March, 2026

Short & sweet, but even more exciting improvements and updates are on the way!

Healthcare doesn’t stand still, and neither do we. This is your regular update on improvements, fixes and new features - a regular window into what’s changing and what’s coming next. No jargon, no noise. Just the updates that matter to you.

📨 Appointment Cancellation Notification Message Update 📨

Feature overview: The cancellation notification message sent via SMS and Email has been updated for appointments where a booking team is present. The phrase "If you have not heard anything in the next few days" has been removed, so the message now reads: "If you have further questions, please contact the booking team on [booking team number]." This change applies to SMS and Email notifications only: the NHS App notification message and appointments without a booking team assigned are unaffected.

Why we built it: The previous wording implied patients should wait a number of days before contacting the booking team, which could cause confusion and unnecessary delays in rebooking. Removing this created a clearer, more direct message that better supports timely patient action following a cancellation.

Expected benefit / how we'll measure success: Patients receive a clearer call to action, reducing potential confusion about when it is appropriate to contact the booking team. We would welcome feedback from Trust booking teams on whether this change has any impact on inbound patient contact following cancellations.

Coming soon

🧪Test Results 🧪

Work has kicked off to develop a digital test results product, which will allow patients to view their results in the Patient Portal and be alerted when new results are available. We’re keen to chat to anyone interested in this product that would be happy to share their thoughts, and potentially help us test our initial product. Please reach out via your Transformation representative. 

We'd love to hear your feedback!
We're always looking for new ways to improve and if you have any feedback, please reach out to your Transformation Manager or contact us at support@drdoctor.co.uk.

December, 2025
We're excited to share the latest releases from DrDoctor. Packed with enhancements, optimisations and new features, this update represents our ongoing commitment to give you the best experience with us.

Multiselect specialities in the booking request page

We’ve improved navigation on the booking request page, making it easier to use, especially for teams managing multiple specialities.
You can now select multiple specialities at once to create a tailored worklist that better supports your team’s workflows.

Staff Portal users can set flexible patient invite-to-slot ratios

We’ve added more flexibility to the patient invite-to-slot ratio in Automated Scheduling, giving teams greater control over how many patients are invited per available slot.

Trusts can now choose to under-invite (to offer patients more choice) or over-invite (to optimise slot utilisation), depending on local needs.
The invite-to-slot ratio can now be set to any positive value between 0.1 and 10 per available slot.
For example, a ratio of 0.1 means there must be 10 available slots for 1 patient to be invited.

November, 2025
We're excited to share the latest releases from DrDoctor. Packed with enhancements, optimisations and new features, this update represents our ongoing commitment to give you the best experience with us.

Update to video link SMS to provide more information for recipients.
We've made a simple but effective change to Video appointment link SMS's by adding the patient's first name. In care settings where these messages are managed by care staff, such as care homes or prisons, it can sometimes be challenging to determine which patient the link is intended for. 
This change makes it much easier and efficient for care staff to manage.

Basic Rescheduling Migration
We completed important backend migration work to improve system performance, reliability, and long-term scalability. This change does not affect any user-facing functionality, but strengthens the foundations for future enhancements.

We'd love to hear your feedback!
We're always looking for new ways to improve and if you have any feedback, please reach out to your Transformation Manager or contact us at support@drdoctor.co.uk.

October, 2025
We're excited to share the latest releases from DrDoctor. Packed with enhancements, optimisations and new features, this update represents our ongoing commitment to give you the best experience with us.

Search filter for Appointment confirmations product

You can easily search via Patient name or MRN when looking for a specific patient on the Appointment confirmations page.
This change is small but impactful, making it much easier and quicker for staff to find the patients they need without endless scrolling.

Patient Access Policy and Rescheduling Limit Guidance

All Trusts have a patient access policy, which outlines how they manage access to their services. It ensures that patients are treated fairly, that appointments are booked appropriately, and that national waiting-time standards are met.
We've included wording in the patient portal to raise awareness in patients that frequent changes to their appointments may lead to a delay in care.
We also made a change in the staff portal to make it much clearer to users how the rescheduling limit works.

