People in Scotland requiring assistance and information regarding coronavirus are now able to get help via a chatbot.
The bot is delivered by NHS 24, and gives out-of-hours aid to those in need of urgent medical advice across Scotland.
NHS 24 developed the new virtual assistant with help from six different organisations working in technology and business. People can access the new form of COVID-19 help via the online healthcare site NHS inform, also operated by NHS 24.
As Scotland’s provider of digital and telephone-based services, NHS 24 has been the first point of contact delivering care and information for those with fears about COVID-19. Along with providing a dedicated service for individuals with symptoms via its 111 number, the organisation also has an informational helpline on 0800 028 2816. On top of this, NHS inform, the online healthcare site had offered the latest and most comprehensive information for Scotland following the start of the pandemic here in the UK.
Dubbed “Ave” the newly launched bot from NH 24 has been designed to provide up-to-date and accurate coronavirus facts to the Scottish public, along with assistance and support for people with virus symptoms, or in need of mental health services.
Ave is located online at the NHS inform site and has assisted contact centre personnel in responding to the spike in demand among individuals needing coronavirus information, since the government took measures to battle the outbreak back in March.
In its initial 30 days, the bot used clinically approved facts from NHS inform to answer over 40,000 queries from the public.
Ave is currently hosted via Microsoft’s cloud-based platform Azure and has been created thanks to the support and assistance of multiple organisations such as Baker Mackenzie, Twilio, Cancer Central, and Capgemini.
Head of Digital for NHS 24, Louise Bennie, said:
“It’s been a great experience working with such a diverse and talented group of people, all focused on delivering this option to people with questions about coronavirus. We’re grateful to all the teams for making this happen. Ave, named after Cancer Central’s founder Avril Chester, is a great addition to the NHS inform website.”
Microsoft tech partner Amido designed a prototype chatbot in just 24 hours following a request issued by NHS 24. Inside of four days, it had utilised Microsoft’s Bot Framework to create and release Ave.
Director of Local and Regional Government for Microsoft UK, Faith la Grange, commented:
“Microsoft is proud to play a part in supporting NHS 24 at this time.”
Alongside Ave, NHS 24 has also created a live webchat option where users can be directed by the chatbot to a contact centre staff member for answers to more complex questions.
If you are looking to get the most out of the Microsoft technology your firm employs, here at WM Reply, we can help. Experts in Microsoft 365 and SharePoint, we can enable your team to work more effectively. Contact our professional team today for advice and support.