Take more control of your treatment
We work with DrDoctor, a digital health company, to provide our Patient Engagement Portal.
The portal puts you in the driving seat of your hospital care in the most convenient way – making it easier for you to manage your outpatient appointments through the touch of a button on your smartphone, tablet or desktop PC.
We use it to text patients who are waiting for an outpatient appointment to see if they still need their appointment or procedure and to send text message outpatient appointment reminders and digital outpatient appointment letters.
If we do not have your mobile number, or you have opted out from text messages, you will continue to receive paper letters in the post.
The Patient Engagement Portal is an entirely optional service – it gives you the control to choose how we contact you.
You can opt out of receiving digital communications via the portal any point
Why introduce a Patient Engagement Portal?
The portal allows us to:
Improve how we communicate with our patients
Deliver letters to patients faster
Reduce confusion from lost letters or letters arriving in the wrong order
Improve our carbon footprint by reducing our paper usage
For more information about DrDoctor visit www.drdoctor.co.uk
What to do if your contact details have changed
If your contact details have changed please tell us by using our online form or let us know the next time you are in hospital.
This will ensure that you benefit from all the Patient Portal features. As well as telling us please also tell your GP practice.
Frequently asked questions
A range of frequently asked questions regarding the Patient Engagement Portal can be found on the DrDoctor website. We have also added some FAQs below.
How secure is it?
All information is held securely and cannot be accessed without the correct login details, similar to internet banking.
To enable us to deliver this service, DrDoctor will have access to your contact information but not to detailed information about your health.
DrDoctor is accredited to the highest standards set by the NHS for protecting the healthcare information of UK citizens.
More information can be found in DrDoctor’s privacy policy.
The patient engagement portal is already being successfully used in a number of NHS trusts including Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.
How do I access the portal?
In time, anyone over 18 who is receiving outpatient care from us will be able to access the patient engagement portal. We will send you a text message (07860 039 092) with a secure link to the portal.
All you need to do is follow the secure link in the text message we sent you.
You login with your surname, date of birth and postcode.
The text will be sent to the contact details you have given us.
If your contact details have changed please update your details using our online form or let us know the next time you are in hospital. This will ensure that you benefit from all the Patient Portal features.
As well as telling us please also tell you GP practice.
Do I have to use the patient engagement portal?
No, the portal is an entirely optional service.
You can continue to receive your outpatient information via paper letters if you so wish. You can opt out of the portal at any point.
If you have previously told us that you do not want to be contacted by text, you will receive paper communication.
Can I trust the phone number 07860 039092?
Yes, you can trust it.
If you are getting text from phone number 07860 039092, 07860039092 or 07860 039 092, that is because we have contacted you using DrDoctor to provide communication services related to your healthcare.