Can I add a desktop shortcut for askmyGP?

Modified on Thu, 24 Aug 2023 at 03:16 PM

Note: askmyGP no longer supports IE11 and you will therefore need to force it to open in another browser if you are unable to change your default browser. If you wish to add a desktop shortcut to make the system more easily accessible via one of the supported browsers, please see the guide below:

Forcing shortcuts to open in Chrome, Firefox or Edge

  1. Make sure the preferred browser is installed on the computer
  2. Right-click a blank area of the desktop and select “New” > “Shortcut“.
  3. For the location, type the path to the browser (in "quotes") you wish to use followed by the URL you wish to open. For example:

    For Chrome (assuming a typical installation):
    "C:\Program Files (x86)\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe" https://nhs.askmygp.uk/#/home

    For Firefox:
    "C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe" https://nhs.askmygp.uk/#/home

    For Edge it’s a little different, because it’s built in to Windows:
    %windir%\explorer.exe microsoft-edge:https://nhs.askmygp.uk/#/home

  4. Select “Next“.
  5. Provide the name for the shortcut (e.g. askmyGP).
  6. Select “Finish

Now you (should) have a shortcut that will open the website in a specific web browser, no matter what the default browser is set to in Windows.

Problems sometimes arise when copying the text strings above (some versions of word use smart quotes (curly commas) that are misinterpreted by Windows.

The other common issue is if Chrome/Firefox has been installed at a different location to the one expected above. In this case you’ll need to replace the path (in the quotes) with the correct location.

Chrome Shorcut - Alternate Method

  1. Open Google Chrome
    Open the askmyGP system in Chrome by copy and pasting the following url into the Chrome address field: https://nhs.askmygp.uk
    3. Make sure your Google view isn’t maximised i.e. you can see the desktop behind it
    4. Click and hold the padlock to the left of the askmyGP site address in the address field
    5. Drag and drop the padlock to the desktop