Patients Know Best (PKB)
We are in the process of launching the Patients Know Best (PKB) platform – a free, secure online patient portal that gives you access to your personal health information anytime, anywhere via the PKB website. It helps you stay informed about your care and treatment, with instant notifications whenever new information is added to your record.
PKB is used by healthcare organisations across the UK, and some of our patients may already have a PKB record with another healthcare organisation.
If that is the case then you may have received an email notification from PKB to tellyou that you have been added to the Bolton NHS Foundation Trust’s Patient Records Team.
This is because we have a patient record for you on our main patient administration system which has linked to your PKB record based on your NHS number.
At the moment, we are sharing details of outpatient clinic appointments to your PKB record. Blood test and radiology scan appointments are not shown, and some community appointments may also be missing.
We are continuing to develop the service, and more information and features will be added over time to improve your access and experience.
All of our patients may register to access their PKB record by following the step by step guide available on the PKB website.
After registering you can access PKB here.
FAQs
We’d like to reassure you that nobody within our organisation or within PKB has attempted to access your health information.
Part of the launch process involves creating records for patients that we will use to add details about future appointments.
If you have been added to our system, it is because we have a patient record for you on our main patient administration system which has linked to your PKB record based on your NHS number. This may mean that you have previously used our services, even if it was some years ago.
None of your health records have been viewed, or can be viewed by our teams.
This is because we have a patient record for you on our main patient administration system which has linked to your PKB record based on your NHS number.
As some records go back a number of years, many organisations have changed names or the services they provide. Whilst you may not have received care directly from us, at some point in the past you have accessed care from a service that we are now responsible for.
There are a number of steps you can take. We can remove you from the system by contacting pkb@boltonft.nhs.uk. You can check your access in the sharing tab, and disable sharing.
You can also contact help@patientsknowbest.com for support.
For step by step guidance on how to register for your PKB record then please visit the PKB website.
You can access your PKB record from any smartphone, tablet, or desktop device. There’s no need to update your device or install new software. Simply use your web browser to log in at my.patientsknowbest.com. Either you (or your carer) will need regular internet access to receive your correspondence and to access all the features.
Yes. This is an online service and will require you or a carer to have regular internet access to receive your correspondence via the portal and to use the additional features.
Yes. The PKB software meets NHS requirements for health record systems and is fully compliant with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Only the minimum level of data necessary to verify you has been uploaded. All personal and health information stored is encrypted.
Yes. If you want a family member or carer to have access to your portal record they can be added in the ‘Sharing’ section. This will allow them to set up their own account and allow you to control the level of access they have to your record.
For more information please click this link to visit the guide on the PKB website: Sharing - Manual - PKB external wikis
No, this will not affect the care you already receive from us. Instead, PKB is designed to make it easier for you to access information about your care, be more involved in decisions about your treatment, and manage your care safely at home.
You may not have information in your records when you first register but this will change over time as you visit us for treatment. In the meantime, you can add your own information – for example, by tracking your symptoms, recording any medication you take, connecting wearable devices (e.g. Fitbits or glucometers) or keeping a journal to help monitor any conditions.
Using PKB is optional. If you would like to access information about your care online, you can choose to sign up and ‘opt in’. If you choose not to use it then there’s nothing you need to do, and it will not affect the care you receive from us.
At the moment, your PKB record should show any future outpatient clinic appointments you have booked. We are not currently sharing details of appointments for blood tests or radiology scans, and some community appointments may also be missing.
If you have a query about an appointment then please refer to your appointment letter if you have received one, or contact the clinical service or relevant booking team.
If your personal details need updating, please let your GP know so their records are up to date. You can also tell the receptionist or booking team when you attend your next appointment.
If your query is not relating to an appointment then please contact us by email at pkb@boltonft.nhs.uk or by phone on 01204 487459.
At the moment, your PKB record should show any future outpatient clinic appointments you have booked. We are not currently sharing details of appointments for blood tests or radiology scans, and some community appointments may also be missing.
If you have a query about an appointment then please refer to your appointment letter if you have received one, or contact the clinical service or relevant booking team.
The contact numbers for our different booking teams are listed below:
Booking Team
Ophthalmology (Eye Unit) - 01204 390333
Single Point of Access Team
Podiatry
Treatment Room
Bladder and Bowel
District Nursing
01204 462626
Community Therapy Admin
Pelvic Health Team
Paediatric Nutrition and Dietetics
Paediatric Speech and Language Therapy
Paediatric Neurology
Paediatric Occupational Therapy
Paediatric MSK
01204 462670
Adult Nutrition and Dietetics - 01204 462695/462693
Adult Speech and Language Therapy - 01204 463210
Adult Diabetes Service - 01204 462400
Paediatric Diabetes Service - 01204 462460
Access, Booking and Choice Department - 01204 390400
For technical issues please email the technical team at PKB help@patientsknowbest.com, or complete this support form: https://support.patientsknowbest.com/en/support/tickets/new. Please do not share any personal or clinical information with the team at PKB.
Click on the ‘Forgot password’ link on the PKB login page and follow the instructions. More information can be found on the PKB website: Setting and resetting your password
If you are unable to reset your password for any reason or have forgotten the answer to your security question then please contact us by emailing pkb@boltonft.nhs.uk
If you forget your security question for your Patients Know Best account, please click on the ‘Forgot password’ link on the PKB login page to reset your credentials via your registered email. More information can be found on the PKB website: Setting and resetting your password.
If you have a question which isn’t answered by any of the information above, and isn’t regarding an appointment, then please contact us by emailing pkb@boltonft.nhs.uk and our support team will get back to you as soon as possible.
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