Digital Assistant Emily

The Integrated Care Partnership would like to introduce you to your new Digital Assistant – Emily. 

We decided to name our Digital Assistant Emily, after Emily Davidson, A brave suffragette linked to Epsom. 

Our Digital Assistant Emily will go live on the 8th of May!

About the Digital Assistant:

We’re excited to introduce a new tool to support those of you that would like to carry out your health admin digitally. Meaning that those that can’t or don’t want to use digital can get through via the phone easier. Our new Digital Assistant Emily, is powered by advanced AI chatbot technology! This easy-to-use digital assistant is designed to help you quickly access and navigate our healthcare services, all from a phone call, our website or from a QR code on a poster in the surgery.

Whether you’re looking too, learn how to order your repeat prescriptions via the NHS App, access your local pharmacy for a pharmacy first consultation , find information about our PCN self-referral services, the Digital Assistant is here to provide 24/7 support. No more waiting on hold or searching through websites; you can simply type your question, and the chatbot will guide you to the answers you need.

How It Works:

The chatbot is built to understand natural language, so you don’t need to use technical terms or phrases. Just ask it a question like, “I would like to book a Smear” or “I need to book my child’s vaccinations”, and it will respond with clear, step-by-step instructions and in some cases allow you to book an appointment.

If your question is too complex for the chatbot to answer, it will seamlessly guide you to reception or offer you to request a call back from the practice, ensuring you always get the help you need.

Keeping Your Information Safe:

Your privacy and security are our top priorities. The chatbot operates on Microsoft’s secure Azure platform, which is designed to meet the highest standards of data protection and privacy compliance. This means your interactions with the chatbot are encrypted, and your personal health information is handled with the utmost care.

What Is RAG AI?

Our Digital Assistant uses cutting-edge technology called Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) AI to provide accurate and reliable answers. Here’s how it works:

1. Retrieving Information: When you ask a question, the chatbot scans a secure database of pre-approved healthcare information, such as FAQs, service descriptions, and policy documents.
2. Generating Responses: Using AI, it combines the retrieved information to craft a clear, tailored response in everyday language in the users preferred language.

This approach ensures that the answers you receive are both accurate and easy to understand. Unlike traditional AI that guesses or generalizes, RAG AI draws directly from trusted sources, so you can feel confident in the guidance provided.

What This Means for You:

Our Digital Assistant is a step toward making healthcare more accessible and patient-centred. By combining advanced technology with our commitment to personalised care, we’re here to make managing your health as simple as possible.

We encourage you to try it out! Look for the Digital Assistant on our website or select it from your phone options instead of staying on hold, and experience first-hand how it can support your healthcare journey.

Published: May 8, 2025