Case Studies & Impact
Digital Health in Practice
We work with practices, PCNs and ICBs to redesign routine monitoring and structured data capture - shifting activity out of appointments and into patient-initiated digital pathways.
Routine care doesn’t always require a clinician appointment. By embedding clinically aligned digital pathways into the patient journey, we help modern general practice operate more efficiently, safely and sustainably.
Here are examples of this approach in action.
The Friarsgate Practice, Winchester
The Challenge
Like many surgeries, The Friarsgate Practice faced persistent pressures around appointment availability, growing demand, and increasing administrative workload. The team needed a way to improve access to preventive health checks and streamline routine monitoring, especially for long-term conditions such as hypertension, without placing additional strain on clinicians.
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They were also looking to better engage working-age adults and patients who don’t routinely attend reviews, while identifying those in need of timely follow-up. Additionally, medication reviews for oral contraception and ADHD were adding to clinical demand, prompting the search for a more efficient way to collect pre-review data.
“We were experiencing increasing demand from patients, limited appointment availability, and growing administrative workload. We wanted a way to proactively identify patient needs, streamline data collection, and ensure we were targeting our resources more effectively.”
Lucy Burrell, Operations Lead
The Change
To address these challenges, The Friarsgate Practice introduced a Digital Health Station in summer 2024. This self-screening system allows patients to complete a range of health questionnaires and key measurements, including blood pressure, height, weight and BMI, without needing an appointment.
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The solution was deployed with the goal of:
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Reducing face-to-face appointment demand
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Enabling patients to complete checks at a convenient time
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Enhancing opportunistic screening for QOF and long-term condition management
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Supporting pill checks and ADHD medication reviews with structured patient input​
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In November 2025, the station was also updated with multilingual functionality (Romanian, Polish, Punjabi, Urdu, Arabic, as well as English), enhancing accessibility for the local community.
“The system has helped reduce the number of face-to-face appointments required, improving overall workflow and freeing up staff time.”
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Lucy Burrell, Operations Lead
The Impact
Since implementation, usage of the Digital Health Station has been high and consistent. Over the last four months alone, 840 patient check-ins have been completed via the station. Looking more broadly, cumulative activity across the last seven months demonstrates sustained and embedded use across multiple pathways.
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Cumulative activity across the last 7 months includes:
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Blood Pressure Checks: 1,157 sessions (61% of total activity)
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General Health Checks: 423 sessions
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Oral Contraception Reviews: 47 sessions
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ADHD Monitoring: 19 sessions (introduced November)
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Key observations:
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Blood pressure monitoring consistently accounts for the majority of use, helping the practice maintain up-to-date records for patients with hypertension or cardiovascular risk.
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The addition of ADHD and pill check pathways has provided a structured way for patients to submit vital review data ahead of appointments - improving clinical efficiency and patient safety.
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Despite being newly introduced, language accessibility is already being used, with the Romanian option accessed within the first month.
What Next?
EK is continuing to support The Friarsgate Practice as they embed the Digital Health Station into the routine patient journey. This includes:
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Ongoing data reviews to help the team monitor usage, trends, and opportunities for improvement
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Supporting clinical staff in managing out-of-range results
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Exploring wider use of language options to ensure continued inclusivity
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As adoption continues and new pathways are introduced, the station’s role in freeing up clinical time, improving access, and supporting safe, proactive care is expected to grow.
"Patients frequently comment on the convenience and ease of using the kiosk, particularly appreciating the ability to use it at a time that suits them."
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Lucy Burrell, Operations Lead
EK’s Digital Health Station was originally developed in partnership with Sandwell and Birmingham CCG (now NHS Black Country ICB), who were seeking a scalable way to shift routine monitoring and structured data capture out of clinician appointments.
No existing product met their operational and clinical requirements. The brief was to create a flexible, practice-ready solution that would:
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Enable patient-initiated monitoring in the practice setting
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Integrate directly with clinical systems
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Adapt quickly to evolving QOF and service specifications
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Reduce repetitive data entry and appointment demand
An initial pilot at Broadway Health Centre focused on hypertension monitoring. Patients were invited via SMS to attend at their convenience for blood pressure checks, with approximately 75% choosing to use the station. Readings were coded directly into the patient record for clinician review.
Following the success of the pilot, additional structured pathways - including oral contraception reviews - were introduced, demonstrating the broader potential of digitally enabled, patient-initiated monitoring.
This collaboration formed the foundation of the Digital Health Station model now deployed across 500+ primary care sites. EK continues to work with NHS Black Country ICB to evaluate and refine the approach.
