In early 2025, University Hospitals Sussex (UHSussex) became the first trust in the region to switch off paper appointment letters for all patients registered with their Personal Health Record – Patients Know Best (PKB). This was driven by the need to reduce duplication, cut costs, and modernise patient communication.

Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (NHC) was required by NHS England as an element of a Section 48 to implement a digital solution for Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs). PROMS are a national requirement and the gap highlighted in a CQC inspection. Historically, the Trust’s compliance with the purely paper-based Dialog+ PROMs was extremely low, averaging only around 1% – 2%.

For two decades, kidney patients have been pioneers in self-care. They and their doctors deployed home dialysis. They raced ahead of other specialities in digital health, releasing test results real-time to patients through the bespoke app PatientView. As the digital landscape evolved and data security mandates tightened, the UK Kidney Association (UKKA) needed a modern system. Rebuilding the platform was cost-prohibitive.

Patients with blood cancers such as Myeloproliferative Neoplasms (MPN) and Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia (CLL) often face long-term symptoms like fatigue, night sweats, and emotional distress. These symptoms, while impactful, are not always captured during routine clinical visits. CMyLife, an e-health program governed by the Dutch Association for Haematology, aimed to address this by designing and implementing a Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (PROM) App through co-creation between patients, healthcare professionals, and academic researchers.

Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust’s specialist nursing team supports around 1600 children in care (birth-18 years) and care leavers (18-25 years – optional service). These young people, often with complex health needs stemming from trauma, require statutory health assessments. A Government statutory requirement for those aged 16+ is to have a health passport, designed to equip them with essential health information and improve health literacy as they prepare for adulthood

Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells (MTW) NHS Trust went live with Patients Know Best (PKB) in October 2023, part of the organisation’s commitment to its “Patient First” core value, registering over 100,000 patients in the first six months alone.

Enhancing patient experience and access was central to the deployment of this new digital technology. A primary focus of the MTW Project Team was to give patients more control over their appointments. Additionally, the Trust aimed to decrease the volume of appointment-related telephone calls, and reduce the call waiting times for those patients still wishing to cancel or reschedule via the phone.

Implementing a digital solution to manage repeat prescription requests results in 75% time saving

The IBD team was using a plethora of channels to engage and share information with their patients, including SMS, email and telephone with no formal process in place

With a growing cohort of patients, this became a disjointed and inefficient way to securely communicate personal health information to patients. Admin staff and clinicians dedicated significant time to handling approximately 700 incoming calls and voicemails each month.