If you have an appointment in a hospital or clinic but do not need to stay overnight, it means you're being treated as an outpatient or a day patient. You may be having an appointment for treatment, diagnosis or a procedure.
Preparing for an outpatient appointment (www.nhs.uk)
We are looking at ways of delivering outpatient care in a more efficient and sustainable way. The following are some of the transformations that have been made so far:
eBooking: To book an appointment, some patients will receive a text message from the Trust to their smartphone which allows them to book their appointment and gives more control and choice over what time and date suits them.
eLetters: Some patients will receive their appointment letters via text message to their smartphone through a new eLetters system rather than waiting several days to receive a paper copy through the post.
Non face-to-face consultation: Some patients will be offered video and telephone consultations where clinically appropriate. Many patients have already benefitted from this new style of non face-to-face outpatient consultation from the comfort of their homes.
University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust (UHMBT) may contact you regarding your referral to UHMBT.
This contact is helpful in avoiding wasted appointments which may arise where a patient no longer needs their place on the waiting list because they have already been treated, have recovered, or have moved away from the UHMBT area.
If you receive this message:
Hello YOUR-FIRST-NAME, this is a message from Morecambe Bay Hospitals. Please click the link below, to our Patient App, where there are questions about your appointment in NAME-OF-DEPARTMENT service https://fx.uhmb.nhs.net.uk/clinicalvalidation2/waitinglistvalidation?guid=alkjhkls-ksdjhf-2893 - please respond.
You can let us know if you need your place on the waiting list or if you wish to come off our waiting list.
We appreciate your response and it helps us to offer appointments to patients who still need them.
Your text will come from NHS NO-REPLY. Please follow the link in the text message to log in and update us.
Age UK
If you or someone you know needs support with digital skills, visit Age UK's ‘Making the most of the internet’ resources. Here you will find simple guides to help people who are already online but want to boost their confidence.
Lots of Age UK's local partners also provide computer classes for older people.
AbilityNet
AbilityNet has some useful resources for people with learning disabilities around data and digital support: Digital Lifeline for people with learning disabilities - AbilityNet