Landmark Information Group Extends Its Support To The Virtual Doctors Charity

Landmark Information Group, the leading provider of information to the UK’s property market, is pledging its ongoing support to the Virtual Doctors charity, which provides clinical officers in rural Africa with access to a network of doctors that volunteer, predominantly from the NHS, in the UK.

This comes at a time when the charity, which was recently endorsed on BBC Radio 4’s Appeals programme fronted by presenter Simon Mayo, has launched a new WASH Campaign to help provide washing facilities, sanitisers and PPE to 140 rural clinics, to help with the protection and prevention against the Covid-19 pandemic.

As a long-time supporter of the charity, members of Landmark’s development team, including the Chief Technology Officer Ian Clarke, volunteer their time and technical expertise to continually develop and maintain the Virtual Doctors bespoke tele-medicine software app, which originally launched in 2015.

Via the software and smartphones, clinicians in rural Zambia have the ability to send electronic patient files with images to 132 volunteer doctors in the UK, who then provide diagnostic and treatment advice, using the software created by Landmark’s developers. With a SIM included for mobile connectivity, the app can be used at any time, in any location, and by using the integrated camera to capture photos of patients’ symptoms.

Landmark’s team of volunteers have committed to continue evolving the software to not only deliver greater functionality to clinicians already using the software via smartphones in Africa, but also to extend its potential usage to UK doctors who are considering telemedicine services at local, county-level.

Now, in recognition that the Covid-19 virus may overwhelm rural health centres – and that health workers could themselves become infected and put out of action – in support of the Zambian Ministry of Health, the Virtual Doctors’ Response Plan focuses on infection prevention and response through Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), as well as simple diagnostic and education initiatives. As such, the charity is raising urgent funds to cover the cost of procurement and transport required to provide additional and vital equipment the 140 facilities for three months, until continuity is secured by the Ministry of Health.

Huw Jones, executive director and founder of The Virtual Doctors,

“We are very grateful to our friends at Landmark who have supported our charity for many years. It’s great to know that they continue to pledge their time, expertise and technical know-how to keep advancing our app. The team are continuing to improve functionality so the app can be scaled-up without physical input, which immediately very important, but also has a greater, long-term impact, at a lower cost. We are very grateful for Landmark’s ongoing support.”

Added Ian Clarke, Chief Technology Officer, Landmark Information Group,

“Our team in Exeter continues to support Virtual Doctors with its mobile and web app development. It’s such a valuable service and we are proud to provide the technology that is really helping to make a difference to some of the poorest communities in Africa. I would like to personally thank the team of willing volunteers who dedicate their own time to maintaining and enhancing the app.”

For more information regarding the Virtual Doctors or to donate to its new WASH Campaign, visit https://www.virtualdoctors.org/new-vdrs-c19-response. For more details regarding Landmark Information Group, visit www.landmark.co.uk.