Wigan hospital trust brings in new booking system for blood appointments

Using tech funding received from NHS Digital, Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (WWL) procured the Dedalus Swiftqueue self-service appointment booking system, giving patients the capability to book appointments online.

This means patients using WWL’s blood test services (Phlebotomy) can now book themselves into an appointment slot at their chosen clinic without the need to call the appointment centre.

With approximately 4,800 appointments per week across 16 locations, this new solution will help to significantly streamline this process for patients.

Martyn Smith, associate director of information management and technology at WWL, said: “The system was implemented in only six weeks which is a huge achievement.

"In the first few days of go live, thousands of bookings were made using the new digital tech, providing a far better experience for our patients and it has released pressure and time for our internal appointment centre teams, allowing them time to support those who need it.”

Since the system went live in the middle of May, call waiting times have significantly reduced, with more than 3,000 appointments made online in the first week alone and 8,411 appointments booked to date.

Mary Fleming, WWL deputy chief executive, said: “As the previous ‘drop in’ service had to be stopped as part of our COVID-19 response, the number of calls to book blood tests had steadily increased to around 3,500 per week.

“This is the first WWL service to offer online booking, where patients can register and book or reschedule their own appointments.

"The phlebotomy team, health care operations team and project team have worked very hard to achieve such a quick and safe launch of this service – they should be very proud.”

The new booking service is just one of the many new initiatives being implemented as part of the trust’s digital strategy with the promise of digitally enhancing healthcare for all.

WWL’s continual investments have allowed patients to access health services from the comfort of their homes, including use of virtual wards, online outpatient consultations and e-prescribing.

To use the online booking service visit: https://www.wwl.nhs.uk/phlebotomy