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Postal letters are the main NHS communication channel for patient appointment details. However, in a recent survey 48% of respondents who had missed a medical appointment stated postal letter related issues, such as mail arriving too late or not at all, for their non-attendance.
United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust (ULHT) is one of the biggest acute Trusts in England, covering four hospitals and caring for a large rural community. The Trust went to tender to find a solution to improve patient engagement by capitalising on digital efficiencies in patient communications.
Patients missing appointments due to lost or late mail.
Appointment letters are sent to patient smartphones.
Drop from 5.8% to 4.1% in DNA rate.
In June 2018, The Times newspaper reported that the NHS “wastes £100m a year sending postal letters”. Digital communications are significantly cheaper in every sense with workflow automation, staff time is redirected to more valuable tasks.
Smartphone coverage within the UK is 85% and message delivery is instant and trackable, providing the ideal channel to ensure patients receive important appointment details. Webex CPaaS Solutions was the Trust’s chosen supplier based on the proven results and socially inclusive communications their patient portal offers.
Real time journey updates
All essential reading and appointment-specific information is attached for the patient, and the Trust has visibility of whether this information is read. A real time home to hospital route is included to help with on-the-day travel plans. And if the digital letter is not accessed within 24 hours, a postal version is automatically sent to provide a fully inclusive service.
Tracking reveals what patients really want.
The Trust now uses open rates and portal data to tailor messages and boost engagement. 36% of patients aged 70–89 accessed the portal, and 70% of 18–29-year-olds chose digital letters—contributing to 59% of patients overall preferring digital over post.
I previously missed an appointment because the letter didn’t arrive until three weeks after the appointment date. I like the fact that I have all the information I need digitally and with sufficient notice of future appointments.
Patient, United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust