Digital by default

We’re reducing the number of letters we send to make your NHS more sustainable

At Royal Devon we have moved to a digital by default approach to outpatient appointment letters.

This means that many patients who have an active MY CARE account receive their Royal Devon outpatient appointment information through MY CARE and not through the post.

We made this change in February 2024. Under the new system patients with an active MY CARE account are notified about any new appointment information in MY CARE by text message and/or email depending on their individual communication preferences. Patients need to click the link in their text message or email to view their full appointment information in MY CARE.

We know that getting hospital appointment information is important, so we also have a back-up to our digital communications. If you don’t click the link or open the appointment letter in MY CARE within a certain time-frame, then we will send the information by phone or post.

Why has the Royal Devon made this update?

We made this update in response to patient feedback. People who use MY CARE to manage their healthcare have told us that they want to receive appointment information just through MY CARE and not through the post.

We send out about 2 million letters to patients every year. By switching to digital letters through MY CARE we can dramatically reduce our paper consumption and mailing costs, saving money and reducing our impact on the environment.

What if I need my information by post?

If you have MY CARE, or you are signing up to MY CARE, and would still like to receive appointment letters through the post, then you simply need to set your communication preferences to opt-in to post.

You can find more information about setting and updating your communication preferences in the guidance and FAQs here.

Is there anything I need to do?

There is nothing that you need to do, but you may wish to check your communication preferences to make sure you are happy with how they are set up. It is also a good idea to check that your contact details are up-to-date.

Where can I get more information or help?

Click here for FAQs and guidance about updating your communication preferences.

If you need any additional help, then please contact our Helpdesk on: rduh.mycarehelp@nhs.net or 01392 404664, between 9am and 5pm. (Outside of these hours, please leave a message including your name and contact details.)