Beyond Standard GP Websites: How Flexible Digital Solutions Are Putting Control Back in Practices’ Hands

At Silicon Practice, the aim is always to help GP surgeries navigate their digital landscape with tools that work in harmony with their existing workflows. It’s about going beyond standard GP websites to deliver integrated solutions that support efficient practice management, improve accessibility, and maintain patient satisfaction—without overburdening GPs. Our FootFall platform, for instance, is designed to simplify patient journeys, reduce administrative strain, and give practices greater control over their day-to-day operations.

Real-world experiences highlight the complexity and evolving nature of digital healthcare delivery. Early on, when forms like “Get help for any health problem” or “Request an appointment with a nurse or HCA” were introduced, statistics suggested quick wins. Yet as practices started allowing patient replies within the same conversation thread, these metrics became harder to interpret. A single form could represent multiple interactions and outcomes. What was initially considered a closed request might later reopen as patients followed up. This taught us that data and reporting need to adapt over time, reflecting how practices actually use these tools, rather than sticking to static early snapshots.

Despite these challenges, the flexibility and adaptability of platforms like FootFall have resonated with many practices. At the Carolside Medical Centre, for example, patients now access services more quickly online, helping to reduce call volumes and improve overall satisfaction. Similarly, work with the Black Country ICB demonstrated how integrated digital options can streamline patient requests and free up clinical and administrative time. One practice manager reflected, “Admin staff really like being able to mix things up between answering calls and dealing with online requests. We are able to create pre-set responses, meaning that online forms are quicker to deal with and we provide consistent messaging. Patient feedback has been very positive.”

Still, it’s important to acknowledge the workload pressures on GPs. Some worry about an ever-increasing number of online forms flooding in, especially when patients interpret broad prompts like “Get help for ANY health problem” literally. This is why it’s crucial to give practices the tools to fine-tune their digital channels. By renaming forms—for example, changing “Get help for ANY health problem” to “Request an appointment with the doctor”—it’s possible to guide patients more accurately. The goal isn’t to scale demand indefinitely, but to shape it. Practices remain in the driver’s seat, deciding how best to present and manage their online forms so that digital options support their workload rather than create additional stress.

Digital triage and online consultation aren’t about replacing the phone lines; they’re about broadening options. If the phones go down, online forms offer a safety net, ensuring patients can still reach out. For patients with hearing impairments, online forms open doors to services they might otherwise struggle to access, while for blind patients the phone remains essential. It’s about providing multiple channels so that neither staff nor patients feel trapped by a single communication route. This flexibility matters for communities with varying levels of digital literacy, and it acknowledges that not everyone will find online platforms easy to use. The aim is to create a balanced ecosystem where each patient can choose what’s most convenient, and each practice can manage demand in a way that best fits their circumstances.

NHS England’s encouragement of Online Consultation and Video Consultation (OCVC) tools helps practices break down traditional barriers to access, but it’s equally important to address concerns about potential overload. Using solutions like our Foundation product, practices can customise their online presence, shaping it to fit their operational realities and patient demographics. That could mean offering fewer open-ended forms, or providing better signposting to ensure that patients choose the correct option at the outset.

As we consider future developments, the focus is on tangible enhancements that directly benefit GP practices. Rather than offering vague promises about “empowering patients,” new features prioritise supporting clinicians and administrators. Every step forward is guided by lessons learned from real users, their feedback, and their day-to-day needs.

What emerges from all this is a picture of technology that’s helpful yet controlled, beneficial yet adaptable. Practices have the freedom to design, refine, and reconfigure their online systems. The data and feedback collected along the way shape continuous improvements, ensuring that digital platforms help rather than hinder. While some practices may have reservations—and rightly so—about opening the digital floodgates, the key is showing that they hold the tap. If a particular form generates too many requests, it can be adjusted. If certain patient groups struggle, other communication channels remain available. It’s not about one route replacing another, but about offering choice, flexibility, and resilience in a time of changing patient expectations and increasing workload pressures.

For those interested in learning more about how these solutions can fit their specific environment, it’s simple to get in touch and discuss how to craft a digital strategy that suits the realities of their patient population and practice team.