Grouped capacity (’Multiple locations’) is now live for Automated Rescheduling at NHS Humber Health Partnerships.

Automated Rescheduling

Background

Currently, when a patient attempts to Auto Reschedule their appointment, they are only presented with slots in the DrDoctor clinic they were originally booked into. There may be other clinics they are eligible to book into (for example, the other clinics with the same clinician, that occur at a different location on a different day).

HHP has a clinic grouping concept called ‘Access Plans’, and patients should be able to reschedule into any appointment within their access plan. This helps ensure slot utilisation is optimised as much as possible.

What did we do

HHP has an endpoint that can identify which DrDoctor clinics are within the same Access Plan and can therefore be safely presented to patients who would like to reschedule.

What if my Trust wants to do the same?

For your Trust to have the same functionality, they would need to build an endpoint. Please find the spec here: Clinic Groupings for Automated Rescheduling | DrDoctor. Until then, please note: Patients will only be able to reschedule into slots in the DrDoctor clinic they were originally booked into.

We'd love to hear your feedback!
We're always looking for new ways to improve and if you have any feedback, please reach out to your Transformation Manager or contact us at support@drdoctor.co.uk.

Help us improve DrDoctor at your trust!
We’d love your feedback on your experience using DrDoctor. This short, anonymous survey has 10 quick questions and takes about a minute to complete. 

Share your feedback

We'd love to hear your feedback!
We're always looking for new ways to improve and if you have any feedback, please reach out to your Transformation Manager or contact us at support@drdoctor.co.uk.

August, 2025
We're excited to share the latest releases from DrDoctor. Packed with enhancements, optimisations and new features, this update represents our ongoing commitment to give you the best experience with us.

DrDoctor Forms Updates 

Shareable Preview for DrDoctor Forms 

We have introduced a new shareable preview feature for DrDoctor Forms, making it easier for clinicians and admin staff to review submissions even if they don't have a DrDoctor account. Previously, only the person building the form could view it in real time. Now, once a form is saved, you can generate a public link that can be reopened by anyone, including colleagues outside the platform, to see the form exactly as a patient would.

This update streamlines collaboration during form design, especially for multi-disciplinary teams. Clinicians can quickly check clinical content, verify calculations, and experience the form's flow without logging in.

Patient Demographics in Form Submissions PDFs 

Form submission PDFs now include patient demographics and specialty (if available) at the top of the file. This enhancement makes it easier for clinicians and admin teams to identify and contextualise submissions without having to cross reference other systems, improving review efficiency and record-keeping accuracy. It's especially useful when a form submission is printed, ensuring all relevant identifying details remain visible and linked to the patient record.

NHS App Lookup  

You can now view NHS App Contact History for individual patients in the Staff Portal. 

Users can search via the patient's NHS number and return notifications sent via the NHS App to that specific patient over the last 6 months. You'll be able to see:

1️⃣ The time the notification was sent

2️⃣ Message contents

3️⃣ Message status (Delivered, Notified and Opened) that, when hovered over, show the time of that particular status, eg. the time that the notification was opened. Status definitions are explained here. 

Basic Rescheduling Info from Patients is now Mandatory

The information provided by patients when submitting their basic rescheduling request is now mandatory in line with the functionality within the NHS App. This means that booking teams will have more consistent information to support actioning the patient's request.

Reporting updates 

We are making improvements to our letters report

We have simplified the definitions used to report on letter paperless preferences. The visual now shows: 

1️⃣ All uploaded letters

2️⃣ Letters split by explicit preference for paper or paperless

Any patients with no explicit prefernces (preferences that haven't been set to fall back to the trust default) will be excluded from this view, as before. 

This refers to the bottom of the three charts on the Letters Report. All other charts remain unchanged. 

Fix for Smart SMS Data in the Insight Hub Appointment Notifications Report 

We are implementing a partial fix to back-fill the missing Smart SMS notifications in the Appointment Notifications report on the 22/08/2025. Due to data limitations we cannot recreate this fully, but we have succeeded in bringing volumes within 1% of billing statements. 

We'd love to hear your feedback!
We're always looking for new ways to improve and if you have any feedback, please reach out to your Transformation Manager or contact us at support@drdoctor.co.uk.

June, 2025
We're excited to share the latest releases from DrDoctor. Packed with enhancements, optimisations and new features, this update represents our ongoing commitment to give you the best experience with us.

Links (and more) now available in Direct Messaging

Who is this for? Any clients using the Direct Messaging functionality.

We've been busy making some exciting changes to our Direct Messaging functionality. As of Thursday 5th June, you'll be able to: 



🟢 add links to messages and templates,

🟢 use styling such as bold, italic, bullet points, numbered lists and more.

These new features are available when:


🟢 creating a new message,


🟢 creating and/or editing a message template,


🟢 responding to a message.



Whilst these features are available to you, they are not available patient-side; patients can respond as normal in plain text.

Appointment Confirmations is now live in the Insight Hub

Who is this for? Anyone using the Appointment Confirmations page.

What does it offer? The report offers rich insights into different types of appointment engagements, how they are being used and how they’re influencing patient attendance. Even better, anyone onboarding to the new page will get instant access to this data.

With this report, you’ll be able to:

1️⃣ Track how many appointment engagements are being sent,

2️⃣ See how patients are responding,

3️⃣ Measure the impact by comparing DNA rates with message volumes and engagement levels.

The report updates daily and offers flexible filters, including: clinic, DNA risk, patient demographics, and more so you can tailor insights to your needs.

Partial submissions in Forms

Who is this for? Any clients using DrDoctor forms, both through the Patient Portal and the NHS App.

Patients can now start filling out a form in the NHS app or DrDoctor Patient Portal and automatically resume where they left off even if they switch devices or browsers. 

🔵 Progress is saved in real time, including uploaded images, allowing users to complete forms at their own pace without losing data.

🔵 This seamless experience reduces frustration and helps ensure more forms are submitted on time.

We'd love to hear your feedback!
We're always looking for new ways to improve and if you have any feedback, please reach out to your Transformation Manager or contact us at support@drdoctor.co.uk.

May, 2025
We're excited to share the latest releases from DrDoctor. Packed with enhancements, optimisations and new features, this update represents our ongoing commitment to give you the best experience with us.

Multi-Factor Authentication

Please note: if your trust is not using DrDoctor Multi-Factor Authentication with a one time pass-code, this won't affect you.

Previously you had to contact DrDoctor Support to reset your MFA. This can now be actioned by any user at your trust with System Admin or Account Admin roles. 

When your MFA has been reset, you will receive the below email. 

For more information please see our help article: How to add and edit users

We'd love to hear your feedback!
We're always looking for new ways to improve and if you have any feedback, please reach out to your Transformation Manager or contact us at support@drdoctor.co.uk.

February, 2025
We're excited to share the latest releases from DrDoctor. Packed with enhancements, optimisations and new features, this update represents our ongoing commitment to give you the best experience with us.

Staff Portal

⛓️ Apply Branch by Form Response in Workflows
Automate patient workflows with our new Branch by Form Response feature, ensuring the right care at the right time - without extra manual effort. Workflows now dynamically adjust based on patient responses or risk scores. This means patients who need to fill out a pre-surgery assessment and are identified as high risk can receive extra guidance and support while their care team is alerted. Lower-risk patients can move forward with standard instructions. From pre-op assessments to chronic disease management and triaging, this ensures patients receive timely, tailored support while reducing administrative workload.

