Case Study: University Hospitals of Leicester achieves waiting list reduction with Accurx SMS validation

University Hospitals of Leicester removes 22,000 patients from waiting lists with Accurx

The University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust (UHL) faced a significant challenge in managing its Referral to Treatment (RTT) waiting list, which grew by 85% during the COVID-19 pandemic. UHL's staff struggled with the time-consuming process of validating this list through letters and manual phone calls, lacking an efficient way to track responses. To address this, they turned to the SMS software from Accurx.

Accurx implemented a solution where patients on the waiting list were sent SMS messages to confirm if they still needed their appointment. Patients could reply directly, and those who responded 'no' were removed after providing a reason. This process from Accurx helped UHL administratively validate its lists, saving staff time and improving workflows. As a result, UHL removed 22,000 patients from its waiting list and moved 4,000 onto digital pathways, leading to a reduction in the RTT list for the first time since the pandemic and freeing up capacity.

University Hospitals of Leicester (uhl) NHS Trust