A selection of patients at Newcastle Hospitals can now manage their appointments through the NHS App, following the introduction of a new digital platform launched this week.
The innovative solution, provided by NHS-owned digital health company Health Call, connects patients with outpatient services through their NHS App, enabling them to manage their outpatient care from their mobile device.
Patients will have the ability to amend, accept and cancel appointments, view letters and correspondence, and even access resources such as hospital maps and parking information from their NHS App. Patients will also receive appointment reminders and alerts about any potential delays on the day.
The new technology has gone live within the MSK (Musculoskeletal) Clinic, where it will be available to around 1600 patients, before it will be made available to all patients across the Trust.
The technology will transform the way patients access services and is expected to improve the patient experience by giving people more control of their care.
In addition to providing a convenient way for patients to manage their appointments, this technology also helps reduce waiting times by ensuring that patients have easy access to all relevant information needed for their appointments to run smoothly.
It is also expected to help reduce delays and missed appointments for the hospital by providing more flexibility in terms of scheduling appointments and providing reminders and in-app notifications about upcoming appointments.
Graham King, Chief Information Officer at Newcastle Hospitals, said:
“It is fantastic to see patients at Newcastle Hospitals now being able to access their appointment information digitally. Accessing appointment information via the NHS App is a straightforward yet effective way of providing patients with the ability to take more control of their care and help reduce missed appointments.
“This will greatly improve the digital patient journey for those being cared for by the Trust, and we will be rapidly expanding its use across our patient services.”
The integration of this technology into the NHS App has been facilitated by a partnership between Newcastle Hospitals and digital health provider Health Call solutions.
Ian Dove, Managing Director at Health Call, said:
“We are thrilled to be partnering with Newcastle Hospitals on this ground-breaking technology which allows patients to manage their hospital appointments through the NHS App. This technology opens up a world of opportunities for improving outpatient care and offers convenience and peace of mind to patients.
“Integration into the NHS App is only the very beginning, and we look forward to releasing more features for patients and clinicians. We are confident that this innovation will pave the way for the future of health care and will have a positive impact on patient care throughout the Trust.”
The integration of this new technology into the NHS App marks an exciting step forward in digital healthcare innovation in the North East. With its convenience, reduced waiting times and improved patient experience, it is sure to make managing hospital appointments easier than ever before.
