Take a look at this leaflet or see below:
1. What is Patient Hub?
As we introduce this across all specialties over the next few months (starting in February 2022), you will receive a text or email notification inviting you to link to the portal. If this link is not used and the letter not accessed within 72 hours, a paper copy will be sent by post.
All you have to do is to ensure your hospital records have an up-to-date mobile phone number (or email address).
When you have an opportunity to access your appointment letters online there are benefits for both you and the Trust.
- Paper appointment letters are easily mislaid, which sometimes leads to patients arriving for appointments at the wrong time or even missing their consultations.
- Having access to all of the information on your computer or even mobile phone will stop that happening and you can put an appointment in your online diary.
- You will help the Trust save money through reducing postage and printing and help us reach the Trust’s goal to achieving Net Zero (carbon neutral) by 2030.
2. Do I need to create a Patient Hub account?
No, the hospital will create the account for you. As soon as you are a patient of the hospital and an appointment is booked there will be an account in your name. You only need to access it when you need to see your appointment details.
Please make sure we have your up-to-date mobile number (or email address) by contacting a member of your specialty booking team or when you next attend the hospital for an appointment speak to a member of the admin team at reception.
3. Why am I being offered this new appointment reminder service?
The Trust is offering more communication choice to patients and working hard to increase efficiency and sustainability. By improving our communication with you, you will have all your appointments in one place which makes it less likely to miss one. As part of our Net Zero (carbon neutral) promise, this will avoid unnecessary printing and postage.
4. How do I access to my account?
The hospital will send you a link by text message or email. You can click on the link in the text message / email or go to surreyandsussex.nhs.uk/patienthub to access your account.
You must then follow these steps:
a) Click on the link
If you have trouble accessing this site, please check your internet access and that you are using, and that you are using one of the below compatible web browsers.
- Microsoft Edge
- Chrome
- Firefox
- Safari
- Chrome for Android
- Chrome for iOS
- Safari for iOS
b) You will be taken to the login page.
c) You’ll be asked to enter either your mobile number or email address, together with your date of birth, please enter your date of birth in the following format:
DD/MM/YYYY.
d) You will then be sent a 6-digit authentication code by SMS, or by email if we don’t have your mobile number.
e) Enter the 6-digit code. Please be aware the authentication code will expire in 2 minutes and 30 seconds.
f) When the time limit expires a new code is required. If the time limit has expired or the code is entered incorrectly the following error message will display.
5. How do I get into Patient Hub at another time?
You can use the link in the text message, the link in the appointment you added to your diary, or from the Patient Hub page on the hospital website to access your appointment information at any time.
6. What information will I get from Patient Hub?
Patient Hub allows you to view all your appointments, letters, and messages in one convenient location, giving you the ability to confirm, rebook or cancel your hospital appointments. It will provide everything you would normally receive in the post.
7. Do I need to download the Patient Hub as an app from an app store?
No, there is no need to download anything. When the hospital sends you the first appointment notification, they will send you a link. The Patient Hub is a web page that you can access at any time. For easy future access, you may want to save this link as a favourite. Each time you sign in, you will also be sent a new 6-digit security code. There is no need to remember a username and password.
8. Is the link always the same?
Yes, the link to your account will stay the same, so you can go back to any text message or email. Every time you are notified about an appointment, you will get a reminder of the link. If you want to go back into your Patient Hub, just use that link. Or, for easy future access, your device should allow you to save the link as a favourite.
9. Can I only use the link they send me in the text message or email to access it?
No, you can also use the Patient Hub link on this website: surreyandsussex.nhs.uk/patienthub
10. What authentication does Patient Hub use?
Patient Hub uses two factor authentication. You begin the login process by giving us some personal information known to you – your mobile number or email address and your date of birth. To complete the log in process, you will be sent a 6-digit security code by text message, or by email. This code can only be used once. The next time you log in, you will get a new 6-digit code. The code is only valid for 2 minutes.
11. Do I need to remember a username and password?
No, you do not have a username or password.
12. Do I need to securely log in each time I access Patient Hub?
Yes, it is important to keep your data secure. The code via text message or email is very fast.
13. Is this service secure?
Yes, the service is designed with security in mind. The text message or email regarding your appointment will be sent to you by the hospital. Once you click on the link, you will be asked for two forms of identity, to check it really is you. This will be either your mobile number or email address and your date of birth. This information, coupled with a 6-digit authentication code, forms the secure 2-factor authentication.
14. How will I get my appointment information?
You will get a text message or email with a link. When you click through to Patient Hub you’ll see the appointment tab on the first page you see. Click on ‘Appointments’ to see information on your current appointments and their status. From here, you can accept, rebook or cancel your appointments.
15. Can I change my appointment?
Yes, you can either accept, rebook or cancel your appointment. If you have accepted an appointment, you can go back in and request to rebook or cancel the appointment at a later date.
16. Can it help me with a diary reminder?
Yes, you can click on a diary button to insert a reminder into your smart phone or computer calendar.
17. Do I need to enrol to get this service?
No, so long as we have a mobile number or email address registered with the hospital, the hospital will send you a text message or email. You’ll be able to choose how you are contacted (either via text message and/or email) so it is important that you make sure that we have your correct contact details.
18. How long do I have to respond to the text message or email?
The link to your Patient Hub can be accessed at any time. When you log in you will be sent a secure authentication message to complete your log in. This secure code only lasts for one minute.
19. What happens if I do not respond to the text message link or authentication code I receive?
If you do not respond to the text message link within the given time, your appointment letter will be posted to you.
20. When do I receive an SMS notification?
When an appointment is booked or cancelled on the Trust’s patient administration system, you will receive a notification in the next 24 hours.
- Depending on whether you login and accept your appointment or not, you may receive up to 3 notification invitations to login and accept your appointment, read your letter and other information.
- These notifications are sent on consecutive days.
- If you log in after the Initial notification, the system will stop sending you any further notifications for the appointment.
- Please log in within this time frame, accept your appointment and view your letter. This will help to avoid the Trust sending out a letter to you in the post.
21. How do I access Patient Hub if I have accidentally deleted the text message from my phone?
There is a link in your diary reminder and a link on the hospital website that directs you to Patient Hub.
22. I clicked on ‘rebook’, but I haven’t had a call back yet
The hospital booking team will call you as soon as they have availability. The booking team staff work between 8am and 4pm.
23. I cancelled my appointment using Patient Hub. How do I know it has been cancelled?
You will receive call back from the hospital booking team confirming your cancellation.
24. What if I don’t have a smart phone? Or a computer?
The initial link needs either a smart phone, tablet or a computer. If you do not have a smart phone, you can receive the link and authentication code in an email. If you don’t have a smart phone or computer, don’t worry, you will continue to receive your appointment details by letter in the post, together with all the other information.
25. What happens if I want to opt out, or still want to receive a letter in the post?
You can access the link to opt out of future communications on Patient Hub, or contact your hospital who can do this for you. This does mean that you will not receive any reminders about your appointments.
26. What happens if I cannot access my appointment information?
You can contact the hospital and ask for the information.
27. Will all my appointment letters be sent using Patient Hub?
Yes, once this has been fully implemented, all letters and other extra information will be sent via Patient Hub. You can read them as often as you like.
28. Will I receive follow-up appointments letter from Patient Hub?
Yes, all appointment letters and information will be sent via Patient Hub.
29. What if I have more than one appointment?
You will be able to see all your appointments in Patient Hub. You can manage (accept, cancel or rebook) each appointment individually.
30. Can I look back at previous appointments?
Yes, your previous appointment data is securely held in your space.