Appointment letters at Salford Royal are going digital
Each text/email is sent from Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust and includes a link to drdoctor.thirdparty.nhs.uk, which will open the patient portal.
Other ways to access the patient portal
If people are worried about opening links from text messages, they can also get to their patient portal by searching for your appointment on the Northern Care Alliance website – www.northerncarealliance.nhs.uk, or through the NHS app.
All three routes to the patient portal are safe and secure.
What happens if I don’t receive or open the text?
If you don’t open the text within three days, we will still print and post the appointment letter to you. If the appointment is within a few days, then we will phone you aswell.
What happens if I don’t have a smartphone?
If you don’t have a mobile phone, then we will send your appointment letters through the post. Unfortunately, we can’t send you appointment reminders. If you wanted to receive reminders, you could ask a family member and give us their mobile number as your contact. If you have a mobile phone but you don’t have a smartphone, please let us know when you first receive a text or when you next visit us. We’ll make sure you receive paper appointment letters.
You can read more frequently asked questions at Your appointment :: Northern Care Alliance (www.northerncarealliance.nhs.uk and search for your appointment).
We know that not everyone wants to receive their appointment letters digitally, so people can opt out if they choose, either by logging into their patient portal, or by letting hospital reception staff know next time they have an outpatient appointment. We believe the new system is better for most patients, more efficient and better for the environment too.
Over the summer, we will be sending more patients text reminders for their appointments, improving call handling at the hospital and running a campaign thanking the 90% of patients who attend their hospital outpatient appointments. All these initiatives are aimed at improving outpatients for everyone, making best use of resources and helping to manage and reduce waiting lists.
