Heathcot Medical PracticeFrom 31st March 2023 free GP video consultations via Livi will no longer be available for patients in North West (NW) Surrey – Elmbridge, Runnymede, Spelthorne and Woking.
The decision was made by North West Surrey Integrated Care Services (NICS) – the GP federation we are part of – to discontinue free Livi appointments due to rising costs of the service meaning it offers less value for money for patients. These changes were communicated to patients in Autumn 2022 and we are now sharing a further update ahead of the service end date.
To ensure patients still have a range of ways to access GP services, investment has been made in more face-to-face appointments and a new digital way to directly book into a number of services. This includes:
- Providing more face-to-face appointments in the evenings and at weekends through acute illness hubs based at Ashford Hospital, St Peter’s Hospital and Woking Community Hospital. These appointments are available now and can be booked via the patient’s GP practice (there is no walk-in facility for this service).
- Introducing a new service called Rapid Health that allows patients to directly book and manage their own appointments for a range of different services without having to contact their practice. This includes services such as adult immunisations, NHS Health Checks and cervical smears and launches from March 2023. Individual practices will inform patients which appointments can be booked directly through their website.
What happens if you are a registered Livi user and want an appointment?
- If you are registered with Livi and are a patient in Elmbridge, Runnymede, Spelthorne or Woking, visit the appointments section on our practice website to get help for a medical issue and request a consultation, or call us. If you still want to use Livi, the app will redirect North West Surrey residents to a pay-as-you-go area for help with medical and mental health conditions.