Digital NHS and AI

You may also need to ask /how/ people use smartphones. Smartphones work quite well as ordinary telephones - I have an old iPhone which I used as an ordinary phone for a few months last year before it conked out. I never really did figure out how to do anything "smart" on it, and my attempts to download free apps were aborted when it asked for an invoicing address. Still, it worked really well as an ordinary telephone, with good sound quality (despite only using GSM), a loud and clear but un-obnoxious ringer and a reasonable battery life.

I have also come across plenty of OAPs who quite happily use a smartphone for things like telephone calls, taking/sharing photos, reading news etc. This of course does have its problems as many older people are slower to learn these things and can have problems with dexterity and eye sight. 

Frequency of use can also be an issue. I've been to NHS hospitals only 3 or 4 times in the last 15 years. I don't know how to use their self service machines or websites or apps... and why would I? The self service tills in Tesco and M&S however... I've been using those practically every week for the last 15 years - and there is always someone there to help if you aren't sure.

will that include teaching us how to use a smart phone, afford a smart phone and how to download an app and not give our data to scammers?

I hope so, but I don't think they will be able to replace ordinary 'customer service' entirely. There will always be people who cannot manage a smartphone due to illness (even if temporarily), or who's smartphone broke/got lost/stolen etc etc.

You may also need to ask /how/ people use smartphones. Smartphones work quite well as ordinary telephones - I have an old iPhone which I used as an ordinary phone for a few months last year before it conked out. I never really did figure out how to do anything "smart" on it, and my attempts to download free apps were aborted when it asked for an invoicing address. Still, it worked really well as an ordinary telephone, with good sound quality (despite only using GSM), a loud and clear but un-obnoxious ringer and a reasonable battery life.

I have also come across plenty of OAPs who quite happily use a smartphone for things like telephone calls, taking/sharing photos, reading news etc. This of course does have its problems as many older people are slower to learn these things and can have problems with dexterity and eye sight. 

Frequency of use can also be an issue. I've been to NHS hospitals only 3 or 4 times in the last 15 years. I don't know how to use their self service machines or websites or apps... and why would I? The self service tills in Tesco and M&S however... I've been using those practically every week for the last 15 years - and there is always someone there to help if you aren't sure.

will that include teaching us how to use a smart phone, afford a smart phone and how to download an app and not give our data to scammers?

I hope so, but I don't think they will be able to replace ordinary 'customer service' entirely. There will always be people who cannot manage a smartphone due to illness (even if temporarily), or who's smartphone broke/got lost/stolen etc etc.

Will the NHS apps need a new phone? I've heard of people being unable to use some services because their phones are too old to take the amount of data.

Lot's of people struggle with smart phones, not all of us are lucky enough to have an Iain to come and help us.

At our GP's we have one of those screens to tell them you're there, only it keeps crashing, you think you've done it all and end up sitting there for ages because they think you're a no show.

We still have problems with connesctivity here, black spots or places that only pick up a signal from Ireland. 4G that dosen't have a much signal strength as 3G.

I worry that more and more us will be excluded because "the computer says no", or the questions are written in civil service double speak where you think it says one thing but it actually means something quite different.

The app we have will only allow you to opt for the pharmacy nearest your GP's surgery, which is a bit useless for me as I live on the edge of the catchment area. The pharmacy I use has people from a neighbouring surgery and every time I go in there I see people coming to pick up meds that the pharmacy has no knowlege of. Either how the system works isn't explained to people when they start with repeat prescriptions or the system itself is flawed. It isn't just older people who become confused, but younger digital natives too, so something's going badly wrong, people end up missing meds which are really needed and shouldn't be just stopped. It then take about a week to sort out, this is the second iteration of the app, the first one had to be pulled because it really didn't work.

Maybe it depends on where you live too, if you live in a city and have friends and family nearby who can help you might be ok, but if you live in a rural area with no friends and family nearby, who is there who's going to help you? If your mobility and dexterity are poor how are you going to get to access any help, will it be another one size fits nobody.

I am only in my early 60s and avoid apps. I prefer to phone on my landline and speak to a person. I do use some stuff on the smart phone, but often change something if my finger hovers nearby.

As for having to log in, at the surgery for example, I often end up talking to it as I try to figure it out.