Abertawe Bro Morgannwg NHS Trust

The Challenge

In common with all hospitals, a significant number of patients fail to turn up for their outpatient appointment without informing the hospital. This can be because they had simply forgotten or had decided that they no longer required treatment.

Unfilled appointments mean that other patients wait longer for their treatment because valuable time slots have been wasted. At a time when the NHS is under increasing pressure to make better use of its resources and reduce expenditure, these wasted appointments cost the hospitals time and money.

The Trust is always looking for ways to improve services for its patients. We hope that this reminder system will make it easier for patients to keep their appointments and also allow the Trust to treat more patients.” - Paul Williams, Chief Executive of Bro Morgannwg NHS Trust.

The Solution

Logic Software’s solution was their automated messaging reminder service called MessageFly. The system works by sending an automated message via text, email or interactive voice message to patients reminding them three days ahead of their appointment, providing them with plenty of time to reschedule. The Trust generates a daily file containing the relevant data and securely transmit this to the MessageFly server, which queues the messages and sends them within defined time windows.

The Benefits

By sending out reminders, the Trust witnessed a 30% reduction in the number of appointments missed during the trial phase. Also, where patients have decided that they no longer require treatment, the automatic message encourages them to let the hospital know so that their appointment slot can be given to another patient. Since trialling the MessageFly software, the Trust has continued to send out reminder messages to its outpatients and extended its use across all hospitals within the Trust.

Darryl Morton, Managing Director of Logic Software, is clear about the benefits. “We are pleased to be working with the NHS to solve a problem that affects everyone in the local community. The messaging software that we are providing will help these hospitals to become more efficient and provide a higher standard of care to their patients.”