Intro
People today live in an increasingly digital world. Technology has come to influence almost all aspects of modern life; and unsurprisingly, how patients now expect to interact with healthcare professionals has also changed.
Your local NHS in North Warwickshire is eager to provide patients with a digital service, using the modern technology that people have come to expect. The new MyCare in Warwickshire Patient Portal is a significant step in fulfilling this expectation.
The portal will initially provide patients with the opportunity to view their appointment letters digitally, with further functionality to be added in the future. As of May 2024, the Ear, Nose & Throat; Oral Surgery; Plastic Surgery; and Urology specialties have access to the portal, with further specialties to be added throughout 2024.
What is the Patient Portal?
A patient portal is a secure online website that gives patients convenient, 24-hour access to appointment and personal health information from anywhere with an internet connection.
Once registered, patients can log on using a secure username and password to view their appointments and any changes to them. In the near future, this will also include information such as test results, consultant letters, prescriptions, and advice and guidance.
Simply, the portal provides a safe and secure way for patients to interact and communicate with us – anytime, anywhere.
From a clinical perspective, the portal allows for our increasingly ‘digital first’ population to interact with us electronically, which helps to improve health data, enhance patient experience and lower administrative costs.
For eligible patients, registering for the portal is quick and easy. All you need is to:
The below video talks through the steps required to register for the portal
If you have a new outpatient appointment booked in on our system, you will be sent a text message inviting you to sign up to the portal. You can then click the link in the SMS message, which will guide you on how to register. Registering is easy and secure – and takes less than three minutes to sign up.
Once you’ve registered for MyCare in Warwickshire, all you need is an internet connection and a suitable electronic device, such as your home computer, tablet or smartphone.
The below video talks through the steps required to login to the portal and view appointment letters. Please note: this video was filmed for the South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust Patient Portal launch and as such contains references to SWFT.
Joining the MyCare in Warwickshire patient portal is optional, and it will not affect your care if you choose not to sign up. If you choose to register, you will have the option to receive your appointment information by post or via the portal. Until you choose to go paperless, you will continue to receive paper copies of your appointment letters.
Once registered, patients are currently able to:
- See new outpatient appointments in date order giving them greater oversight
- View and download appointment letters
- Set communications preferences to opt-out of paper appointment letters moving forward
- Add future appointments to their own calendar with the click of one button, e.g. Google or Outlook calendars
We are continually improving the portal and introducing new features, and over the coming months patients will notice increased control and functionality being added. Features that will be available in the future include:
- Viewing aspects of their health record, including all appointment and clinical letters, discharge summaries, results and prescriptions in one place
- Requesting cancellations when unable to attend
- Receiving digital copies of other supporting information
- Completing surveys, pre-admission assessments and contributing other information to support care planning
- Seeking advice and guidance related to the Trust and specific conditions, and viewing information relating to car parking or other Trust services
- Sharing health records with others (with consent) including carers, family members or care provider
- Providing fall-back to manual methods, such as letters (where appropriate) in order to not create digital exclusion
It’s not currently possible to cancel or change an appointment through MyCare in Warwickshire, but this functionality will be added in the near future.
To change or cancel an appointment, please call our outpatient appointment centre. The number should be on your appointment letter. Alternatively, please call the main hospital switchboard.
As of April 2024, in addition to the MyCare in Warwickshire Patient Portal, George Eliot Hospital patients can now see the vast majority of their secondary care appointments and letters through the NHS App.
The Patient Portal and the NHS App are two different, secure services for accessing your healthcare information. The MyCare in Warwickshire Patient Portal is local for patients in North Warwickshire and offers them more in-depth access to their local hospital appointments and health information. Alternatively, the NHS App is a national application that allows patients to access some NHS services online; such as ordering repeat prescriptions and accessing their GP health record.
The below video talks through the steps required to view hospital appointments on the NHS App. Please note that it is not currently possible for GEH patients to cancel or change their appointments through the NHS App, but this functionality will be added in the future.
Further information on the NHS App can be found here: www.