AI cuts patient call wait times by up to 90% at UHSussex
- 30 April 2026
- AI-powered automation has cut appointment call wait times by up to 90% and reduced call abandonment by 75% at University Hospitals Sussex
- High uptake of self-service tools means 36% of calls are diverted and around 1,500 patient queries are resolved daily without staff input
- Digital engagement and waiting list management improvements have lowered DNA rates to around 4% and cut waiting lists by 12%
Patient call wait times for appointments at University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust have been cut by up to 90% since the implementation of AI-powered automation technology from Netcall.
To improve patient access and outcomes, the trust introduced an AI Virtual Assistant from Netcall’s conversational AI and intelligent call routing platform, alongside Netcall’s patient engagement portal and waiting list validation solution.
The AI Assistant understands patient requests in natural language and can answer common questions, support self-service tasks such as appointment changes, or route patients to the right teams.
Since launching the service, call wait times have been cut from more than 30 minutes to under three. Call abandonment has fallen by 75%, while digital engagement has reached 86%, with many patients choosing faster self-service options for simple queries.
James Allan, associate director – planned care at University Hospitals Sussex, said: “One of our key objectives is to make it as easy as possible for our patients to reach us, and get the support they need, without long waits on the phone.
“We are now seeing greatly reduced wating times for patients, and call abandonment rates have also fallen below 10%.
“We have a strategic commitment to embrace technology to improve the care of our patients. We are now able to deal with routine requests more effectively and quickly, giving our teams more time to focus on supporting patients when they do need to speak to someone directly.”
The service has led to 36% of calls being diverted from the booking centre, allowing around 1,500 patient queries a day to be resolved without long waits.
Alongside the AI Virtual Assistant, Netcall’s patient engagement portal (Patient Hub) digitises appointment communications and supports waiting list validation.
The Trust can now attach information leaflets to appointments, helping patients better understand upcoming procedures and how to prepare.
By providing answers to common questions in advance, patients have the information they need at their fingertips without needing to call the booking centre.
As a result of the technology, Did Not Attend (DNA) rates are now at around 4%, and approximately 200 appointments are rebooked or cancelled daily via self-service, reducing inbound demand further and freeing up capacity for patients who need direct support.
Weekly appointment validation campaigns are also sent to around 4,000 patients, cutting the waiting list by 12%, enabling clinical teams to prioritise patients who still require treatment.
To streamline and simplify communications further, the trust now operates a single phone number for all patients and is implementing a multi-language AI chatbot.
John Clarke, head of healthcare solutions at Netcall, said, “University Hospitals Sussex has demonstrated what is possible when AI-powered automation is deployed.
“By dramatically reducing wait times, cutting abandonment rates, and enabling patients to manage their appointments digitally, the trust has made accessing care simpler and more convenient, while giving staff back valuable time to focus on more complex patient queries.
“It shows how intelligent automation can strengthen both patient experience and operational resilience at scale.”
In January 2026, University Hospitals Sussex selected Alcidion as the preferred supplier for its new electronic patient record (EPR) system.
