GPBuddy, the online platform created by Irish GPs for medical and healthcare professionals announced its expansion into the UK in partnership with medical educational group, NB Medical. GPBuddy has invested over €200,000 to date to launch its company in the UK. The expansion was announced at NB Medical’s ‘Hot Topics’ conference in Croke Park which was attended by over 250 GPs from throughout Ireland. The conference continues in Cork today and is expected to be attended by over 100 GPs from the Munster area.
At the core of GPBuddy is an online platform that streamlines referrals. It offers GPs and other healthcare professionals access to a comprehensive database of over 20,000 medical and healthcare services throughout the country. It is used by almost 90% of GPs (2,250) nationwide regularly to refer patients onwards to Consultants and other healthcare professionals. GPBuddy.co.uk will initially provide GPs with information on approximately 6,000 consultants in the London area.
Dr Shane McKeogh, GPBuddy said: “Healthcare systems by their nature tend to be very fragmented as specialists can work in a variety of areas and locations throughout the country. As GPs we were acutely aware of how hard it was for us at times to find contact details for an appropriate specialist to refer our patients to as a result. We came up with the idea for GPBuddy.ie to address this and it evolved from there. Our platform increases efficiency for GPs and their patients alike.”
Joe Newell, CEO, GPBuddy said: “We are very encouraged with how GPBuddy has been received since it was launched in 2010. Although we initially focused on Ireland’s GPs, there has been a recent surge in consultants and other healthcare professionals signing up.”
Newell continued: “Since we initially launched GPBuddy we have grown rapidly and we hope GPBuddy.co.uk will follow the same path in the UK. NB Medical have an established reputation in the UK and Ireland and we are delighted to be partnering with them on this exciting project.”
GPBuddy online directory is open to all healthcare professionals across Ireland. For GPs, it also offers an education tool in which GPs can obtain credits for continual professional development and an online forum in which they can share information and ideas. Over 600 GPs use GPBuddy’s online forum.
Three people are currently employed by GPBuddy in its offices in Upper Mount Street in Dublin 2.
To find out more, please visit www.gpbuddy.ie / www.gpbuddy.co.uk.