A ONLINE portal which allows patients to manage hospital appointments on the go is being launched by NHS Fife.

Patient Hub is initially being rolled out for those in pain management and vasectomy and will allow patients to confirm, re-book or cancel appointments.

All those who have registered their mobile number with NHS Fife will automatically have access to the service.

It will be available to use on smartphones, tablets and computers.

Letters will still be sent to patients at first but as the service expands the health board aims to start reducing its use of paper where appropriate.

This will help to provide the most up-to-date information in relation to care and support environmental and sustainability values.

Patients will be sent a text message with a link to follow and information on how to access the portal.

They will then answer security questions which will allow them to view appointments.

Medical Director, Dr Christopher McKenna, said: “We are delighted to introduce Patient Hub which gives patients greater control of their appointments.

“The easy-to-use system allows patients to view their hospital appointments online and depending on their service or speciality they can rebook their appointment, confirm or cancel.

“Managing appointments is just the first step with Patient Hub, with the hope to provide patients with even more information via their online portal in the future.”

Patients without regular access to a smartphone, computer or tablet can still opt to be contacted by post if they prefer.

For more information about Patient Hub, visit: www.nhsfife.org/patient-hub