A new solution has been made available to all trusts with the NHS Federated Data Platform (NHS FDP) following successful pilots in London and Cumbria. 

London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, and North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust have all successfully tested the latest NHS FDP product – Patient Led Validation (PLV) – which is now available to trusts across the country. 

The Patient Led Validation product is a new digital tool built on the NHS Federated Data Platform that enables local hospital teams to quickly contact thousands of patients on waiting lists to confirm they still need their appointments. 

The tool allows staff to group patients into targeted cohorts – for instance all cardiology patients waiting more than 50 weeks – and then send tailored, scheduled communications direct to patients through multiple channels, including SMS and postal letters. 

When patients confirm they no longer need appointments, the system enables validation and clinical teams to review responses according to clinical protocols. If appropriate they can then send discharge letters to GPs and patients. 

The tool works with the patient portal or letter system that NHS trusts already use, and helps speed up patient validation by managing large‑scale validation campaigns. This allows patients to confirm whether they still need an appointment, reduces administrative work, and helps cut waiting times.

All 3 pilot trusts have reported significant benefits. 

North Cumbria report in their pilot: 

• 16,145 texts issued, with 13,701 responses of which 12,691 responded with ‘please remove’ (yes) resulting in 876 patients removed and discharged

London North West report use of the tool is preventing the inconvenience of unnecessary hospital visits and freeing up more than 500 appointments for those who need them. Patients who still require an appointment remain on the waiting list are then proactively booked in to clinics. 

Data from their pilot includes: 

• more than 5,400 patients contacted with an 82% response rate 
• 23% of patients contacted have subsequently been reviewed by clinical teams and up to 14% removed per campaign from the waiting list after confirming that they no longer needed to come in 

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust report nearly 900 patients have been removed from waiting lists in the last 2 months through the use of the tool. 

All 3 pilot trusts are enthusiastic about the success of the product. 

Tim Marshall, Head of Elective Care at London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust, said: “We’re proud to have played a leading role in developing and testing the Patient Led Validation tool. What used to be a lengthy, admin-heavy process is now much swifter and easier to track, with patients easily able to tell us when they no longer need an appointment and clinical teams easily able to review cases when they need to. 

“We’re excited by the way patient-led validation empowers patients to play a much more active part in their care, which we know they appreciate from the excellent response rate. It also gives us the chance to support our teams with streamlined, clinically governed ways of working that they feel confident in using. It’s a powerful example of what collaborative innovation across the NHS can achieve.” 

Dr Roger Chinn, Chief Medical Officer at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, commented: “The Patient Led Validation module has improved the experience for our patients at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust by making it easier for them to confirm their place on the waiting list, and let us know whether they still need their appointment. 

“By replacing outdated processes with something faster and more convenient, we’re reducing missed appointments and keeping lists accurate, enabling us to provide patients with treatment in order of those who need it most, and who have been waiting longest. It’s just one of the ways Chelsea and Westminster is harnessing digital innovation to make healthcare more responsive and patient-focused.” 

Colin Holmes, Head of Planning and Strategy at North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Patient Led Validation is helping us to reduce our waiting lists, and more importantly, ensuring we focus our efforts on people who really need our help. 

“There can be a number of reasons people no longer need their appointments, for example their symptoms have now cleared up. Integrating our PLV process with FDP has meant we have been able to streamline and automate much of the previous process, saving time and resources.” 

Following the successful pilots at London Northwest, Chelsea and Westminster and North Cumbria in November 2025 the product was made available to any trusts with the NHS Federated Data Platform.  The tool is deployed alongside the NHS FDP Referral to Treatment (RTT) product – so the programme will focus its efforts on those trusts who already have RTT in the first instance. 

Publication reference: PRN01464vii