The portal provides patients with digital access to outpatient appointments and letters, the ability to reschedule appointments and complete pre-treatment questionnaires. The trust notes a longer-term vision for the portal to be accessed via the NHS App.
As part the patient-first strategy, the trust aims to “use digital services to transform services and the way we work, improving population health, patient outcomes and experiences” as well as to providing patients with the “option to use digital solutions to access advice, information and virtual consultations where appropriate”.
The strategy also highlights an aim to provide “choice in managing outpatient appointment bookings, investigations and operations through digital solutions” and to “use population health management approaches to keep people well at home and by identifying those at risk of acute illness and those who would benefit from early intervention”.
Going forward, when patients have an outpatient appointment scheduled they will receive a text message inviting them to register for the hospital’s new patient portal.
Jo Farrar, Chief Executive, commented: “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.”
To support wider communication of the patient portal, the trust published an overview video:
