Notifications now available from NHS App
Published on 21/12/2023
UHB patients who use the NHS App will now be able to receive push notifications to show they have a new message from their hospital, such as an appointment reminder.
In addition, new functionality within the app means users can request to cancel or reschedule an appointment. In this scenario, the app will link users to UHB’s patient portal, DrDoctor, creating a seamless ‘one stop shop’ to manage outpatient appointments.
This is possible because of the way the NHS App and DrDoctor can now interact with each other behind the scenes. UHB is one of only a few NHS trusts in the country who currently offer this new functionality.
To receive push notifications via the NHS App, users need to ensure they have notifications enabled.
Users need to indicate their preference within the app:
- Yes, send me notifications about new messages.
- Do not send me notifications about new messages.
On selecting Save settings the preference will be recorded.
In terms of appointment reminders, a push notification will arrive three and seven days before appointment dates. If patients don’t click on the NHS App notification four hours after it has arrived, or before 9pm on the day it arrives, they will automatically receive their usual DrDoctor reminder as a back-up.
If notifications via the NHS App are enabled, these will replace notifications from DrDoctor. If patients don’t want to use the NHS App, they can still receive notifications and messages direct from DrDoctor.
Theresa Price, Digital Transformation Implementation Lead at UHB, said, “An incredible amount of work has gone on behind the scenes to offer patients this brilliant new functionality. We would encourage all our patients to turn on the push notifications so that we can use the NHS App to communicate with each other quickly and easily. We hope that the appointment reminders in particular will bring real benefits.”
Patients who do not use the NHS App to manage their appointments will continue to get their letters as normal. Patients who use DrDoctor but don’t want to use the NHS App will continue to receive their usual notifications via this platform.
Want to start using the NHS App?
Please visit the NHS Website
