Hazel Morris

The IBD nursing team faced rising advice line queries, delays in flare management and inefficient communication. In response, the IBD nursing team implemented Accurx, a secure, NHS-approved messaging platform, to improve communication with patients, speed up responses to queries, enhance the overall patient experience, create a more efficient, digitally enabled service, and align with the Trust’s roll-out of paperless electronic patient records.

Patients contacting the advice line are triaged, with appropriate responses sent via Accurx, enabling 2-way communication for advice, test results, flare management and appointments,
plus rapid follow-up or urgent escalation. Before Accurx, rising call volumes hindered next-day call back standards, delaying urgent cases and increasing team pressure.

Patient feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, highlighting the ease, speed and reassurance provided by secure messaging. The success of this initiative has inspired plans to expand the use of Accurx, including patient-initiated contact forms, ePROMS development and QR code access, aiming to develop a streamlined, patient-centred, digitally-enabled IBD service.