With many people moving away from paper to manage banking, insurance and bills, we are aware some people who use our services may prefer to receive letters from us via email. We will still be able to post letters as we do now. But patients/service users will be offered this option when they have an appointment with their health or social care worker. We are trialling it with our Talking Therapies service in Bedfordshire to iron out any issues and see how people find it.
There are many benefits to sharing information in the way:
Faster
Letters will take minutes to arrive, not days. This will mean that you receive your letter well before your appointment, ensuring you can make the necessary arrangements to attend
Greener
Better for the environment because of the carbon footprint associated with paper, printing and Royal Mail delivery
Cheaper
It costs much less for the Trust to send letters via email meaning that we can divert funding to areas where it is needed the most, like frontline care
More Secure
A letter sent via email is very unlikely to go missing and less likely to be opened by someone who isn’t you than a letter sent via post. We have worked to ensure the security of this service, using a safe route and protecting your personal information contained within the letter. The first time you receive a letter from us via email, we will verify your email address with you, to ensure it is correct
More Inclusive
It is possible for your letter to be translated into the language of your choice, to appear in large text or to be read out to you if you have sight problems
More Choice
This will be an opt-in service; you can choose to receive your letters via post or via email. Even if you opt to receive letters via email, you can later opt out and receive them via post again
More Accessible
You can access your letters wherever you are, on your smartphone