How North East London NHS reduced missed appointments by 25%
Find out how the Trust cut DNAs, freed clinical capacity, and improved patient access without increasing pressure on frontline teams.
North East London NHS Foundation Trust (NELFT) generated a 25% reduction in missed appointments (DNAs) by automating appointment management using EBO’s AI solution – fully integrated with Rio EPR and co-designed with frontline staff.
Overview
North East London NHS FT (NELFT) serves 4.3 million people across London, Essex, Kent, and Medway, providing integrated community and mental health services.
The Challenge
Before deploying EBO’s AI Automated Appointment Management Solution, NELFT relied heavily on letters and telephone lines (operating between 9am and 5pm) to manage patient bookings. Patients didn’t have a digital way to arrange or adjust their appointments. As a result, staff spent significant time booking and rebooking appointments manually, whilst DNA rates also increased.
The Solution
NELFT introduced EBO’s AI-driven Virtual Assistant across 2 early adopter services to provide patients with a simple, conversational interface to book, reschedule, cancel, or view appointments 24/7. Fully bi-directionally integrated with Rio EPR and co-designed with frontline teams, the solution enables customised business process automation.
Download the case study to discover the solution’s performance, results, benefits, financial impact, staff and patient feedback, and the Trust’s next steps.
Summary of outcomes
Shortlisted for the HSJ Digital Awards 2026!
We’re proud to have partnered with NELFT NHS Foundation Trust on the Harper Virtual Assistant, which has been shortlisted in the ‘Unlocking Productivity and Efficiency with Digital’ category at the Health Service Journal HSJ Digital Awards 2026.
Harper, EBO’s VA, helps patients book, reschedule, cancel, and view appointments online, improves access to care, reduces pressure on administrative teams, and is already delivering fantastic results!
Webinar Insights:
EBO’s AI Appointment Management Solution Transforming Scheduling at NELFT NHS FT
David Pike, Assistant Director of Healthcare Informatics – Clinical Systems, and Samir Shah, Chief Clinical Information Officer at NELFT, shared insights on EBO’s appointment management solution in EBO’s recent webinar. Watch the key insights here.
Discover how NELFT transformed its appointment management process using AI
“Parents and carers now have the flexibility to book appointments at a time that suits them, without needing to wait for a call-back or navigate complex systems. This has led to a noticeable increase in clinic utilisation and reduced missed appointments.”
Lisa London
Head of Universal Services Redbridge, NELFT
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