Countess of Chester Hospital introduces DrDoctor patient portal

Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has partnered with patient engagement platform (PEP) supplier DrDoctor with the aim of helping operational and clinical teams to manage and scale hybrid patient pathways.

The platform, which went live on 25 September 2024 on the NHS App for Countess of Chester patients, gives them a suitable place to view their appointment letters, receive notifications and reminders and access helpful health information specific to them.

DrDoctor’s PEP is accessible on a mobile phone, PC or tablet or via the NHS App, delivering personalised, convenient and effective hospital experience for patients.

Dr Theresa Barnes, consultant rheumatologist and clinical lead for the PEP system at the trust, said: “As a trust we are always looking for ways to improve the experience of our patients and this important step toward digital transformation will make it more convenient for them to access their hospital appointments and health information in a single place.

“We are thrilled to be able to offer this service to improve the patient pathway and give patients more control over their care.”

The ability to direct message care teams, change and cancel appointments and make use of a digital patient initiated follow up service are some of the capabilities planned in the phased roll out at the trust.

The second phase will also allow patients to book appointments at times which suit them using a partial booking system, which DrDoctor claims has been proven to reduce ‘Did Not Attend’ (DNA) rates by up to 30% when patients are able to confirm slots closer to the appointment time.

Through DrDoctor’s partnership with Nautilus, in the latter phases of the roll out, patients at Countess of Chester will have access to two-way scheduling via the Oracle Health electronic patient record (EPR).

Nick Barlow, executive director transformation at DrDoctor, said: “Our technology is designed to fundamentally improve the way patients access and engage with their care, whilst supporting trusts to increase efficiency and productivity throughout the patient journey.

“With ambitious plans to continue enhancing this partnership through a phased roll out of advanced functionality, from direct messaging to automated appointment rescheduling, we’re passionate about delivering a seamless experience for patients and service users along their care journey – all while strengthening our support for our NHS to deliver hybrid healthcare.”

In August 2024, DrDoctor made its first foray into the mental health and community support space after acquiring personal health record platform Maia.

Maia will be integrated into DrDoctor’s PEP, which is now used across more than 70 NHS trusts and health boards in England including Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust.