NHS organisations should ensure that existing and new digital platforms, including the NHS App, all provide for two-way communications and are responsive, according to healthcare research body The King’s Fund.
It has included the recommendation in a report on the broader issue of NHS admin, written in partnership with patient advocacy group Healthwatch England and the coalition of health and social care charities National Voices.
The report says that administration in the NHS is dysfunctional to the point of some patients being put off from seeking care. An Ipsos survey of almost 1,900 people revealed that 64% had experienced at least one admin problem over the past year – such as lost test results or the inability to change or cancel appointments – and 20% who had used the NHS in the past 12 months had received an appointment date that had already passed.
Recommendations for improving the situation include the provision of two-way communications in digital tools and platforms. This would respond to problems such as patients being sent texts to which they cannot respond, given phone numbers that go unanswered or only being able to send a message to a service in office hours.
New opportunities
“The move towards digital, including the NHS App, clearly offers new opportunities to improve how people experience admin – but like in other sectors such as finance and retail, users will inevitably be asked to take on more of the admin themselves,” the article says.
“Again, new approaches will need to be designed and tested with patients – and greater attention paid to ensuring that admin, including the use of AI, is inclusive. The overarching principle needs to be that communication is personalised and capable of meeting people’s different needs.”
It adds that there has been a problem in a lack of accountability in the NHS for how patients experience digital systems and other elements of administration, and that this has not been seen as an urgent issue.
Such problems have also driven perceptions of waste in the NHS and feelings of stress among patients.
The report says other priorities for improving admin include measuring patients’ experience, developing clear goals and targets for local systems, sharing learnings on how to work better with the public in designing administration, reducing the burden on patients and investing in staff development.
Waiting list challenge
Julia Cream, policy fellow at The King’s Fund and co-author of the report, commented: ‘The Government is trying to bring down waiting lists and improve access but these efforts will fail if the NHS cannot communicate effectively with people about when their appointment is or who they need to contact.
‘Poor admin drives up perceptions of an NHS that wastes money and staff time and puts people off seeking care. Admin matters and it’s time that admin, and the staff that deliver it, are recognised for the value they bring.’
