New app offers injury and care advice

People in need of medical care and advice in Lincolnshire can now turn to a website and app for help.

The free ASAPLincs service has been built using attendance data from the county’s emergency departments, with the intention of reducing the number of people who attend A&E unnecessarily.

Users will be able to identify their symptoms or condition from some of the most commonly seen in emergency departments, before being shown an appropriate treatment service for them.

Ruth Cumbers, Programme Director for Urgent Care in Lincolnshire, said: “We are very pleased to be able to launch the ASAPLincs website and app and firmly believe it can make a difference to the health care system in the county.

“Lincolnshire’s emergency departments are under pressure – in part due to a large number of unnecessary attendances.

“Lots of research has been done into the way our brains operate and the results of that have been fed into the development of this app. That is why we are confident it can help us educate and advise patients that the emergency department is not necessarily the best place for them to be.”

In other areas of the country where the same app has been developed, emergency department attendances fell by around 14,000 in the first three months, while use of alternative provisions increased.

Nina Gavin, Lead Researcher at ICE Creates, who developed the website and app, addedd: “The launch of ASAP in Lincolnshire follows extensive behavioural research with citizens and stakeholders conducted by ICE Creates, experts in research and engagement with more than 20 years’ experience working in the health sector.

“From this insight, ICE were able to co-create an intuitive digital app and website that has been designed to support citizens to choose the most appropriate service based on their symptoms.

The website can be accessed via www.asaplincs.nhs.uk while the ASAPLincs app is available on both Apple and Android devices and can be downloaded via your app store.