NHS leaders say they’re listening to patients after frustrations with the rollout of a new communication system.
The new Patient Services Hub manages all communication about hospital appointments in one place, replacing a “prehistoric” system which relied on letters, writes Local Democracy Reporter, Jamie Waller.
The United Lincolnshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust says it has experienced teething problems since the launch in May, but claim it’s already reducing complaints.
The problem was raised in the trust’s board meeting on Tuesday, July 7, where a question from the public described the rollout as a “complete mess”.
They claimed patients were “having to wait a ridiculous amount of time for a callback or to speak to someone”, which they had been told was due to staff shortages.
Group chief executive Professor Karen Dunderdale said: “The previous system was old-fashioned and prehistoric, and wasn’t fit for today’s digital technology.
“We’ve worked hard on it and will be at full staffing in the next few weeks.
“We used to have people waiting well over an hour to speak to someone – it’s down to an average of seven or eight minutes now.
“That still feels too long, but we are clearly seeing green shoots of progress.”
She added that around 60 percent of people used to abandon their calls and try again later, which is now down to 30 per cent.
Chief nurse Nerea Odongo said: “We’ve known over the last few years that patients have struggled to get through, and appointments go out late or after they’ve been cancelled.
“There have been some teething problems which we’re working through, but it’s got more responsive with more patients getting communications on time.
“We’re starting to see a reduction in complaints, and more calls being responded to on time.”
The phone lines are open between Monday and Friday, 8.30am to 4.30pm.
A voice-automated system allowed patients to reschedule or cancel an appointment, with staff available to speak to for more complex calls.
