Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust Enhances Digital Patient Communications with Healthcare Communications Solutions
Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust has made significant strides in improving patient engagement through its revamped digital patient communications programme. Since September 2023, the trust has redesigned its patient portal, introduced waiting list validation, and transitioned to digital letters for outpatient services, reducing the reliance on paper-based processes.
The implementation of these digital solutions has not only standardized clinic information but also streamlined workflows for staff by eliminating manual tasks like printing and postage. Over 16,000 patients are now registered on the patient portal, with nearly 9,800 appointments added to digital calendars each month for efficient reminder notifications.
With an average of 40,000 digital letters processed monthly, the trust has saved around 56,000 sheets of paper and £10,200 in postage costs. Additionally, approximately 1,400 digital appointment amendment requests are received each month, enhancing patient experience by reducing wait times on hospital call queues.
The trust has received over 53,000 waiting list validation survey responses, with 11,000 reported within the first 12 hours of the latest cohort launch. Dr. Chris Watts, consultant anaesthetist and programme clinical safety lead at Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust, expressed pride in the progress made on the digital patient engagement journey.
Patients have provided positive feedback on the portal’s convenience and accessibility features, such as the ability to translate content into 100 languages and access letter content in 42 languages through audio readouts. The platform’s user-friendly interface has eliminated the need for family assistance in letter comprehension and offers the flexibility to access information anytime, anywhere.
Kenny Bloxham, managing director at Healthcare Communications, commended Portsmouth’s success in digital communications implementation, highlighting their high engagement rates among NHS partners. Looking ahead, the trust aims to implement patient-initiated follow-up (PIFU) and enhance SMS appointment reminders to further enhance patient engagement.
Healthcare Communications and Deep Medical recently announced their collaboration to integrate an AI solution into communication platforms at Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, with the goal of reducing missed appointments and enhancing waiting times.
