DrDoctor

Challenge

The NHS is struggling to keep up with an increased demand for its services and its ability to deliver quality patient care is diminishing. At the same time, valuable financial resources are being wasted because of avoidable issues such as missed appointments. According to NHS England, in 2017/18, almost 8 million hospital visits were missed costing them an estimated £8 billion, equivalent to 257,000 hip replacements or 990,000 cataract operations.

Approach

DrDoctor is an online patient platform enabling people to take greater control of their NHS care. Patients can schedule and manage appointments online as well as manage several post-appointment events through the platform.

Revenue model

DrDoctor is commissioned by NHS Outpatients and Trusts.

Impact

DrDoctor is used in tens of hospitals across the UK, delivering an estimated saving per hospital of £2 million a year by reducing the number of missed appointments.

The coronavirus pandemic is putting huge pressure on the NHS and the need improve efficiency of patient care has never been greater. In response to coronavirus, DrDoctor has worked hard to expand its patient communication tools to help cut-down in-person visits and help non-urgent medical appointments to be delivered remotely.

The existing platform is perfectly positioned to respond to the crisis and DrDoctor quickly developed a COVID-19 response toolkit, offering its services to anyone in the NHS who needs them. It has helped significantly alleviate the burden on the NHS, as well as keep as many people as possible safe and at home using digital self-assessments and remote appointments.