Digital access in Scotland primary care is entering a new phase.
The Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) is due to be switched off by January 2027, ending traditional analogue phone services. Meanwhile, MyCare.scot is giving people across Scotland a new way to view selected health and care information.
These changes are connected by a wider shift in how patients access support. Instead of relying on GP practices for every routine enquiry, patients can increasingly find some information themselves. This could reduce avoidable demand while allowing practice teams to focus on requests that genuinely need their help.
For GP practices, it is an opportunity to review both the technology behind access and the routes patients take to reach the right service.
How will the PSTN switch-off affect Scottish GP practices?
The PSTN switch-off means any remaining analogue phone lines or connected equipment must move to a suitable digital alternative before January 2027.
Many practices have already moved their main telephone service to the Cloud. However, analogue connections can still sit behind payment terminals, alarm systems, lift phones, fax machines and other equipment outside day-to-day patient access.
These services are easy to miss because they rarely feature in conversations about digital transformation. Yet identifying them now will help practices avoid disruption as the switch-off approaches.
Practices should review any remaining analogue lines, confirm what each one supports and speak to suppliers about whether the service should be upgraded, replaced or removed.
This is not about moving patients away from the telephone. Phone access remains essential, particularly for people who cannot or do not wish to use digital services.
Instead, the switch-off replaces ageing infrastructure with more resilient technology. It also gives practices a useful opportunity to consider whether every routine enquiry still needs to begin with a phone call.
Related read: Beyond analogue phone lines: Cut costs and improve access
What is MyCare.scot?
MyCare.scot is Scotland’s digital front door for health and social care. It gives people aged 18 and over access to selected personal and health information through an app and web service.
What information can patients access through MyCare.scot?
Patients can currently view information including their Community Health Index (CHI) number, allergy information, medication information and Covid and flu vaccination records.
For many people, this information may previously have meant contacting their GP practice. Each request may only take a few minutes, but repeated across hundreds or thousands of patients, routine enquiries add to reception workload and telephone demand.
Giving patients direct access changes that dynamic. Rather than waiting in a queue for information that already exists electronically, they can retrieve it when they need it.
At this stage, MyCare.scot gives patients access to selected information rather than integrating with GP practice systems. The national rollout plan states that connections with GP practices, pharmacies and other services will follow as the platform develops.
Further functions are also expected, including digital delivery of patient correspondence through a secure mailbox. As the service evolves, more routine interactions may move away from paper and telephone-based processes, giving patients greater control over their information.
Can MyCare.scot reduce routine calls to GP practices?
MyCare.scot could reduce some routine calls to practices, but only if patients know what the service offers and when to use it.
A patient looking for their CHI number, allergy information or vaccination record may no longer need to contact reception. They can access the information directly, at a time that suits them.
There is not yet published evidence showing a reduction in GP practice calls following the launch. However, the potential is clear: routine information requests no longer always need staff involvement.
Clear signposting will be essential. Practices can identify the enquiries MyCare.scot already supports and direct patients through their website, appointment pages and telephone messaging.
For example, someone looking for their CHI number could be encouraged to check MyCare.scot before entering the phone queue. They receive the information immediately, while reception teams remain available for requests that need staff support.
Joined-up care navigation tools can reinforce this guidance at the point a patient seeks help. Surgery Assist can introduce appropriate signposting during an online conversation, while Surgery Connect can deliver consistent messaging through the telephone journey.
This does not replace existing access routes. It simply helps patients find the most suitable route for the task they are trying to complete.
Practices should also be clear about what MyCare.scot does not yet offer. Promoting an app without explaining its current purpose risks creating confusion rather than reducing demand.
How can Scottish practices make digital access inclusive?
For practices, improving patient access in Scottish primary care means giving patients a clear choice of routes, while helping them reach the right one first time.
The PSTN switch-off modernises the infrastructure that practices depend on. MyCare.scot begins to put more routine information directly into patients’ hands. Together, they offer a chance to make patient journeys simpler.
However, digital access should add choice, not create another barrier. Digital confidence, internet access and device ownership vary across Scotland’s communities. Telephone, online and face-to-face services need to complement one another.
For practices, the next steps are to:
- Identify any remaining analogue services before the January 2027 switch-off
- Review common routine enquiries that MyCare.scot can answer
- Add clear signposting across digital and telephone access routes
- Keep phone and face-to-face support available for patients who need it
The practices that benefit most from Scotland’s digital shift will not necessarily be those with the most technology. They will be those that make it easier for patients to find the right route, whether that means accessing information independently, speaking to the practice or receiving clinical care.
That is where digital transformation delivers its greatest value: by creating simpler, more connected access for every patient.
The aim is simpler, more inclusive digital access in Scotland.
Explore how connected telephone and digital access can help your practice reduce routine demand while giving patients greater choice.