have been adopting digital tools like online consultation portals and telehealth platforms. These tools provide more options and increased flexibility for patients when they need to contact their practice to request care and make enquiries. Over £1.6 million has also been invested locally to move GP practices over to cloud-based telephony systems that provide call back options, making it easier for practices to manage patient queues and improving patient experience when telephoning their practice.
While all GP practices have been working hard to improve digital systems, latest data shows that patients in Thurrock are enjoying significant benefits.
NHS App usage has skyrocketed in Thurrock, with an 85% increase in logins during 2024 compared to 2023. More patients are now booking appointments and managing access their health information their health through the NHS App without needing to contact their practice directly. Repeat prescription requests in April 2025 had more than doubled through the NHS App since 2023.
In Thurrock, online consultation submissions in April 2025 were three times higher than April 2024 and seven times higher than April 2023. The total number of submissions across mid and south Essex has reached nearly 8.5 million since April 2024 as more local residents are embracing digital platforms to communicate with their practice.
These digital systems make contacting practices easier and more convenient. Instead of an 8am rush to call, more patients are submitting online requests at a more suitable time for them, which in turn frees up phonelines for patients who still need to call.
By embracing digital-first approaches and investing in smarter ways of working, we’re helping people in Thurrock and across Essex get the care they need more quickly and conveniently. This transformation reflects the ambitions of the NHS Long Term Plan — improving access, reducing pressure on services, and making healthcare more personalised and proactive.
William Guy, Director of Primary Care at NHS Mid and South Essex
Hassengate Medical Centre in Stanford-le-Hope is a local example of how the transformation is taking place across Thurrock. In March 2025, the practice introduced ‘total triage’ – a digital system in which patient information is captured in an online form and then reviewed by a clinician to decide next steps for their care. Calls to the practice reduced significantly in the months following the launch, with the volume of telephone calls dropping 25% in June.
Before the changes, our practice staff were incredibly busy every morning working through queues of patients on the phone. We often faced frustrated patients, and many were reluctant to share why they needed an appointment, making it difficult for us to assess which healthcare professional could best help them.
Since we switched to total triage, feedback from patients has been very positive. Each weekday, a GP and care navigator work together to review every request that has been submitted. Patients usually receive a response the same day, but always within three days.
It’s now quicker and easier for patients to get an appointment, and they’re reassured knowing their online form will be seen by one of our doctors with a timely response. By freeing up telephone lines, we can spend more time supporting patients who don’t have access to technology. Our staff are happier too, because we’re delivering more appointments and spending more time caring for patients.
Practice Manager Samantha Newton describes how it has revolutionised their patient care
Thanks to these improvements, alongside a wide range of initiatives improving access to primary care, over one million appointments were delivered by Thurrock GP practices in 2024/25, representing a 3.9% increase from 2023/24.
The recently published national GP Patient Survey for 2025 also showed that in mid and south Essex more patients are reporting it is easy to contact their GP on the phone, via the website or through the NHS App, with each improved by 4% compared to the previous years’ survey.
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