How we keep in touch with patients on our waiting lists

Are you or a loved one on our waiting list for an appointment following a referral from your GP or another community clinician?

This page explains how we will keep in touch with you while you are on our waiting list, and how you can let us know if anything changes, including your circumstances, your health, or if you no longer need your appointment.

We will use secure text messages, phone calls and postage to contact you and:

  • Check you still need to be on our wait list for an appointment.
  • Remind you about your appointment, with options to manage your slot
  • Offer appointments sooner if a slot comes up

These services make it easier for you to manage your appointments, reduce missed appointments, and help us offer care to patients sooner.

We use secure text messages and phone calls to keep patients on our waiting lists informed and to help appointments run smoothly.

We use a secure system called Patient Hub, which you can access yourself and use to manage appointments.

It is important that your phone number and address recorded with your GP is up to date as we will use this information to contact you.

Check you still need to be on our wait list for an appointment.

If you are on a waiting list, we may contact you by text message to check whether you still need your appointment. This means:

  • Every 12 weeks, we may reach out via text, phone, or letter to check if you still need your place on the waiting list.
  • The text message includes a secure link where you can: 
    • Confirm you still need the appointment, or
    • Let us know you no longer need it and wish to be discharged

This helps us keep waiting lists accurate and ensures appointments are offered to patients who still need care. You can find detailed instructions below under the drop down 'How to manage your slot on our waiting list'.

Appointment reminder text messages with options to manage your slot

If you have an outpatient appointment at one of our hospitals, you will receive a confirmation and reminder messages. You will then receive reminder messages nine, seven and two days before your appointment.

Each message includes a secure link that allows you to:

  • Confirm you can attend
  • Request to cancel
  • Ask to rebook if the date or time is not suitable

Responding promptly helps us reduce missed appointments and offer slots to other patients if needed. You can find detailed instructions below under the drop down 'How to manage your outpatient appointment slot'.

Offering appointments sooner if a slot comes up

To help fill last‑minute clinic availability, we use a Booking Bot which is an automated message or call that helps you get an appointment sooner if one becomes available.

How it works:

  • If an appointment becomes available at short notice, the Booking Bot may contact you by phone or text - the phone number shown will be the clinic’s contact details.
  • You will be asked to confirm your identity by putting in your date of birth.
  • You may then be offered an appointment slot
  • If you accept, you’ll be transferred to one of our administrative team to finalise the booking

This helps us make the best use of available appointments and reduce waiting times.

How to manage your slot on our waiting list

  1. You will need access to a smartphone or a device with internet connection.
  2. You will be sent a text message from us with a link to follow.
  3. The text message will read:

    You have a new notification concerning an outstanding referral that you are on a waiting list for, please click this secure link https://www.uhdb.nhs.uk/patient-hub to get started.

    If asked to provide a User Verification Code when logging in, enter [AAA].

    Regards,

    University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust

  4. Click on the link, you may get re-directed to a page which says 'suspected spam' - please disregard this message and proceed to the next step.
  5. Enter your mobile number and add your date of birth when prompted.
  6. You will be sent a 6-digit code by text to authenticate your access to enter on the secure login page.
  7. You will be taken to the dashboard, click on the 'Referrals' tab to see your referral information.
  8. Follow the steps on the screen to confirm that you want to either
    • Stay on the waiting list
    • Be removed from the waiting list because your symptoms have recovered or you have been treated elsewhere

How to manage your outpatient appointment slot

  1. You will need access to a smartphone or a device with internet connection.

  2. You will be sent a text message from us with a link to follow.

  3. The text message will read:

    You have [Clinic Name] appointment on [date] at [time].

    Please see your appointment letter received through the post or on the Patient Knows Best portal for information on whether you need to attend the hospital or be available for your consultation by telephone or video. 

    Use the link to tell us if you need to cancel or rearrange your appointment - [LINK], or please call [phone number], as not attending may result in you being removed from the waiting list.

  4. Click on the link, you may get re-directed to a page which says 'suspected spam' - please disregard this message and proceed to the next step.

  5. Enter your mobile number and add your date of birth when prompted.

  6. You will be sent a 6-digit code by text to authenticate your access to enter on the secure login page.

  7. You will be taken to the dashboard, click on the 'Appointments' tab to see your appointment information. You may need to navigate using the tab to select either 'New' or 'Attending' appointments to find the relevant appointment. 

