Patient Engagement Portal – DrDoctor

 

The Walton Centre is utilising the Patient Engagement Portal (PEP), DrDoctor, which is designed to help you manage your healthcare and appointments in a much easier way. 

If we need to contact you about an upcoming appointment, we will use the number 07860039092 , so please add it to your contact, so you can easily see that it's an important message about your care.

We know that we're all wary of cons and scams, so please be assured that this is a legitimate way our Walton Centre NHS teams will be getting in touch.

We currently have text reminders turned on for all appropriate clinics, as well as basic re-scheduling; allowing you to request to change or cancel you appointment through the patient engagement portal. As we continue to rollout this platform across the Trust, more clinics will turn on these features. 

We will also be introducing more additions, which will build on the existing messages and letters you already receive from us. This will directly improve your experience of being cared for at The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust, as well as how your care is managed by staff members, which will also improve efficiency.

These will be rolled out in phases over the coming months, so don't worry if you don't see this straight away.

Once this new portal is fully operational, you will be able to:

  • Book, cancel, or change appointments (where clinically appropriate) - without the need to try and get through on the phone and at a time that is suitable for you, not just during 9am-5pm
  • Select from a range of available suitable appointments; to choose the one that's best for you
  • View digital letters about your appointments and care

We also know that this won't be for everyone, so if you would rather continue to receive your appointment information via the post, please turn off notifications. 

To do this, you can follow either of the below: 

Method 1: Reply to the text message 
1.    Find a reminder text: from DrDoctor.
2.    Reply: with the word "STOP". This will opt you out of future text reminders.

Method 2: Use the patient portal 
1.    Log in: to the DrDoctor patient portal.
2.    Navigate to the "Settings" menu.
3.    Update your communication preferences: to opt out of text reminders.

Please note
If you respond to a SMS with any wording the system does not understand, e.g. "I don't want to get reminders anymore", DrDoctor will send you an SMS message informing you to reply STOP if you don't want to receive any more SMS messages. This will opt you out of any automated SMS for future care. 

 

 

IMPORTANT NOTICE

It is important that this digital communication is not used for urgent advice. DrDoctor allows you to manage your appointments easier and have more autonomy over your care. If you require urgent care, please contact your local A&E department, or relevant healthcare professional.

 

Frequently asked questions

 

 

How do I access the Patient Portal?

Anyone who is receiving care from The Walton Centre can access the Patient Portal.

To give you access to the DrDoctor area of the portal, we will send you a text message from 07860039092 or an email from no-reply@drdoctor.co.uk containing a secure link to the Portal. This can be accessed from your phone, tablet, or computer. We recommend that you use a private email address and phone number to access the Patient Portal to keep your information secure.

You login using your surname, date of birth, and postcode.

To ensure that your account remains secure we will also either send a text to the mobile number or call the landline number associated with your record, providing you with a one-time access code.

If your contact details have changed, please let us know.

 

Is my information secure?

To enable us to deliver this service, our partners will have access to your contact and health information.

These partners are accredited to the highest standards set by the NHS for protecting the healthcare information of UK citizens.

No-one but those directly involved in your care will have access to your medical information.

More information is available on the Dr Doctor website

Can I contact you on 07860039092?

Sorry, no. Calls cannot be made to this number, and we will not receive any text messages sent to it – though you may still be charged.

If we send you a text message and ask you to reply (for example) YES, NO or UNSURE, if you reply anything outside of these answers, your message will not be received.

What can I expect - Updates about your appointment

 

We currently send out text message about your care - for example, to confirm your appointment date and time, as well as reminder texts in the days leading up to your appointment to both remind you and where appropriate, give you the option to 'change' or 'cancel' the appointment if it is no longer convenient. 

Can I change my notifications to email notifications?

 

You can change this to email notifications if you wish. To do so: 
1.    Go to the DrDoctor Patient Portal 
2.    Go to the Settings tab  
3.    Opt-in, opt-out, or add a new contact detail under the Contact section 

Checking if the date or time of your appointment is still convenient

 

Another reason we may contact you is to check if the time and date of an upcoming appointment still works for you - and give you the opportunity to rearrange it if you need to. 

You will receive a text message with a link in it, to amend your appointment. You can click 'change' to re-schedule your appointment, or in the unlikely event that you no longer need the appointment, you can cancel it completely. 

There will be three tabs at the top of your screen, the first will allow you to add the details of your appointment to your calendar. Clicking on the location tab will provide you with details about where your appointment will be. The clinical information tab will show you anything you need to do ahead of your appointment. This includes things like whether you need to fast, or if you need to bring anything with you. 

Asking questions about your appointment

 

We'll also be using it to ask you simple questions, such as “Will you be able to attend your scheduled appointment?” so that we can attempt to refill your appointment slot, if you cannot make it and allow clinics to run as efficiently as possible. 

Changing the date of your appointment or needing to cancel your appointment

 


Please note, not all clinics at The Walton Centre have this feature enabled.