Whittington Hospital launches app for booking and cancelling outpatient appointments

The hospital’s chief nurse Sarah Wilding. Photograph: Whittington Health Trust

The Whittington hospital has just launched an app so people can book and cancel appointments in some outpatient departments.

The hospital’s chief nurse Sarah Wilding said the new digital service, called Zesty, was introduced this week after some technical issues.

The Whittington is testing the app for outpatient appointments in haematology and respiratory services and plans to extend it next year.

Wilding told Islington Council’s health scrutiny committee that it is hoped the app will help cut non-attendances at clinics and free up the space for other patients.

By March next year, the hospital wants 30 per cent of its outpatients to be signed up to the app.

Helen Taylor, the hospital’s deputy director of strategy, said staff are also checking how patients would like to be contacted and are aware of digital exclusion.

“We are mindful about digital poverty,” she said.

Over the last year, non-attendance rates have increased from 10 per cent for first appointments to 12.7 per cent.

Two fifths of the missed appointments are in the surgery and cancer departments, as well as emergency integrated medicine and gynaecology.

Some of the reasons include out-of-date contact details or incorrect patient information in hospital records, and duplicate appointments booked by GPs. There were also some problems with the way staff use the internal booking and rescheduling system.

The hospital is improving letters to patients, using clear language in letters sent directly to them rather than GPs.

Letters also include “practical self-help advice” from consultants, said Ms Wilding.