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- Unique booking system will help ease the six million NHS patient backlog and is the first of its kind to be launched by a community health service
- New booking app will enable patients to be seen quickly and efficiently as NHS cataract surgery waiting times have surged by 84%
CHEC (Community Health and Eye Care), one of the largest providers of community-based ophthalmology services in the UK, has launched a new app to allow patients to book their appointments online. The app will allow patients easy, on-the-go access to appointments ensuring they can be seen quickly and efficiently.
The unique booking app is already being used by almost 50% of CHEC’s patients, and will make it easier for patients to be seen at a time that suits them. The app is able to determine the urgency of an appointment, and allows patients to instantly book the slot most convenient, shortening a process that can often take weeks. CHEC’s app will help minimise cancellations and missed appointments, increasing the efficiency of booking to aid CHEC in working through the NHS backlog.
As a result of the pandemic, there are currently almost six million patients waiting to be seen by the NHS, with patients waiting on average nine months or more for cataract surgery. Research in The Guardian has also found that as many as 130,224 patients have waited for more than six months for vital ophthalmology services. Throughout the pandemic, CHEC has provided much needed support to the NHS as a trusted partner and has received 99.8% positive feedback for their services.
The new booking system will allow more patients to be reached as CHEC responds to the intensifying trend of rapid digitalisation. On average, the pandemic has accelerated digitalisation by seven years and 96% of households in the UK now have access to the internet. The launch of this app marks CHEC’s digital shift in line with this wider development.
The opportunity to book an appointment through the app also provides a variety of new opportunities for patients to select their location, perhaps even incorporating an eyecare appointment into a trip to a new town or city.
Jon Dore, Chief Operating Officer at CHEC, said: “We are delighted to announce the launch of our new booking app. This online appointment booking system enables us to reach more patients and ensure they are treated quickly and efficiently. With the NHS facing extreme backlogs as a result of the pandemic, this app allows us to make a strong contribution to helping reduce patient wait times.
“It is good to see that patients are already making use of the app, which will accelerate our ability to offer appointments by making it as quick and easy as possible, and minimising cancellations with patients able to book at their convenience.”
