[EBO] more than rose to the challenge. It felt like a true development partnership with staff from both EBO and BCU forming a cohesive team
Making Every Appointment Count
Turn missed appointments into meaningful patient engagement with Maya, EBO's AI-powered Virtual Assistant. Maya combines AI with behavioural science to identify the reasons behind patient no-shows and helps to prevent recurrence.
- Reduces DNAs
- Engages in over 100 languages
- Provides direct support to overcome barriers
- Automates admin workflows with actionable insights
- Reaches out via SMS immediately after a missed appointment
- Enhances care pathways using closed-loop behavioural analysis
Making Every Appointment Count
Turn missed appointments into meaningful patient engagement with Maya, the AI-powered Virtual Assistant that combines AI and behavioural science to uncover the “why” behind no-shows and helps to prevent them from happening again.
- Reduces DNAs
- Engages in over 100 languages
- Provides direct support to overcome barriers
- Automates admin workflows with actionable insights
- Reaches out via SMS immediately after a missed appointment
- Enhances care pathways using closed-loop behavioural analysis
The Problem
Missed appointments delay care, waste resources, and increase backlogs. In fact, the NHS Elective Reform Plan has set a 0.6% reduction target in missed secondary care appointments.
Patients often face a range of obstacles—both within and outside of their control—that prevent them from attending their scheduled visits. Some of the most common reasons include:
- Process inefficiencies
- Socioeconomic barriers
- Communication gaps
- Appointment no longer needed
Virtual Assistant Ali
12:43AM
Hello! Thanks for helping us reduce missed appointments. We want to understand why you missed your appointment so we can improve our services.
Virtual Assistant Ali
12:43AM
This chat is important because missed appointments can make others wait longer for help.
Virtual Assistant Ali
12:43AM
Also going to your appointments helps the doctor give you the care you need.
Virtual Assistant Ali
12:43AM
First, can I ask some basic questions about you?
Sue Jones
12:44AM
Yes
Virtual Assistant Ali
12:44AM
How old are you?
Sue Jones
12:45AM
48
Virtual Assistant Ali
12:45AM
Thanks! Now, can you tell me why you missed your last appointment? Your answer is anonymous, so please be honest.
Sue Jones
12:46AM
I had another thing to do that day and couldn't find the number to cancel my appointment.
Virtual Assistant Ali
12:46AM
Thank you. Did you get a text reminder a few days before your appointment?
Sue Jones
12:47AM
Maybe, but I don't really use texts.
Virtual Assistant Ali
12:47AM
Would it help if you could use an app on your phone to change appointments?
Sue Jones
12:48AM
Maybe, but I'm not good with technology
Virtual Assistant Ali
12:48AM
Would you like help installing an app and learning how to use it?
yes
Virtual Assistant Ali
12:48AM
Here's a link to download the NHS App. It's easy to use, but if you need help, call 0333 200 1133.
Sue Jones
12:49AM
Thank you!
Virtual Assistant Ali
12:49AM
Are there other reasons you couldn't come to past appointments?
Sue Jones
12:49AM
Sometimes I don't have bus money
Virtual Assistant Ali
12:50AM
That's okay. Did you know you might get help with transport costs?
Sue Jones
12:50AM
No
Virtual Assistant Ali
12:50AM
Would you like me to send you information about this?
Sue Jones
12:50AM
Yes please
Virtual Assistant Ali
12:50AM
Do you prefer a letter, a link on your phone, or to talk to someone?
Sue Jones
12:50AM
I'd like to talk with someone.
Virtual Assistant Ali
12:51AM
Great, let's check now if you're eligible for transport help. It might save you a phone call.

Missing an appointment is the strongest indicator that someone may miss future appointments. That’s why engaging with patients after a missed appointment is crucial.
However, current solutions are either costly, requiring staff to contact patients directly, or ineffective, relying on mailed letters.
The Solution
Meet Maya, EBO’s AI Virtual Assistant, designed to make every appointment count. After a missed appointment, patients receive an SMS with a secure link to chat with Maya. She asks short, friendly, anonymous questions in the patient’s preferred language and reading level. Watch the video below.
How it Works
Here’s how Maya improves patient engagement by addressing the root causes of no-shows.
Identify Barriers
Understands why patients miss appointments and offers tailored support.
Apply Access Policies
Responds based on provider policy—informs next steps or discharges patients.
Encourage Attendance
Uses behavioural science to re-engage patients.

