The City of Cape Town’s Health Department has piloted an online appointment portal, where clinic clients can schedule clinic visits to suit their needs and schedule.
The portal is a step up from the existing appointment system, which until now has allowed clinic staff to make appointments on behalf of clients.
However, by accessing the portal, clients can now decide when exactly they want to visit the clinic, and where.
The portal also allows them to cancel and reschedule bookings – all from their cellphone.
‘This pilot project aims to put clients in control – they can choose their preferred date and clinic for a consult, or schedule a follow up visit in consultation with staff. Our clinics have migrated to a digital records system, so a patient’s details can be pulled up at any facility, irrespective of where they originally opened their folder. These are some of the examples of how City Health is working towards an improved client experience, and to move away from the long-held idea that a clinic visit requires a full day,’ said Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services and Health, Councillor Patricia van der Ross.
The booking platform works as follows:
- Clients can access it via https://healthcareappointments.capetown.gov.za
- Alternatively, they can scan the QR code to link them to the site.
- If it is their first time, they’ll be required to enter personal details including their name and cell phone number.
- Once the registration is completed, they are able to follow the prompts to book their appointment.
- The user will receive a confirmation SMS to the cellphone number that they’ve used to register for the service.
- Should they need to reschedule or cancel the appointment, they are able to do so by logging on using the original OTP, and cancel the appointment using the reference number received.
‘I want to encourage as many of our clients to use the system, not only to make their lives simpler, but also to help us iron out any glitches. I also want to appeal to users to please stick to their appointment times by arriving at least half an hour earlier. The ideal is to be seen within a reasonable time period of the appointment, but we cannot aim for that if clients are late. It causes knock-on effects that throws off the entire schedule. And, while staff will aim to abide by appointment times, they also have a duty of care to ensure that consultations are done as thoroughly as possible.
‘These are exciting times for City Health, and I call on everyone to please work together so that we can build a system that works, for everyone’s benefit,’ added Councillor Van der Ross.
