UHNM Orthodontics goes digital to improve patient consent and cut carbon
Orthodontic patients at University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust (UHNM) are benefitting from a faster, safer and more environmentally friendly way to give consent following the launch of new digital forms.
The new system replaces paper forms with a digital version on UHNM’s secure platform, letting patients review, complete and sign consent forms electronically.
The change also reduces the use of paper and the transport of documents between Royal Stoke University Hospital and County Hospital, Stafford, saving thousands of sheets each year and lowering UHNM’s carbon footprint.
Miss Yatisha Patel, consultant orthodontist, said: “Introducing digital consent forms has made a real difference for our patients and staff. Patients can now read and understand the forms more easily, ask questions if needed and sign confidently knowing their information is secure. It also saves administrative time for our clinical teams, who no longer have to manage multiple sheets of paper, scan documents or worry about lost or illegible forms.”
“Before the change, consent forms were ordered from an external company, consisted of multiple sheets of paper, and once completed, transported between the Royal Stoke and County hospital before being scanned into electronic records. This process was time-consuming, carried a risk of illegible or lost documentation and added to our administrative workload. By moving to a digital system, UHNM has improved accuracy, made cost savings, reduced delays and minimised environmental impact.”
“Since going digital, we’ve already saved over 4,500 sheets of paper and cut more than two and a half tonnes of carbon emissions, the equivalent electricity consumption of about one and a half average households for one year, from printing and transport. It’s been incredibly rewarding to see a process that once took hours and multiple pages now completed quickly and safely with clear benefits for everyone involved.”
Miss Patel added: “This project has been a great team effort to drive sustainable practice within the department, with contributions from not only UHNM Digital Services, but also our nurses, clinicians, clinic managers, healthcare assistants and administrative staff. Their initial insight has been invaluable in understanding the way the old system worked, to make the new digital consent process user-friendly- providing real patient and environmental benefits.”