PCN Digital Inclusion Event
We are very proud and excited to announce that our PCN Digital Inclusion Event on 11th July 2024 was a great success! We had an excellent turnout with a confirmed 70 people over the 2-hour period who signed in at the front desk, and a true estimate of over 80 people on the day.
This event was very special as the first digital event hosted by Shoreditch Park and City PCN, being primarily focused on improving digital accessibility and understanding more about digital exclusion amongst our patient cohort. The key aims of the event were to promote and help patients to sign up to the NHS app, gather an understanding of what our patients thought about digital accessibility within their practice and the PCN, and hear from patients on an individual level about what digital support they need.
We organised the hall by having a number of tables pushed towards the edges of the room, creating a large open space with chairs in the middle and a welcoming environment for the patients to mingle and chat with us, as well as with each other. At each table were our PCN representatives with resources and materials ready to assist patients with various digital queries and offer practical support; as well as a table for food and drinks, and a table for young children with play toys, arts and crafts, and drink cartons. Projecting onto the back wall of the hall was a rolling presentation of promotional videos showcasing the benefits of the NHS app.
There was a great level of engagement from patients – many of whom felt confident enough to approach us and ready to learn more about the digital world. Our team approached and chatted to those patients more happy to stay seated due to mobility issues, or unsure of which table would best be able to support them with their queries. There was a great enthusiasm about signing up to the NHS app and learning more about digital accessibility. We were able to get approximately 15 patients signed up on the day, and another several patients started up with the signing up process. We provided NHS app setup guidance documents for those we were unable to complete setup for on the day. Everyone who attended was offered a goodie-bag including useful digital leaflets and a PCN-themed laser pointer pen.
Everyone who came to support on the day felt that the event was very well organised, which we have each of the representatives from the different organisations who attended to thank for. This includes the PCN Team, The Lawson Practice, Hoxton Surgery, Shoreditch Park Surgery, the Digital Inclusion Team, Health Watch and the Better Together volunteers. A huge thank you to all who could attend and support on the day – it would not have been possible for the event to have been so successful without your help.
Some of the excellent feedback that we received from our patients on the day includes:
‘Great event but think I will need a refresher in the future’
‘Well organised event which I found helpful’
‘A lot to take in for me personally, but I found the event very useful, and the staff were very patient with me’
‘More of these types of event please!’
‘The PCN staff were very friendly and supportive. I had a lovely lunch which was not expected, thank you’
‘I found out a lot of information about the PCN which I was unaware of, I successfully had the NHS downloaded onto my phone and my blood pressure taken. All in all, a great afternoon’
