Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust

Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust replaced its limited paper-based Health Passport for 1,600 children in care/care leavers with a digital solution using Patients Know Best (PKB).

The old system was static, easily lost, lacked confidentiality, and prevented direct communication between nurses and young people.

The new PKB solution (implemented using the Care Plan functionality) offers a secure, dual (paper and digital) system that enables:

• Direct, secure messaging between nurses and young people.

• Centralised health information and resources.

• Increased control and confidentiality for the young person over their health records.

Early outcomes show improved engagement, empowerment, and communication for young people, giving them greater agency and control over their health journey as they prepare for adulthood.

To read the use case in full, click here

Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust

Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (MPFT) adopted the PKB to transform its Adult Mental Health Services (AMHS). The primary goal was to achieve compliance with the Professional Record Standards Body (PRSB) standards for mental health care plans and to improve patient-centred care.

The Challenge

• Inconsistent and Inefficient Processes: Essential care plans (like 'About Me,' 'Overcoming Challenging Times,' and 'Care and Support Plan') were inconsistently recorded, often relying on paper-based questionnaires completed during appointments.

• Administrative Burden and Data Quality: The reliance on paper and subsequent scanning led to administrative burdens, data quality issues (like illegibility and missing data), and variations in care plans.

• Poor Clinician and Service User Experience: Clinicians lacked easy access to crucial information within the clinical system (Rio), hindering collaboration. Service users experienced a lack of transparency, delays in accessing their care plans, and found the existing plans unclear and geared towards professionals.

The Solution

MPFT implemented PKB as part of a Trust-wide Digital Transformation, focusing on a fully automated AMHS pathway completed in six months.

• Automated data collection: Service users can now electronically complete required questionnaires (including PROMs) within PKB.

• Seamless integration: PKB integrates with the NHS App, allowing service users to access their health information and complete questionnaires conveniently.

• FHIR integration with clinical system (Rio): Information completed in PKB is securely transferred via FHIR APIs to populate the clinical system (Rio).

• Collaborative care planning: Professionals use this real-time data to build personalised care plans. These plans are then automatically uploaded from Rio back into the service user's PKB record, ensuring immediate access and transparency.

Key Outcomes and Benefits

• PRSB compliance achieved

• Enhanced collaboration and decision-making

• Streamlined workflows

• Empowered service users

   

The Trust is now planning to expand the rollout of PKB to other clinical teams, including community services, applying lessons learned from this initial phase to drive further engagement. To read the full use case, click here.

Barts Health NHS Trust Send Care Plans to PKB

Background

Bart’s Health NHS Trust went live with Patients Know Best (PKB) in May 2023 as its Personal Health Record (PHR), part of a broader rollout across acute trusts in North East London. By September 2025, Barts has created over 1 million patient records and registered nearly 300,000 patients.

The Trust has driven adoption through automated SMS invitations, QR codes in hospital areas, and targeted email campaigns. Once registered via NHS login, patients can view appointments, digital letters, consent forms, care plans, test results, and radiology reports, and choose who to share their record with (GPs, carers, or family).

The Problem

Historically, patient consent forms for procedures and operations at Barts Health were paper-based, often leading to:

• Administrative burden from scanning, storage, and postal distribution.

• Delays in patients receiving a copy of their consent.

• Limited patient access outside of hospital visits.

• Difficulty aligning with NHS digital-first and sustainability objectives.

The Solution

Since October 2024, Barts Health has integrated consent forms into PKB via Concentric. These consent forms are sent to the PKB "Plans" section of a patient’s record.

Workflow:

1. Consent completed by the consultant/medical team prior to surgery or procedure.

2. Consent form uploaded into the Trust’s local system.

3. Form automatically sent via integration into PKB plans section.

4. The patient receives a PKB notification and can access their consent form at any time.

Currently, Barts is sending over 500 consent plans per week to PKB.

The Outcome

• Operational efficiency: Reduced administrative workload and postal costs.

• Patient empowerment: Patients have direct, digital access to their consent forms within their Personal Health Record.

• Sustainability impact: Supports NHS England’s digital-first goals, cutting down paper usage and associated carbon footprint.

• Digital leadership: Barts is among the pioneering trusts in North East London advancing integrated digital workflows, with strong governance, patient engagement strategies, and lessons learned for system-wide scaling.

York Mental Health Trust Enhancing Mental Health Self-Management with PKB

Background

The York Mental Health Trust is using Patients Know Best (PKB) to empower patients with low-level mental health issues to better manage their conditions and foster a more collaborative care environment. Currently, 68% of patients are registered via NHS login, with 16% logging in at least once a week.

Through PKB, patients gain access to appointment summaries, self-monitoring tools, shared care planning, and condition-specific resources, enabling a more patient-centred approach to care.

The Problem

Patients with low-level mental health needs often face challenges including:

• Limited access to tools that support self-monitoring and reflection.

• Lack of personalised, co-produced care plans tailored to their individual goals.

• Difficulty in staying organised with appointments and follow-up actions.

• Gaps in proactive crisis-prevention planning.

This made it more challenging for patients to engage in self-management and for clinicians to track outcomes effectively.

The Solution

York Mental Health Trust started using PKB to support both patient empowerment and collaborative care planning:

• Self-management tools: Patients use care plans to self-assess their mental health, track progress over time, and access a tailored library of resources.

• Organisation support: PKB’s diary feature gives patients summaries of past appointments and allows them to log upcoming ones.

• Co-produced care plans: Patients and clinicians work together to create personalised care plans that reflect preferences and goals.

• Safety planning: Patients develop safety plans in PKB, detailing strategies for maintaining well-being and actions to take if their mental health declines.

• Clinician monitoring: Completing questionnaires and care plans enables clinicians to track progress and inform decision-making.

The Outcome

• Improved self-management: Patients are more engaged in managing their health, with access to self-help resources and personalised plans.

• Crisis prevention: Safety plans act as proactive measures, reducing the risk of escalation.

• Organised care: Appointment tracking helps patients stay on top of their treatment journey.

• Better clinical oversight: Clinicians have access to patient-entered data, enabling them to tailor interventions.

• Strong engagement: 68% of patients are registered on PKB, and 16% actively log in weekly.

These results demonstrate measurable progress in patient empowerment, collaborative care, and digital adoption, with the potential to reduce face-to-face appointments and increase overall service efficiency.

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