Pioneering digital transformation for NHS Scotland with a patient portal to improve patient experience and sustainability
NHS Dumfries and Galloway (D&G) is pioneering digital transformation for NHS Scotland with joined up services that improve both patient experience and sustainability, using their patient portal. The board’s Sustainability and Modernisation programme, (SAM) was created to modernise health and social care at the hospital and to improve operations whilst ensuring sustainability and financial viability in the long term.
Most NHS organisations face significant financial challenges. The SAM programme must make the best use of technology and avoid all waste. D&G were looking at digitisation, saving money and resources and reducing their carbon footprint. COP26 was approaching and they must reduce the amount of paper sent to patients to virtually zero in the next 10 years.
An area that could make a big impact was patient communications. Integrating our cloud-based Patient Hub directly to the PAS meant they could use Patient Hub to send appointment bookings and cancellations by SMS.
“We plan to continue to promote Patient Hub to increase engagement and maximise the benefits Patient Hub offers. We plan to rollout the use of this system to other areas of the health board, further embedding this within our services.”
Graham Gault
IT Director, NHS Dumfries and Galloway
67%
patients respond digitally in 3 months
Saving 50%
on paper and postage
Carbon Goals
for the next 10+ years
“At the start, there was a lot of testing to do, and regular meetings with the team. Managing the change sensitively helped to build our PAS team’s confidence in the digital platform. My advice is to check your processes carefully and take baby steps. You have to support fears of change and communicate with everyone regularly.”
Graham Gault
IT Director, NHS Dumfries and Galloway
D&G are rolling out the new digital system to more departments, deploying Patient Hub to manage all centrally managed hospital specialties appointments and reminders. Patient Hub is an integral part of D&G’s move to digital communications.
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