Online service expanded for hospital patients following pandemic

South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust‘s interactive platform Go Well Health has been used by the trust’s orthopaedics team since 2018, but as a result of COVID-19 it will soon also be available to heart and lung patients.

All non-urgent face-to-face clinic appointments were postponed to allow NHS resources to be focused and prioritised on the areas and patients who needed them most and to reduce the risk of infection. Medical teams looked at different ways that they could remotely assist patients who were waiting for surgery.

The free programme allows patients to access services they would normally expect in person. This includes educational information, maps, surgical videos, narrated presentations and therapy videos.

‘Useful’

Marion Archer, 75, from near Northallerton, used the digital platform when she underwent a hip replacement at the Friarage Hospital in 2018.

“I would recommend the programme to anyone as it’s a really good way of keeping in touch with your consultant and finding out what will happen before and during the procedure,” she said.

“It included a lot of one-page information sheets which were helpful. I found the information about the hospital, what happens at your first appointment and what to take with you when going into hospital very useful though I would have liked more exercise advice.

“If it wasn’t for the programme I probably would have had a number of questions and would have needed to phone up to get answers to my questions.