Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals roll out new patient engagement portal

The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH) is rolling out a patient engagement portal (PEP) from the provider DrDoctor.

The PEP will enable patients to access more information on their mobile devices, with the ultimate aim of improving patient experience and saving costs of printing.

The implementation of the PEP began in April, with a pilot launch in the Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) department. The system will be rolled out across more specialties throughout 2025.

DrDoctor sends text alerts to patients when they have a new appointment, so they can view their appointment letter online immediately. Patients can also see their appointment through the NHS App.

Patients will also receive appointment reminders through the portal via text message and will be able to opt out of digital communications should they wish.

The system has several other features that will help the Trust ensure they are fully utilising clinics, which will ultimately reduce wait times. These features include allowing patients to inform the Trust if they would like to reschedule appointments and a broadcast messaging feature, which will allow the Trust to reach out to patients on a waiting list if a clinic slot becomes available.

Sevina Tzortzis, ENT Consultant, said: “DrDoctor is great news for our patients. This digital engagement platform will allow patients to receive digital letters and have more control over their appointments.

“It will help us to improve communication with our patients and means they can avoid making unnecessary calls to secretaries and the booking and scheduling department.

“The portal will also enable departments to have more visibility of the clinics’ capacities in real time. This will result in increased utilisation of the clinics and help to reduce the number of patients waiting for appointments.”

Rebecca Gallimore, Director of Digital Transformation, said: “Our digital transformation programme is really exciting, providing modern systems that will transform how clinicians work so we can deliver the best care possible for our patients. The rollout of DrDoctor is the next step on this journey and will give patients more control of their care, providing a better hospital experience.”