NHS Dumfries and Galloway launches messaging solution lowering Covid-19 test result times

NHS Dumfries & Galloway has adopted messaging technology from Netcall to support patients and staff communications on COVID-19 test results. Within two weeks the Board has implemented the system to deliver test results securely and to reduce the administration burden of patients contacting the hospital for results. Results are uploaded to Netcall’s Patient Hub Result module and an SMS is sent, prompting the patient or staff to visit an NHS log-in page. For positive results, a patient can ‘request a call back’ for relevant NHS advice for managing COVID-19 symptoms. Around 60% of patients are now accessing the system for their results. Graham Gault, General Manager ICT, NHS Dumfries and Galloway, said “It has been amazing to see how quickly the solution has been put in place, despite the challenges of remote working.” “Netcall has worked with our developers to develop a system that is already delivering impressive results, and helping reduce the burden on our frontline workers, whilst providing an exceptional and streamlined user experience for our patients. We are already seeing the benefits and look forward to the implementation of the next phase in the coming weeks.” Tony Britton, NHS Dumfries and Galloway Account Manager, Netcall  commented, “Whilst phase one of the Patient Hub focused on responding proactively to the current Coronavirus crisis, the full system can be used for a variety of scenarios, such as appointment management and secure messaging.”