Patients Waiting Over 26 Weeks to Receive NHS Text Messages

Patients in Ayrshire and Arran who have been waiting more than 26 weeks for an inpatient or day case procedure are being urged to look out for a text message from NHS Scotland this week.

From Friday 3 October, NHS Ayrshire & Arran, working with the National Elective Coordination Unit (NECU), will contact local patients by text as part of ongoing efforts to update waiting lists. The message will come from mobile number 07860 039092 and will ask patients to complete a short survey to confirm whether they still require their appointment.

Those completing the survey on behalf of someone else must provide the patient’s details to proceed.

Vicki Campbell, NHS Ayrshire & Arran’s Director of Acute Services, said:

“NECU supports local NHS Boards to make sure that the information held on NHS Scotland waiting lists is accurate, helping us to prioritise care and reallocate any appointments or operations that are no longer needed to others on the waiting list. If you are waiting for an inpatient or day case procedure within NHS Ayrshire & Arran, please do not ignore this message. Even if you have received the same message previously, please click on the link in your message to complete the survey and follow the simple instructions to help us make sure our records are up to date. We want to reassure our patients that the information gathered will only be used to manage our waiting lists, and all information shared will be kept safe and secure.”

The service is being delivered in partnership with digital solutions provider DrDoctor, and has already been successfully used by other health boards across Scotland to prioritise urgent cases and free up appointments that are no longer required.

Further details on the waiting list validation text message service are available on the NHS Ayrshire & Arran website.