At Your Service... John Hammell
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The Strathy is running a series of monthly articles by NHS Highland which puts the spotlight on local people who work in healthcare in the region.
Answering the questions this week is John Hammell, of Grantown, a Near Me Officer working in NHS Highland’s technology enabled care service.
Q. What does your job involve?
A. I support patients and clinicians who use the Near Me video conferencing system. If anyone using that system has an issue, or just needs help or general advice to assist finding a clinician, or just connecting to a waiting room, then there is a telephone number they can call for assistance. If they prefer, there are e-mail addresses for both public and staff access to the same technical support.
Q. What is Near Me?
A. Near Me is a confidential and secure service which allows you to attend your pre-arranged appointment using a video call, rather than attending in person. You will see the same consultant or healthcare professional you would normally have seen in the clinic, but you can use your own internet-enabled device (a mobile phone, tablet, laptop or desktop PC) to make the video call.
No specialist App or software package is needed, just a normal web browser on a device with a camera and microphone.
These usually come as standard on most devices these days.
Q. How can I use it the service?
A. It is really quite simple; the video call can be accessed using Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome web browsers on your Windows PC, Google Chrome on Android devices, and the Safari browser on all Apple devices such as iMac, iPhones and iPads.
You will get a normal appointment letter, but included in it will be a link to a clinic’s virtual waiting room, which you just type into the address bar at the top of your browser. If you have trouble doing that the clinician can send the link directly to your phone as an e-mail or text. If you don’t have access to the internet or a computer the Near Me website has a map of all the available places, such as libraries, where you can go to make a call, saving you a longer trip to a large hospital.
Q. Is Near Me suitable for all appointments?
A. Near Me obviously isn’t suitable for all types of appointments; for example, if you need an examination, a physical treatment or other type of investigation. However, if you are not sure, your healthcare provider or GP receptionist will be able to help you decide if your requirements are suitable for attending your appointment by Near Me video call.
Q. What is your background?
A. My background is predominantly in education, in posts ranging from IT technician to network manager, plus a spell as communications manager for St George’s School in Edinburgh. I’ve supported staff and pupils of all ages, and via various parent related projects been involved in training adults in subjects such as the Windows Desktop as well as fun stuff such as digital photography.
Q. What are the most rewarding elements of your role?
A. It is always when you are successful in helping someone achieve the job they are trying to do that day. There isn’t a day that goes by that you don’t learn something new, and that’s always a great feeling.
Q. How do you switch off from the pressures of your job?
A. That’s not always an easy thing to do, as I have had the need to use Near Me often myself after a serious road accident many years ago. It left me with difficult mobility issues, so I have been grateful for the existence of Near Me from both private and professional viewpoints. I do enjoy digital photography and I’m afraid I have to admit to being an avid gamer.
