Colleagues welocme Portal demonstration

May 24, 2019

On Wednesday, the Unity team demonstrated the Patient Portal to a group of senior sisters and matrons at Sandwell General Hospital.

The Patient Portal will allow patients to view selected parts of their electronic record via a secure website. Patients will be able to see their results, future appointments and key documents such as patient information leaflets.

The demonstration looked at all aspects of the patient journey using the system. The current and future functionality of Patient Portal was shown, along with the benefits to both patients and clinical colleagues. Some of the major advantages for patients will be the availability of results in real time and a reduction in outpatient appointments.

Colleagues who attended were enthusiastic about the benefits of Patient Portal, which the Trust is planning to introduce once Unity has been fully embedded. Senior sister Kayleigh Jepson said, “The Patient Portal will be beneficial for the pre-assessment workflow. Patients will be able to do health questionnaires prior to their appointment. A nurse can then assess the information, and check to see if the patient would be suitable for a telephone pre-assessment.

“We are hoping to re-introduce telephone pre-assessments and this will be very beneficial. It will then free up appointments for patients who need a more complex assessment.”

Sharon Reynolds, Informatics Matron, said, “This is an exciting project with great benefits for both patients and staff. There is a lot of work to be done over the coming weeks and months as we prepare the system for a go-live date.”

For more information on the Patient Portal, please email swbh.unity.queries@nhs.net.