4 June 2024

Patients of St Mary's Hospital, can soon receive their outpatient appointment letters digitally, thanks to the launch of a new patient engagement portal in June.

Our trust will join 82 others across the country offering a patient engagement portal to patients, giving them a single convenient place to access their appointment letters and make changes to their upcoming care. The digital letters can be translated into over 100 languages, while providing other patient accessibility features such as increased font size and background colour changes.

The new digital communication method is optional. For patients who prefer not to receive digital communications, or do not view their digital letter within 48 hours, their appointment letter will be posted to them automatically.

Rachel Dominey, Associate Director of Digital Transformation, at our trust said: “We are delighted to be working with Healthcare Communications to digitise the way we interact with patients and standardise appointment procedures for departments. This is a positive change in how we communicate with our patients.  Our Patient Engagement Portal is part of a national programme and uses the NHS App, which many patients already use, to give them access to their outpatient hospital appointments and letters digitally, if they wish.”

Kenny Bloxham, Healthcare Director at Healthcare Communications, said: “We're excited to partner with such a dedicated team committed to enhancing care through inclusive patient engagement. The Island community wholeheartedly embraced digital channels during the trust's recent waiting list validation, dispelling outdated notions that certain demographics are resistant to communicating digitally.

“The introduction of our patient portal will help the trust achieve their sustainability goals and improve access to care, with the assurance that no patient will be left behind, as those not digitally enabled will continue to receive postal letters.”

The portal will enhance the trust's efficiency by reducing the need for printed letters. This shift not only supports the trust's sustainability objectives but also minimises its environmental impact.

Visit our Patient Engagement Portal webpage to find out more.