Case Study: NHS Blood & Transplant reduces no-shows and increases donations with dotdigital WhatsApp

NHS Blood & Transplant cuts no-shows by 40% with dotdigital

NHS Blood & Transplant faced a critical challenge with high no-show rates for blood donation appointments, particularly among black heritage donors where the rate reached 25%. This was a significant issue for the supply of Ro blood, which is vital for patients with sickle cell disorder. To address this, the organization partnered with dotdigital to enhance its communication strategy, which had long relied on SMS.

dotdigital implemented a solution using WhatsApp, integrating it into the existing appointment reminder journey. A personalized message was sent 48 hours before each appointment, allowing donors to confirm or reschedule with a single tap. This approach led to a dramatic 40% reduction in no-shows for black heritage donors, projecting an additional 1,080 Ro blood donations annually. The success demonstrated by dotdigital's solution is directly contributing to saving more lives.

NHS Blood & Transplant