THOUSANDS of Dorset residents forced to stay home by the Covid-19 pandemic can now be treated online through a new video consultation system.

Dorset HealthCare is at the forefront of NHS trusts using ‘Attend Anywhere’ to provide care, support and advice to patients who can’t attend a hospital or GP surgery due to lockdown restrictions.

Since the end of March, the Trust has provided more than 6,300 online consultations for services ranging from mental health and learning disabilities to pain management, minor injuries, physiotherapy and sexual health.

The Trust’s Medical Director Steve Tomkins said: “To help limit the spread of the virus, we’ve had to limit access to our hospitals and clinics, as well as reduce home visits and community-based appointments.

“Because of that, Attend Anywhere has been vital in providing people with the support they need online. We were already using the system but have now rolled it out across more services.

“Before the Government restrictions came into place, we were taking 30-40 calls day; now it can sometimes reach 200 or more, which shows the level of demand.”

Attend Anyway allows people to see a clinician via a secure, pre-arranged video call.

Patients simply enter an online waiting area at the agreed time, via a dedicated web link on their computer, smartphone or tablet.

The clinician is notified when you arrive and joins the consultation when ready.

For more information on how to use the system and which services offer it, plus links to the individual ‘waiting rooms’, go to www.dorsethealthcare.nhs.uk/attend-anywhere.