Improving patient experience and appointment utilisation rates
Chesterfield Royal Hospital, along with the rest of the NHS, has faced challenges with managing DNA rates for outpatient appointments. Letters can get lost in the post, are forgotten about or arrive after the appointment. Sometimes the patient’s circumstances change and they forget to cancel. Patients didn’t understand the wait for postal information and it often caused confusion.
And all of these missed appointments have costly impacts on the Trust. Relying on postal services was no longer enough for patients or the Hospital.
The Trust deployed Patient Hub, an online portal which a patient can use to check and manage their appointment.
“Patient Hub is about giving our patients an improved experience and control over their appointments. As it’s integrated with our booking and telephony systems, it’s more convenient and faster for patients and staff to manage a rebooking or cancellation. Reallocating freed appointments to other patients shortens their waiting time, maximises utilisation and reduces DNAs.”
Ian Hazel
Director of ICT and Informatics, Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
“This investment has paid off for today and future efficiencies, reducing errors and improving the patient experience. Teams should not underestimate the need to update each department’s appointment process work. A smooth transition to digital comes from having 100% understanding of their processes.”
Claire Carson
Associate Director of Performance and Information, Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Phase two of the project saw Chesterfield on board all new appointments across specialities, followed by all follow-up and mixed appointments. The Trust continues to drive patient experience and improve utilisation rates for appointments.
50% +
cost saving in postage
66%
uptake in initial 4 months
Easy & Instant
for patients to access
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