Patient Q&As
1. What is Klinik Access?
Klinik Access is an online consultation service and appointment solution for GP practices. It makes it possible to contact a GP practice online through a GP practice website. The service accelerates and streamlines the use of services, care pathways and referral to treatment.
Patients can provide information about their symptoms, medical history, and other relevant details. Klinik Access then uses this information to assess the urgency of the enquiry and provide an immediate response. Patients can also make other administration enquiries such as request a sick note or a repeat prescription.
2. Why does my practice use Klinik?
Klinik Access is designed to help GP practices to improve the efficiency of their triage process by providing an immediate assessment of the urgency of patient enquiries, Klinik Access can help to ensure that patients are seen by the right healthcare professional as quickly as possible. Klinik Access can also help to reduce the number of unnecessary appointments, freeing up GPs’ time to see more patients.
Klinik Access is used by over 1,000 GP practices in the UK.
Here are some of the benefits of using Klinik Access:
• Improved patient experience: Patients can submit their medical queries online. They will then receive updates from their GP practice.
• Increased efficiency: Klinik Access can help GP practices to reduce the time spent on triage. This frees up GPs’ time to see more patients.
• Reduced costs: Klinik Access can help GP practices to reduce the number of unnecessary appointments. This can save money in the long run.
• Improved clinical outcomes: Klinik Access can help GP practices to identify patients who need urgent care more quickly. This can lead to improved clinical outcomes.
• Easy-to-use online interface: Klinik Access is an easy-to-use online service. It works on all your devices – your phone, tablet, laptop or desktop computer and you do not need any login details. Klinik has a great user experience – 90% of users rate the online service as good or excellent.
• Reduces waiting times: Klinik Access online service reduces waiting times and gives you faster access to the right treatment. Klinik directs patient cases to the right point of care and ensures that those who need care first are dealt with first.
• Safe and secure: Klinik Access ensures that patients are safely directed to the right point of care at the right time. Klinik is a CE-marked medical device, Cyber Essentials accredited and in line with NHS standard requirements for digital technology.
3. Where do I find the service?
You can find the service on your GP practice website.
4. Do I need any login or credentials for using the service? Do I need to register to be able to use the service?
The best way to use the service is to register for the NHS login and this will ensure your details are validated and pre-populated in the final personal information page. This will also assist your practice when dealing with your enquiry.
However, you can also access the service without registration. Accessing the service via this method uses a highly secure one-direction communications connection.
5. Can the service also be used with tablets and smartphones?
Yes, you can use the service with a computer, a smartphone, or a tablet through the GP practice website.
6. I could not access the service with my desktop computer – what is wrong? The form looks odd and cannot really be read properly – what is wrong?
Your computer or Internet browser may be too old. Try updating your Internet browser to the latest version. If this does not help, you can try to use the service with a tablet or a smartphone. If this does not help either, you can contact the GP practice by telephone.
7. What happens if the system crashes?
If you can fill in your query details, the system has not crashed. In other words, if the system has crashed, the contact channel is not available. If you cannot access the online service, contact your GP practice by telephone.
All messages are saved on encrypted servers and when the system is again up and running, they can be accessed again.
8. What should I do if the system does not work and I cannot submit a contact request or if I do not have access to, or am unable to use digital services?
For patients who meet any of the criteria below or if for any reason the service is unavailable online, please be reassured you can still call the surgery where one of the team will be able to assist you:
• If you do not have access to the internet, or struggle using it;
• If you have a language barrier;
• If you have a disability;
• If you are in mental health crisis;
• If you are neurodivergent.
9. What kind of information do I have to provide when using the service?
To refer you to the right care pathway for clinical enquiries, the service asks you to describe your query and symptoms and their location. Naturally, you need to provide your personal and contact details so that we can contact you regarding the next steps in your treatment process.
10. My relative/child cannot submit a contact request themselves. Can I submit it on their behalf?
Yes, the service allows acting on relatives’ or children’s behalf if they have given their permission for this (in case the child is under 10 years of age, no permission is required). If you are using the service on someone else’s behalf, remember to indicate this on the form under “Give your personal details” by ticking the box “I am using the service on someone else’s behalf” and filling in your details.
