Kingston Hospital now more digitally mature with launch of patient portal

Kingston Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has launched a new portal which puts patients in control of their healthcare.

The portal is a secure online system that allows patients to view their hospital appointments, appointment letters, clinic letters, discharge summaries, healthcare record, recorded allergies, pre-treatment questionnaires and messages from their healthcare team.

It is available for all patients over the age of 16 and can be accessed 24/7 from a computer, tablet or smartphone. Future plans include giving patients the opportunity to reschedule appointments, view test results, look at records of past procedures and have the option to login via the NHS App.

Kingston’s portal was delivered through a partnership between Oracle Cerner and Induction Zesty. It leverages the patient registration/appointment management functionality of Induction Zesty and integrates with the Cerner Millennium EPR to give the patient visibility of their appointments, clinic letters, results and questionnaires.

Jo Farrar, chief executive at Kingston Hospital, said: “As part of our Patient First Strategy we are continually looking at digital advances that create new opportunities to further improve care to local people.

“Kingston Hospital’s Patient Portal provides our patients with completely secure 24/7 access to view their upcoming appointments at the hospital, with exciting new functionality, including access via the NHS App to be added in the coming months. Technology is a valuable tool in healthcare, and we are proud to be able to offer this digital system to our patients.”

Kingston’s Patient Portal aims to save patient’s time with quick and secure digital access to their outpatient appointments at the trust, listed chronologically in one place.

Local GP Dr Annette Pautz said: “Kingston Hospital’s Patient Portal will be a fantastic asset for our patients in the area, giving them the power to log in and check on details of upcoming treatments and appointment details, whenever they choose.

“The added benefit of an online platform is that it is both secure, eliminating the risk of lost paperwork, and fast, meaning you can receive details of your appointment when it is scheduled, without having to wait for a letter to arrive in the post.”

Patient portals are a popular choice for NHS trusts in 2022, with Leeds Teaching Hospitals and Birmingham Community Healthcare selecting Wellola a few months ago to deliver new patient portal platforms.