Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust’s new patient portal is set to launch today, 30 October, providing patients the ability to manage their own hospital appointments from a range of devices at any time.
Maidstone is the third hospital trust in Kent and Medway to launch the Patients Know Best portal, with the trust noting that it will help to ensure “a smoother experience for patients” by providing them with a single location from which to access appointment letters and request changes to upcoming care.
As the portal is developed, patients will also be able to view test results, access questionnaires, and use symptom trackers, as well as actively monitoring their own glucose levels, their weight, and heart readings.
Patients can register through the NHS App, or on the trust’s website.
The trust’s chief operating officer Sean Briggs comments that “ensuring everyone who comes through our doors receives the best possible experience is our key priority. The portal will play an important role in this and help patients manage areas of their care in an easy and convenient way.”
Sally Rennison, chief commercial officer at Patients Know Best, says: “One of the aims behind ICS/ICB formation is to unify and improve working across healthcare organisations. The addition of Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells means patients across Kent will have a single portal across three trusts, ensuring that their record and data follows them wherever they are seen. This improves the patient experience and helps health care teams co-ordinate efficient care delivery. The trust has big, long-term ambitions and we are excited to partner with them to ensure they realise the benefits in every phase.”
Last year, we covered the collaboration between Patients Know Best, ORCHA and Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust to support patients to digitally self-manage long term conditions and when waiting for elective procedures.
This month’s poll asked our audience what they thought could improve the success of patient portals and patient-facing tech. We provided four options for respondents to choose from: increase awareness and engagement; develop staff skills and knowledge; redesign processes or care models; and offer richer functionality and design.
