How DrDoctor is Using Whereby to Power the Future of Hybrid Healthcare in the UK

DrDoctor is leading a massive shift toward hybrid healthcare in the UK. As the country’s leading patient engagement platform, the company provides digital solutions to more than 70 NHS trusts and health boards, giving 28 million patients easier access to healthcare options that fit their individual needs, while saving hospitals and clinicians time, effort, and money.

At the core of DrDoctor’s vision is the need for reliable, secure video. While in-person care will always be a priority, video appointments offer a way of meeting patients where they are. By bridging the gap between patients and hospitals, DrDoctor is improving not only the accessibility and quality of care provided by NHS organizations, but also the efficiency and productivity of practitioners and administrative staff.

“We believe hybrid care is the future of healthcare in the UK,” says Katrina West, Senior Product Manager at DrDoctor. “We’re scaling fast, and Whereby is a huge part of that.”

"We believe hybrid care is the future of healthcare in the UK. We’re scaling fast, and Whereby is a huge part of that.”

Initial steps and early challenges

In late 2019, seeing an opportunity to free up clinicians’ time by offering certain appointments by phone or video, the team at DrDoctor began exploring a hybrid healthcare model. Specifically, they conducted preliminary research into video solutions offered by a U.S.-based software provider, trying to understand what it would take to integrate it into their existing platform.

The project was paused until March of 2020, when COVID-19 dramatically accelerated the need for remote healthcare options. Wanting to get something out the door as quickly as possible, they leveraged their groundwork from the initial research project, making video appointments available to clinicians and patients within a matter of weeks.

From the outset, however, they had concerns about the video provider’s security and data privacy policies, especially given the sensitive nature of NHS data and strict compliance measures DrDoctor must adhere to. In particular, they were concerned that the provider was routing and processing certain data in the U.S., which is prohibited under NHS regulations.

They were also concerned about the developer overhead required, since any new features would have to be built and maintained internally. Soon after rolling out video appointments, the team at DrDoctor began to look for a better solution.

A more secure, developer-friendly solution

Around the time they were implementing the initial video product, the team at DrDoctor became aware of Whereby. Katrina says that Whereby’s proven partnerships with other NHS partners, as well as its clear commitment to and understanding of the remote care market, were key factors in their decision to make the switch. 

She highlights data security as an area where Whereby provided significant assurances to the team. Whereby operates a global infrastructure of video routers distributed across the world, with users automatically routed to the closest available one. For a company like DrDoctor where all participants are in the UK or Europe, Whereby ensures that data is never routed outside of the European Economic Area in compliance with UK GDPR.

“Data security is very, very important to our Trusts,” Katrina says. “We go through strict procedures when we onboard new suppliers, and we’ve had to switch providers because they weren’t compliant with NHS regulations. Whereby passed all of our requirements.”

Katrina says another reason for switching to Whereby was that it provides “a lot of functionality with low overhead and developer costs.” While other solutions would require DrDoctor’s product team to develop and maintain features in house, Whereby takes much of that work off their plates, allowing them to explore other opportunities and strategic initiatives.

“One of the reasons we love Whereby is that they’re constantly iterating, and the product roadmap is always rich with new features,”

Katrina says. “The functionality from day one was quite impressive, and it continues adapting to meet our needs.”

Happier patients and practitioners

Since implementing Whereby in 2021, feedback from patients and clinicians has been overwhelmingly positive. After every video consultation, the DrDoctor team collects feedback ratings from patients, with scores consistently averaging 4.6 out of 5 stars. Patients say they appreciate the flexibility of choosing between in-person and video appointments, and clinicians similarly value having more time to focus on patients with more complex needs.

For DrDoctor, one of Whereby’s primary benefits has been enabling their vision of a hybrid healthcare system. Of the 70 NHS trusts and health boards currently working with DrDoctor, nearly three-quarters (74%) have incorporated video consultations. DrDoctor’s Head of Marketing, Robbie Mason-Grieshaber, says he expects adoption to continue to rise as NHS trusts update their internal systems and as clinicians get more comfortable with the idea of video.

“The NHS is a big beast, with lots of things still done manually,” Robbie says.

“Digital solutions are a way of reducing the burden of administrative work, automating high-value but low-complexity tasks to create more capacity for clinicians and back office staff.”

As a product manager, Katrina says she’s been happy with the customer service she’s received from Whereby, describing it as “very proactive” with the Whereby team always willing to answer questions and escalate support queries as needed. That proactivity includes ongoing communications around new features and product updates.

“I’ve loved working with Whereby,” she says. “As the go-to solution for other suppliers where relationships are poor, good customer support makes such a difference.”

Expanding hybrid healthcare across the UK

The team at DrDoctor continues to build on their vision of a hybrid healthcare future, with a goal of bringing flexible healthcare solutions to as many patients and clinicians as possible. With plans for the NHS to add an additional 40,000 appointments per week — more than 2 million new appointments per year — solutions like DrDoctor will play a critical role in enabling the NHS’s long-term strategy moving forward.

“With our platform, and with Whereby, we’re very well-positioned to help the NHS reach their target,” Robbie says.

DrDoctor also plans to push further into mental health and community spaces, treating these areas with the same level of importance as physical health. Video consultations again will be essential, as mental healthcare often benefits from settings that are more casual than clinical, and many service users, especially those in the most critical need, aren’t in easy reach of a hospital. Care in these areas will also create more demand for group consultations, with Whereby playing a key role by facilitating group sessions via video call.

“As we move into the future and push forward into these markets with our technology and services, video is going to be a critical component of our success,” Robbie says. “We can’t do that without a solid video provider, and we have that in Whereby.”

Find out more about Whereby Embedded, a video calling API and SDK for Telehealth platforms.