11. How do I know which option/tile to select
You should select the most appropriate tile name that most closely matches your need. For any administrative enquiries by selecting a tile you may find some further drop down options e.g. Nurse enquiries may have further options of blood test or contraception. In addition all administrative tiles contain a description of what is required from you to enable the practice to deal with your enquiry.
12. What happens after I’ve submitted my symptoms and enquiry?
Once you’ve submitted your symptoms and comments using the body map interface, or called your surgery, Klinik’s AI triage engine will assess the urgency or requirements of your condition. This is all supervised by a medically trained professional at your practice. After this, Klinik will assign you to the right point of care, which could be with your GP or a pharmacist, specialist or an emergency care facility. Once approved by a healthcare professional, your assigned care provider will be in touch to make an appointment.
13. How do I know if the GP or surgery has received my request?
After you click ‘submit’ your enquiry will be sent to your practice. If you provided your email address you will receive an email notification regarding its delivery. When the system has shown the notification “Your request has been sent”, you can be sure that the message has been sent and then simply wait for the GP practice to contact you.
14. How will I be contacted after I have sent a contact request?
We use traditional contact methods. In addition to calling by telephone, we use a message interface to send and receive text messages. Please be aware that messages will come from an unknown number so please be sure to open such messages. You can get the contact details and further information from your GP practice.
15. I have tried to reply to an SMS from my practice and have had a reply saying my case has been closed. What does this mean?
This means the practice has closed the online enquiry you submitted and will not receive your reply. You should contact the practice by phone or submit a new enquiry online.
16. What if I need help with more than one problem?
If you have a health-related concern and require an appointment but also have an administrative enquiry you should choose the appropriate tiles on the platform and submit separate enquiries. Please be sure to mention that you have made a separate enquiry within your last submission if this is on the same day or the previous enquiry has not been responded to.
17. I do not want to book an appointment but need care instructions. What to do?
You can still submit an online contact request. Follow the instructions provided by the service and a member of the team will contact you. If medical professionals think that you do not need an appointment, you will be provided with self-care instructions or other advice regarding your issue.
18. Can I also take care of other health-related matters through the service (prescription renewals, test result enquiries, etc.)?
You can take care of all of your issues and concerns, conveniently through the online channel. In this case, choose the topic from the first part of the service form and answer the subsequent questions.
Please ensure ALL the questions posed are answered or this may lead to delays in the practice being able to deal with your request.
19. Is my personal data safe with Klinik?
Potentially sensitive data is stored within the UK using technical architecture, processes and security features approved by the NHS. Klinik assures compliance with regulatory and legal requirements for both UK and EU, i.e., GDPR in general, Data Security and Protection Toolkit (NHS) and Cyber essentials (NHS).
20. Who can access the data I share with Klinik?
Your GP practice is the data controller and Klinik acts as a data processor meaning that all personal data is accessed only by GP practices and professionals.
21. How does the online platform capture any emergency enquiries that may be submitted?
With medical emergencies the best proof is a track record of zero reported patient hazards due to system error. The system is built to recognise emergency cases and indicators that might be missed by human communication. The performance is monitored and reviewed by Klinik’s medical team together with UK based CSO (Clinical Safety Officer) thus maintaining a safety first approach when providing services for all our partnered GP practices.
All submitted cases/contact requests are handled by healthcare professionals who are also asked to provide feedback on the urgency of the case, thus enabling a continuous
learning loop for the medical engine. Another key component is the communication within the Klinik’s Access which provides patients information on how and when to contact A&E, 999 or 111 services if required.
22. What if my problem requires immediate treatment? What kind of problems need to wait until the next day for contact to be made? How long will it take until the appointment?
The service also assesses urgency: if the symptoms entered indicate that the problem would need urgent care, your practice will contact you in line with the timescales indicated on the landing page.
23. Where can I give feedback on the service?
You can give feedback after you have submitted your query details in the online contact form. We warmly welcome feedback as it allows us to develop the service further.
