Getting help

If we have your details saved, a link will be sent to you via text message from NHS PAHT. Each time there is new information in My Alex Health, you’ll receive a secure link that can be accessed via your smartphone, tablet or computer. Once it’s connected later this year, you’ll be able to access it via the NHS app too.

You can access My Alex Health via any internet or data connected computer, tablet or smartphone, but if you’re not able to, or have difficulties accessing it, you can give consent for someone else to on your behalf. If you’d rather not, or are unable to use My Alex Health, you needn’t do anything, as we will continue to provide printed documentation and use existing contact methods.​

You’ll receive a text message from either DrDoctor’s number (07860 039092) with a link that looks a bit like this: nhs.my/8kdjd7M6, or from NHS PAHT. These links via text are unique to you and will take you to either a PDF version of your letter or take you to the My Alex Health patient portal to sign in.​

If you have not opened your digital letter in My Alex Health or via the Dr Doctor text message, you’ll receive a printed letter in the post as normal, so you don’t need to do anything. If you have opened your digital letter and would like a printed copy, you can either print the letter from within My Alex Health or request a printed copy from PAHT via Settings. 

If you have entered your details correctly (please double check), but My Alex Health doesn’t recognise them, it could be that PAHT holds different details for you. You could call them and ask them to check or wait until your appointment letter arrives and ask when you visit the hospital.​

This error occurs in one of two scenarios:​

Either you’re trying to view a letter for a family member or relative who is registered at PAHT with the same phone number or email ​

or​

You’re registered at more than one NHS Trust and when you logged in, you picked the wrong Trust portal. If this is the case, click the link again and make sure it’s the right NHS Trust.​

The patient portal is a web-based, secure, digital service where you can see information relating to your care with us. By choosing to use the patient portal, you will be able to:

• Receive appointment reminders on your phone
• Manage your own appointment schedule
• Complete assessments and questionnaires from home
• View all hospital letters digitally

Did you know you can manage your care online in our patient portal?

With the patient portal, you can keep informed and up to date with your care from anywhere. 

You might have already used our patient portal, but we’re working on improving it so you can do even more.

Over the next year, we will be introducing new functionality such as:

• Confirming, rescheduling and cancelling your appointments in the portal
• Completing assessments and questionnaires from home
• Viewing and managing your information and receiving The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust notifications in the NHS App
• Viewing your hospital health record in the portal

We’re working to make managing your healthcare with us easier, quicker and safer through the patient portal, but don’t worry, if you can’t or don’t want to use it, you’ll continue to receive all your hospital information via the post or telephone as usual.

Over the next 12 months, we are implementing, improving, and transforming the patient portal to provide a wide variety of benefits. 

When the patient portal is fully functional:

• When you receive a notification from the hospital, you will only receive a text message from a recognisable name “NHS PAH” to access the patient portal

• You will be able to access the patient portal using NHS App login details — click here for more information about the NHS App

• You will have easy digital access to view your appointments and clinical letters

• You will be able to see all your appointment information in a portal accessible from a phone, tablet, laptop or PC, with all the information you need in one place

• You will receive an improved quality of care by improving accessibility options for you

• You will have the ability to switch between paper letters only and digital online letters at the your convenience

• You will not have have to wait for paper letters to come in the post, as they will be available at your fingertips through the patient portal

When you visit the hospital for your appointment, you won’t need to remember to bring paper letters to appointments, as it will be in the patient portal.

The portal is available to all patients over the age of 18, via any internet or data-connected device such as smartphone, tablet, computer or laptop. 

If we have your phone number, we’ll text you when you have a new appointment letter that’s viewable within the patient portal. To access the patient portal, tap the link within the text message and complete registration.

It’s important that when asked for your communication consent, you select ‘Yes’. This will allow you to use the patient portal. 

The NHS App is different to our patient portal, but the two work together. Think of the NHS app as the front door to all of your NHS information. For us, our patient portal is what’s behind it. 

The NHS App contains lots of useful information and capabilities for managing your care with your GP and hospitals. Later this year you’ll be able to see The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust information in there too – this is thanks to our new patient portal. 

To read more about the NHS App, visit the NHS website here. 

Right now we have two portals, which means you could receive text messages in two ways:

From ‘NHS PAHT’ or ‘07860 039092‘.

Any text messages received from either of these two senders is from The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust and the information contained is safe and trustworthy.

Eventually all text messages will come from NHS PAHT, but this change will take place gradually over 2025. In the meantime, whichever portal you are using, be assured your information is safe, secure and easy to access.

If you are unsure about a text message from us, or you’d like to talk to someone to check before you tap a link, please don’t hesitate to contact our PALS team on 01279 827211 or email [email protected].

To get the most out of Alex Health, we would strongly encourage you to use the patient portal. 

However, using the portal is completely optional and if you are not able to or choose not to use it, you will continue to receive your letters and appointment information by post. 

If you register for the portal but decide you’d like to go back to paper letters and telephone communications in the future, you can do so by unregistering and deleting your account within the portal.