Patients and families are benefiting from faster, more convenient access to community health services following the rollout of a new digital platform across specialist services and children’s services at University Hospitals Tees.
‘SystmConnect’ enables patients and relatives to self-refer or submit requests and contact services online.
1,000 hours of time saved
Previously, the administration teams experienced high volumes of telephone calls, leading to long wait times and limited access outside working hours. Manual data entry and incomplete referral information also created delays in triaging patients and making clinical decisions. Approximately administrative time has been freed up for other work.
Ben Ryan, electronic patient records manager for community and neighbourhood services, said: “SystmConnect provides patients with digital access to services, allowing them to complete referrals and make requests at their convenience. It’s confidential, secure and integrated into existing IT systems.
“The system also asks specific questions so clinicians receive accurate information from the patient to help plan the best course of action.”
Since its introduction in December 2024 more than 18,000 patients have self-referred or contacted services:
- Integrated musculoskeletal service advanced assessment: Over 16,000 self-referrals
- Community paediatrics: More than 2,000 online medication requests
- Podiatric surgery: Over 600 self-referrals
Faster clinical review
Rachel Briggs, service manager for the specialist services admin hub, commented:
“SystmConnect has led to faster clinical review and increased productivity as our teams can spend more time focusing on patients.
“Patients like the system, with one service user describing the process as ‘quick and easy’, noting how quickly they were able to book an appointment online after submitting a referral, including having a choice of venues, dates and times.
“It’s fast, efficient and saves times for both patients and our teams.”
Digital ambitions
The initiative aligns with University Hospitals Tees’ digital transformation ambitions which sees clinical and digital teams work in partnership to improve accessibility and modernise service delivery.
The digital team plans to roll out the system to other services in the future and with plans to integrate SystmConnect into the NHS app, the process will be even easier and more convenient for patients.