Analyse & Share Insights
Highlights non-attendance trends by specialty and demographics.
Trigger Automated Actions
Initiates admin workflows based on patient responses.
Refine with Closed-loop Analysis
Tracks outcomes to continuously improve engagement.
Core Capabilities
Conversational AI + Behavioural Science
Leverages AI and behavioural science to engage patients after missed appointments, influencing behaviour and reducing non-attendance.
Data-Driven Insights
Generates actionable insights from anonymised data, enabling healthcare providers to identify key drivers of missed appointments by specialty and demographic.
Personalised Digital Support
Offers tailored tools to address specific barriers like appointment cancellations, transport issues, and accessing support.
Driving Future Attendance
By using closed-loop analysis, it tracks patient behaviour to evaluate and improve the intervention.
Multilingual & Multi-Literacy
Supports over 100 languages and adapts language level to cater to a reading age of 8.
Seamless NHS Integration
Integrates smoothly into NHS workflows, automating administrative tasks and reducing the risk of patient discharge.
Closed-Loop Analysis
Tracks patient engagement and behaviour, continuously refining the intervention based on real-time data.
Alignment with Local Access Policies
Ensures consistency with local access policies by following provider guidelines on next steps after a missed appointment, whether informing the patient of follow-up actions or discharging them to primary care.
The Results?
With Maya, healthcare providers can take meaningful action on missed appointments, aligned with the NHS Elective Reform Plan’s goal of a 0.6% reduction in DNAs. Access the guide to see how Maya turns insight into action.

Interested in learning more?
Get EBO’s full guide to cutting missed appointments with Conversational AI.
Winning Clients’ Trust
Here are a few words from our clients on their experience with our solution.

Danielle Edwards
- Head of Digital Transformation
- Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board

If a solution like EBO is implemented across the NHS, it can revolutionise access to maternity care for the majority of service users. The point is to release capacity in Health systems by using innovation and technology that supports that.

Charlotte Clayton
- Clinical Academic Doctoral Midwife
- RM Princess Anne Hospital, University Hospital Southampton

The experience of working with EBO on our Virtual Assistant has been very positive. EBO and Servelec listened to our feedback and helped design AI solutions that benefit our patients by providing an alternative way they interact with the trust.

James Mariott
- Digital Change Manager
- Somerset NHS Foundation Trust
I think where we really found the stress is on the admin. A lot of our service users are calling us, which means that our lines are continuously busy and admins miss some of the calls, as they are on the phone with another service user at the time. It means that people are trying to get in contact till the late evening when the services are closed. It really opened up our eyes to see that there are other ways our clients can communicate with us and there are other ways that we can communicate with the clients. It actually works for them.

Shona Richards
- Digital Transformation Project Manager
- East London NHS Foundation Trust

EBO is a trusted partner of Microsoft, because a lot of what we see with thousands of customers that we work around the world is very much aligned with EBO’s mission and vision. They empower caregivers; they empower administrative staff, and they empower patients to have better access to information. 84% of Healthcare Executives believe that AI will revolutionise the way we obtain information.

Ruthy Kaidar
- Director, Healthcare Industry Sector
- Microsoft

We have a growing backlog and we have patients whose conditions are just getting worse as their appointments are delayed. We have people in the community who cannot even get their first appointment, they cannot get diagnosed and they cannot receive early treatment. Covid has accelerated our adoption of virtual appointments and remote patient monitoring, so there is some efficiency gained there.

Jenny Chong
- Associate Non-executive Director
- Medway NHS Foundation Trust

It is indeed a pleasure to work hand-in-hand with EBO in developing our AI profile and competence. Apart from providing excellent technical expertise, EBO has consistently supported, trained, and maintained a close relationship with all of our team whilst overseeing the development, deployment, and successful marketing of our AI platform. Such support is unique and provides us with the confidence and motivation to further develop this exciting Artificial Intelligence revolution together with EBO, and be able to provide a holistic and efficient experience to our clients.

Jean Claude Muscat
- CEO
- Saint James Hospital

Our booking officers absolutely love our Virtual Assistant Alex, since it does the legwork and they can focus on the patient. Over the last six months, Alex has helped save 24 hours of staff time every week. Our callers come from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, so we worked with our communication to make sure Alex understands all our patients and the different ways they communicate.

Kim Hale
- Digital Change Lead
- Somerset NHS Foundation Trust

“Working with EBO is like ‘a breath of fresh air’. They have a deep-seated ‘can-do’ ethos to delivering successful solutions and our collaboration functions as a true partnership. The EBO Virtual Assistant is a new technology for us with great potential as it integrates directly with our Electronic Patient Record. We initiated a pilot with EBO on e-Consent and are already lined up for rolling out pre-assessment and appointment modules.¨

Andy l’Anson
- IT Programme Manager
- Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust







