Communication Policy

Whitstable Medical Practice may use email and text messaging to contact you with:

• Appointment reminders
• Appointment letters
• Individual invites to screening, medication reviews, vaccination appointments
• Test result notifications/advice to call the practice where action is needed
• Concise clinical information or advice
• Updates about your prescription request or online consultation
• Friends and family test surveys
• Interactive messages with the ability to confirm/cancel appointments

There are many benefits of allowing us to communicate with you via email and text message including:

• Provides a fast, effective and instant means of communication
• Provides an easy, low cost way for us to keep in touch with you
• Saves you time waiting on the phone to get through to us
• Supports people with hearing difficulties and other sensory impairments

Things to consider

You should consider the following in connection with these types of communication:

• Does anyone else have access to your phone or email and if so, would you be happy for them to see any messages you may receive?
• We use encrypted emails which means that no one can see or tamper with the data while it is being transferred across the network or internet. Your own emails to them may not be encrypted.
• You are responsible for ensuring you provide us with the correct email address and mobile number. You must inform us of any changes. This will ensure you don’t miss any information and it avoids information going astray should it be sent to the wrong email or phone number. If you need to update your details, you can do so using our online form.
• Be careful of spam texts or emails that might come from people posing as a health or care organisation. We will always make it clear that the email or text message is from us.