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Doctaly begins offering its ‘Uber for GPs’ service in North London

Health startup Doctaly has launched its ‘Uber for GPs’ medical app in North London that allows patients to book a GP appointment with no waiting time.

The service, which is currently rolling out following partnerships North London surgeries, is looking to relieve pressure on NHS services and provide GPs with extra income through its on-demand app, which allows users to book 15 minute appointments at a cost of £39.99.

Currently, surgeries in Enfield and Barnet are offering the service, which also provides out-of-hours options, but the startup is looking to expand across London in the next 12 months once it has signed up enough GPs to cover each relevant borough.

The London-based startup is plotting a national roll-out within three years.

Founder and Chief Executive Officer Ben Teichman explained that the idea for the service came about after he had to wait two weeks for GP appointment, and he began working with his friend Dr Dinesh Silva on a solution.

He said: “I couldn’t believe the waiting time and when I spoke to my GP friend Dinesh, we worked through a solution together – Doctaly was launched.

“Through research we found that patients were happy to pay a small amount to see a GP if it meant that they didn’t have to wait and were keen to be able to access a GP in the evening or on the weekend.

“What’s more, many GPs told us that they were open to receive additional income, so it became a win win solution.”

Countering accusations that Doctaly’s appointment service amounts to little more than queue jumping, Ben said the the app complements existing NHS services and that it has the potential to drive down queues at A&E departments and provide relief for GP surgeries.

He added: “Doctaly is essentially a hybrid service, between the NHS and existing private practice making private appointments more affordable, thereby opening them up to a wider audience. It copies the successfully proven dentistry model for primary healthcare.

“It is not about queue jumping. Quite the opposite in fact. It should help drive queues down in surgeries and also take traffic away from A&E.”

With around 40% of UK GPs working part-time, the medical startup anticipates that doctors will be able to balance their NHS surgery commitments with their Doctaly patients, and bring in extra income as a result.

The introduction of the app to a select few London surgeries is a small part of a wider digital revolution currently sweeping the NHS.

Just this week, the DigitalHealth.London programme launched its inagural acceleratorwhich looks to fasttrack the introduction of digital innovations from healthtech startups with innovations that have the potential to improve NHS services.