Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (BCHC) is planning to deploy the Portasana patient communications platform from Wellola.
It will digitise up to two million patient communications each year with the aims of freeing up workforce capacity and reducing the number of missed appointments.
BCHC patients and service will be able to log in to the Portasana platform through BCHC’s website or an app, allowing them to view their appointments, medical records and healthcare letters, as well as educational resources provided by their clinician.
Following the second phase of the roll out this year, patients will also be able to cancel and reschedule appointments, fill in online assessments and access virtual care pathways.
In circumstances where a patient or service user is unable to access the platform, approved family members will be able to sign in and review information on their behalf.
Crucial time
Dr Jon Higham, chief clinical information officer at BCHC FT, said: “We’re rolling out the Portasana patient portal at a crucial time for the trust. Demand for services has never been higher, and like other NHS organisations, tackling the elective backlog to free up capacity for more patients is one of our top priorities. Digitising administrative tasks and clinical pathways is going to play a major role in supporting us to do this.
“We know expanding digital capabilities across BCHC will provide much needed flexibility for patients around their care, while freeing up time for clinicians to give back to patients who need it most.”
As of September 2022, the trust had 22,000 patients waiting for care on its elective waiting list, including 398 one-year waiters.