🏥 Access Workflows for Perioperative Pathways  
Perioperative workflows are now available, designed to guide patients through every phase of their surgical journey - before, during and after surgery. This comprehensive workflow ensures patients are fully prepared and supported for the best possible outcomes at every step.

Key features include:

• Early Screening: Assessing risk factors early to ensure patients are on the right path.
• Personalised Health Optimisation: Proactively guiding and educating patients to prepare them for surgery.
• Waiting List Validation: Ensuring ongoing patient suitability, reducing delays.
• Pre-Flight Check: Verifying and assessing that patients are fit before surgery to minimise last-minute cancellations.
• Rehab and Post-Op Recovery: Structured follow-ups and remote monitoring to reduce readmissions and enhance recovery.

These workflows align with NHS priorities by optimising patients for surgery, increasing theatre efficiency and proactively reducing delays through risk stratification and intervention.

👤 Add a New Workflow User Role
Improve clinical safety and workflow processes with the new Workflow User role. This role is designed for team members who need to view and take action on form submissions without needing full admin access. Team members can perform their tasks while keeping critical settings secure and improving overall workflow management.

Patient Portal 

✏️ Review and Edit Form Responses
Patients can now easily review their answers to ensure they’ve completed the form correctly, thanks to a newly introduced answer review screen at the end of the form. This page provides a condensed view of all the questions and answers, allowing users to quickly check and confirm their responses. If any errors are spotted, they can simply click the 'Change Answers' link to jump back to the relevant section of the form and make corrections.

This feature is now available for all DrDoctor forms.

We'd love to hear your feedback!
We're always looking for new ways to improve and if you have any feedback, please reach out to your Transformation Manager or contact us at support@drdoctor.co.uk.

January, 2025
We're excited to start this year by sharing the latest releases from DrDoctor. Packed with enhancements, optimisations, and new features, this update represents our ongoing commitment to give you the best experience with us.

Staff Portal

📞 Reduce DNAs through Automated Calls
We're releasing a new appointment confirmations page within our scheduling tools, replacing DNA prediction workflows in the Insight Hub. This page will centralise upcoming appointments, confirmation statuses, and interventions to reduce DNA rates.

As part of this, we're implementing Automated Calls to reduce DNA rates in trials. These calls help you target high-risk, unconfirmed appointments, providing patients a cost-effective way to confirm or reschedule. 

Patient Portal

We'd like to introduce you to Care Hub
A place within the Patient Portal where patients and service users can actively engage in their care journey, improving self-management and access to health information, whilst allowing care providers and clinicians to generate a more complete view of their patients outside of care settings, in a safe and effective way.

📄 Co-create a care plan with patients easily
Surface personalised documents for a specific individual, right in the Patient Portal. This can include high-value structured documents such as care plans. You can co-create a plan with a patient or service user however you prefer, add it to the EPR and have it automatically appear for the service user in the Patient Portal. They can mark documents as read and save or favourite them to refer back to.

🎯 Allow real-time health data updates
Patients can now update their health data in real-time. Self-monitoring helps identify patterns that lead to more efficient care delivery, fewer readmissions and emergency visits, and stronger patient-clinician communication. This ultimately contributes to better overall health management and a more effective use of healthcare resources.

📁 Provide On-Demand access to health history 
You can now provide patients and service users with immediate, on-demand access view their health history. Invaluable for those navigating complex long-term conditions who need to stay informed and involved in their care, as well as for anyone seeking reassurance about their health status. 

📚Give patients access to NHS-approved resources
You can offer patients and service users easy access to a comprehensive library of safe, regulated, and NHS-approved educational materials that support the day-to-day management of diagnoses and treatments. Reinforce understanding and self-management by distributing proven and trusted content, all in an enterprise-ready format that you control.

Find more about Care Hub

We'd love to hear your feedback!
We're always looking for new ways to improve and if you have any feedback, please reach out to your Transformation Manager or contact us at support@drdoctor.co.uk.