Humber Teaching NHS FT deploys patient communication platform

Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust has signed a three-year contract with Accurx for a patient communication platform to replace paper-based processes with digital ways of operating. 

The system went live on 1 June 2024 at the trust, which provides integrated healthcare services across Hull, the East Riding of Yorkshire, Whitby, Scarborough, and Ryedale.

As a starting point, the partnership will ensure that all services have basic digital communications in place by sending patients letters via SMS or email instead of through the post and converting paper patient questionnaires into digital questionnaires.

Julie Crockett, deputy chief information officer at Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Accurx will enable our trust to optimise efficiency and develop the technology capabilities of how we communicate across all services and divisions.”

As well as saving time and improving the patient experience, using digital communication is aimed to create a more robust audit trail which is captured in the patient records.

The trust will also implement automated SMS appointment reminders through Accurx to help reduce did not attends (DNAs).

To ensure waiting lists are up-to-date and accurate, the trust will conduct waiting validation through Accurx, which involves sending batch SMS messages to patients asking if they still need their scheduled appointment.

If a patient does not respond, they remain on the waiting list and will be clinically validated or contacted by phone.

Dr Satya Raghuvanshi, vice president of clinical at Accurx, said: “Given how important it is for community and mental health trusts to be able to communicate seamlessly with their patients and primary care, we are excited about the work we’re doing with the trust to create additional capacity and deliver a more consistent experience for patients across the NHS.”

Once the basic digital patient communication methods are in place and the waiting list is being validated on an ongoing basis, Accurx will support the trust with service redesign, to help create capacity by avoiding unnecessary appointments.

Accurx will work with services to understand their biggest challenges and priorities, and will provide support to implement digital solutions to help address these.

This could include using questionnaires to deliver asynchronous follow-ups, with a questionnaire sent via SMS to collect information about a patient’s symptoms to identify patients who require more detailed assessment and patient-initiated contact forms.

The George Elliot Hospital in Nuneaton announced in November 2023 that it had selected Accurx for a trust-wide partnership that uses a patient communication platform to tackle waiting lists and help to transform its cancer pathway.

Meanwhile, Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust announced in August 2024 that it has expanded digital patient communications through a redesign of its patient engagement portal and solutions from Healthcare Communications.

Also in August 2024, Healthcare Communications and Deep Medical announced that they have integrated an AI solution into a communications platform at Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, with the aim of reducing missed appointments and improving waiting times.