  8. Follow the steps on the screen to confirm that you want to either
    • Accept appointment (To confirm you will be attending)
    • Rebook appointment (To confirm you need the appointment, but cannot make this date/time)
    • Cancel appointment (To confirm you no longer need the appointment)

  9. What happens next
    • Accept appointment – your appointment will be confirmed.
    • Rebook appointment – your current appointment slot will be cancelled and another appointment slot will be issued by the relevant department and you may be contacted if the team have queries or concerns.
    • Cancel appointment – your appointment slot will be cancelled, and the clinical department may reach out to you to discuss this if they have queries or concerns.

Frequently asked questions

What is Patient Hub?  

Patient Hub is a secure online portal  (secure website) which allows you to access all your hospital outpatient appointment information in one place, by using your smartphone, tablet, or computer. 

Patient Hub prompts you, via text message to access the portal using your mobile number and date of birth. You will receive a 6-digit security number on your mobile phone to enable you to log in. 

You can then confirm, rebook, or cancel hospital appointments online and access supporting information. 

Please ensure your contact details at your GP is up to date as we will use this to contact you via Patient Hub.   

 

Do I need to create a Patient Hub account?  

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 advising a member of staff when you next attend. 

 

How do I access Patient Hub?  

The hospital will send you a link by text message.  

  1. You will be asked to enter your mobile number, together with your date of birth (please enter your date of birth in the following format: DD/MM/YYYY). 
  2. You will then be sent a 6-digit authentication code by SMS text message. Please note, the 3-letter verification code that is sent with your text message is only needed by patients with the same mobile number and date of birth, for example twins, and you will be prompted to use this in this scenario. 

Enter the 6-digit code. Please be aware this authentication code will expire in 2 minutes and 30 seconds. If the time limit expires a new code is required. 

 

I accepted my appointment on Patient Hub and now I cannot see it  

When you accept your appointment on Patient Hub, it will no longer show as a New Appointment, instead the details will be under the Attending tab in appointments. 

There are 3 tabs: 

  • New – new appointments which have not yet been confirmed 
  • Attending – all outstanding appointments for which you have confirmed attendance 
  • History – all past appointments, including those cancelled 

 

I am having trouble accessing Patient Hub. What should I do?  

If you have trouble accessing this site, please check your Wi-Fi or internet access is working, and that you are using one of the compatible web browsers listed below: 

  • Microsoft Edge 
  • Chrome 
  • Firefox 
  • Safari 
  • Chrome for Android 
  • Chrome for iOS 
  • Safari for iOS 

Please ensure you enter mobile number we contacted you on. Please also enter your date of birth using this format: DD/MM/YYYY.  

 

What should I do if I have been locked out of my account?  

If you enter the wrong 6-digit authentication/security code by mistake, you will see the following message displayed ‘Password incorrect. Account has been locked. Consult your system administrator’.  If this happens, please wait 15 minutes and your account will automatically unlock, and you will be able to try again. 

Can I access Patient Hub at any time?  

You can use the link in the text message, or access via the Patient Hub page on the hospital’s website to access your appointment information at any time. 

 

Why am I being offered this new service?  

The Trust is offering more communication choice to patients and working hard to increase efficiency and sustainability. By offering this service, you will receive your appointment details earlier than you would receive it in the post. 

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. 

Is the link always the same?  

Yes, the link will stay the same, so you can go back to any text message. 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. 

 

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 and your date of birth. To complete the login process, you will be sent a 6-digit security code by text message. This code can only be used once. The next time you log in, you will get a new 6-digit code. 

Do I need to remember a username and password?  

No, you do not have a username or password. 

Do I need to securely log in each time I access Patient Hub?  

Yes, it is important to keep your data secure. 

Is this service secure?  

Yes, the service is designed with security in mind. The text message 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. This will be your mobile number and your date of birth. This information, coupled with a 6-digit authentication code, forms the secure 2-factor authentication. 

 

I requested rebooking of my appointment using Patient Hub. How do I know it has been rebooked?  

You will receive a call from the hospital booking team confirming your rebooking request and will either be given another appointment during that call or added back to the waiting list. You will receive a confirmation of this cancellation by text. 

 

I requested cancellation of my appointment using Patient Hub. How do I know it has been cancelled?  

You will receive a call from the hospital booking team confirming your cancellation and will also receive a confirmation of this cancellation by text. 

 

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.