Secure online digital portal which is available 24/7 reduces administration, delays and costs
The challenge
Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (HHFT) provides acute hospital services to a population of around 600,000 patients across Hampshire and west Berkshire. Like many NHS Trusts, appointment Did Not Attend (DNA) rates were high – resulting in patients waiting a long time for appointment slots.
HHFT posted appointment letters to patients and had over 8,000 different letter templates to manage. Sending letters in this way was inconsistent and a costly admin burden. There was no guarantee letters would arrive on time, if at all, causing patients to call the hospital and rearrange their appointment. A whole heap of appointment slots were being wasted.
Digital for patient experience and efficiency
The Trust undertook a patient survey which identified that 75% of patients would prefer appointment notifications by email or SMS. This confirmed that Hampshire needed to make it more convenient for patients to digitally manage their own appointments so they implemented Patient Hub.
“We are already seeing the positive impact of this work for our patients, and the time staff previously spent on sending out appointment letters is being used to better support patients and make the most of every available appointment.”
Alex Whitfield
Chief Executive, Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
The solution
They have gone from managing 8,000 letter types to just three templates. That’s more than a 99.9% saving.
Conditional formatting meets all clinical departments’ needs allowing rapid updates. Short snippets allow for rapid extra wording inclusions. With many appointments now conducted by phone or video, templates are tailored for the appointment type; phone, video or in-person.
The whole process is auditable for quality and clinical uniformity which makes it easy to ensure information is up-to-date.
Patient Hub is a secure online digital portal, available 24/7. Instead of sending multiple letters to patients, HHFT now sends digital letters straight to the patient’s device.
Patients just need their phone or computer and their date of birth to confirm, rebook or cancel appointments at the touch of a button.
Feedback from patients is positive. In just three months, an average of 65% of patients started to use the online portal. A patient case study showed the whole process from sending the appointment to rescheduling the appointment takes less than 10 minutes.
Patients are amazed at the ease and speed – feedback includes delight at getting the e-outcome report and the next appointment offered and accepted before leaving the hospital. The system is updated immediately, so new appointment slots are able to be confirmed and otherwise empty slots are used.
“We are hugely excited by this leap forward and strongly believe that this will help our patients to be better supported in their care.”
Dr Tamara Everington
Haematology Consultant and Associate Medical Director, Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
The result
Secure online digital portal, available 24/7
Easy for patients to manage their appointments digitally – they just need their phone or computer and their date of birth to confirm, rebook or cancel appointments at the touch of a button
8,000 letter types reduced to just three templates – that’s more than a 99.9% saving
Positive patient feedback – in just three months, an average of 65% of patients started to use the online portal
The whole process from sending the appointment to rescheduling the appointment takes less than 10 minutes
Vastly reduced carbon footprint
Savings in postage and paper costs
Enables all appointment slots to be utilised
Hear it for yourself
Utilisation of resources to support patients
This is just one of the ways that Hampshire Hospitals are working towards their vision of providing outstanding care for every patient. They can already see the positive impact of implementing Patient Hub for patients, and the time staff previously spent on sending out appointment letters is being used to better support patients as well.
Impact
99.9%
less letter templates
65%
uptake in first 3 months
Easier
for patients to manage
Proven technology deployed at pace and scale
Here’s how you can deliver positive benefits to patients, staff and your Trust with Patient Hub
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