Key Takeaways

• Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust has secured funding to enhance patient management through the NHS App.
• The initiative, part of the Wayfinder programme, aims to improve appointment visibility and reduce missed appointments.
• Collaboration with other trusts will foster shared learning and support the NHS 10-year digital strategy.

New Initiative to Improve Patient Experience

Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust has been selected to spearhead a funding initiative to enhance patient interaction with healthcare services through the NHS App. This project, initiated by NHS England, aims to serve not only Humber but also 11 additional trusts using TPP’s SystmOne electronic patient record (EPR). The objective is to elevate the management and visibility of patient appointments.

Lee Rickles, the trust’s chief information officer, expressed enthusiasm for the opportunity, stating that this initiative aligns with the NHS’s commitment to a digital-first approach, which is central to its 10-year plan. This new functionality is expected to significantly enhance patient experience while providing clinical staff with timely and relevant information for better decision-making and patient care.

Currently under development, the project is part of the Wayfinder programme. This NHS England initiative empowers patients to access information related to their secondary care and elective services through either the NHS App or the nhs.co.uk website. Presently, Humber utilizes Accurx for patient communications, but transitioning to Wayfinder will allow critical information to be displayed directly within the NHS App.

Once implemented, the EPR will enable patients to view their past and upcoming appointments, receive notifications and updates, and manage their appointments by canceling, amending, or booking them through the app. This digital strategy aims to enhance the accessibility and efficiency of healthcare services.

Wayfinder is designed to improve visibility of appointments and facilitate convenient digital communication, thereby helping to minimize missed appointments and enhancing the overall patient experience. This aligns with NHS England’s vision for more efficient clinical and administrative workflows and supports the NHS’s long-term digital-first initiative.

In addition to appointment management, Wayfinder will allow patients to complete questionnaires that will instantly update their medical records, leading to quicker cancellations and rescheduling of appointments. Such functionalities will ensure that NHS trusts remain informed, ultimately reducing missed appointments and late arrivals.

Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust is committed to keeping other SystmOne organizations informed about progress on the project. This will involve sharing documents, processes, and lessons learned through regular planned meetings to assist in their future onboarding.

In a related development, Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust successfully implemented SystmOne in March 2026 to enhance management of healthcare information. This transition is aimed at ensuring clinicians receive accurate, real-time information while also improving communication among teams and reducing redundancy and paperwork in local NHS services.

This series of initiatives collectively demonstrate a significant step towards digitizing patient management processes, promoting the NHS’s ongoing commitment to innovative healthcare solutions.

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