You may have heard that as of 1st April 2015, NHS-provided SMS and Fax services are undergoing a changeover. What will this changeover entail?

For the past eight years, the NHS has been using a centrally-controlled and centrally-funded messaging service. However, as part of the UK government’s G-Cloud initiative, healthcare providers will now have to procure messaging services using the agreed G-Cloud Procurement Programme. Trusts will be required to re-elect their service providers and will need to arrange payment schemes with their chosen companies.

In short, the central funding for NHS Mail SMS and Fax services is coming to an end.

How should Trusts handle this changeover?

By choosing Wirefast as a communications provider, this changeover will happen seamlessly. Wirefast has been providing the NHS Mail SMS and Fax services for over eight years and as the incumbent supplier are best placed to continue this efficiency.

SMS: simple, powerful and effective

SMS has become a communications backbone saving people time, creating business efficiencies and saving millions of pounds for organisations such as the NHS.

Multiple studies have proved the efficacy of SMS. It is a fact that the average text message is opened and read 5 seconds after it has been delivered. Furthermore, 98% of text messages are read, compared to just 22% of emails. When the message matters, SMS is the technology to use.

The use of SMS technology to send appointment reminders significantly reduces the number of missed appointments, saving the NHS millions of pounds.

Stay tuned for another blog outlining how we can help you avoid workflow disruption and costly pitfalls during the NHSmail switchover.

How to get in touch with one of our NHS Mail messaging specialists:

Telephone: 020 7092 8400 Email: moc.tsaferiw@duolcg‎