Health Call, which has been at this year’s Rewired event this year, is a unique NHS-owned digital health company. It was set up to share digital health expertise and resources to drive down the costs of health and care provision – while also improving outcomes for the population. At the event Health Call announced that Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has launched its patient engagement platform (PEP), integrating its first clinic with the NHS App.

Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has launched its patient engagement platform (PEP) today, integrating its first clinic with the NHS App.

The solution, provided by NHS-owned digital health company Health Call, connects patients with outpatient services through their NHS App, enabling them to manage their outpatient care from their mobile device.

Patients will have the ability to amend, accept and cancel appointments, view letters and correspondence, and even access resources such as hospital maps and parking information from their NHS App. Patients will also receive appointment reminders and alerts about any potential delays on the day.

The integration went live this week in the MSK (Musculoskeletal) Clinic, where it will be available to around 1600 patients, before being rolled out across the wider Trust. This capability will transform the way patients access services and is expected to improve the patient experience while reducing delays in care and missed appointments for the trust.

Graham King, Chief Information Officer at Newcastle Hospitals, said:

“It is fantastic to see patients at Newcastle Hospitals now being able to access their appointment information digitally. We have worked very closely with Health Call to reach this stage and launch the PEP and are excited to see how both patients and Trust staff benefit from it.

“This will greatly improve the digital patient journey for those being cared for by the Trust, and we will be rapidly expanding its use across our patient services.”

MyHealthCall PEP was developed by NHS professionals and was designed to fit seamlessly with their operation.

NHS Health Call was one of the few digital health providers selected as an NHS-approved supplier to integrate into the NHS App.

This is part of national programme to improve NHS App functionality by linking PEPs with the NHS App and levelling up access and functionality of PEPs nationally.

The programme builds on the success of the NHS App (over 32 million people have signed-up to date) by giving patients more control over their hospital appointments and how and when they access information and support.

This is part of a strategy to use digital channels to provide information directly to patients to support the NHS elective care recovery programme plan to tackle the waiting list backlog and support patients waiting for hospital care.

Ian Dove Managing Director at NHS Health Call commented:

“We are thrilled that Newcastle Hospitals has selected Health Call as their chosen provider for their patient engagement platform. MyHealthCall PEP was an NHS brainchild developed by the NHS with clinicians and patients in mind. It has been developed to maximise value for trusts, while creating an enhanced experience for its patients. We believe that this integration will revolutionise how outpatient care is delivered for our NHS, and integration into the NHS App is only the very beginning. We plan to release further features which will help clinicians streamline care and reduce administrative burden while providing exceptional service for patients.

To find out more about Health Call and its innovative digital solutions, visit: https://nhshealthcall.co.uk/