Digital patient engagement: Choosing the right PEP for your trust
Patient engagement
15 September 2026
By Emily
Your Wayfinder funding is secured. Now comes the important part: choosing the technology that will deliver it and enhance digital patient engagement.
For NHS Trusts that have secured Wayfinder funding, selecting a Patient Engagement Portal (PEP) is a key next step. The platform you choose will determine not only how patients access appointments and other information through the NHS App, but how far you can take digital patient engagement in the future.
So, what should you look for when choosing a PEP?
Start with your Wayfinder goals
Your PEP needs to support the requirements of your Wayfinder funding, but it shouldn’t stop there.
The NHS App can give patients access to referrals, appointments, clinical documents, questionnaires, waiting list information, notifications and messages, with patient-facing systems providing the connection between these services and the app.
When evaluating potential PEPs, consider what you need to deliver now – and what you may want to deliver next.
Look for deep integration, not another standalone system
A successful digital patient journey depends on what happens behind the scenes.
Your PEP needs to connect effectively with the clinical systems your teams already use, so that patients can interact digitally without creating additional work or duplicate processes for staff.
For Rio-connected Trusts, Portasana provides deep, two-way integration with Rio EPR, alongside NHS App integration. This allows patient-facing services and clinical workflows to work together, rather than operating as separate systems.
This is particularly important when considering how your PEP could support multiple services and pathways across your organisation.
Think beyond appointment management
Appointment management may be an immediate priority, but your PEP should be capable of much more.
Consider whether the platform can support:
- Digital letters and documents
- Questionnaires and assessments
- Patient-initiated follow-up (PIFU)
- Waiting-list management
- Secure messaging
- Supported self-management
- Condition-specific digital pathways
Portasana brings these capabilities together in one configurable platform, allowing Trusts to introduce functionality as their digital strategy develops.
That means your Wayfinder investment can become the foundation for a broader digital front door, rather than a solution built around a single use case.
Choose a PEP that’s already working in the NHS
When you’re working to deliver against a funded programme, proven experience matters.
Ask potential suppliers:
- Which NHS organisations are already using the platform?
- Is the NHS App integration already live?
- Which EPRs does it integrate with?
- How quickly can it be implemented?
- What support is available during deployment?
- Can it scale across different services and pathways?
Portasana is already being used by NHS Trusts across acute, community and mental health settings. In April 2026, Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust became the fifth Rio site to work with Portasana, strengthening the platform’s experience across Rio-connected services.
Make your Wayfinder investment work harder
Securing funding gives your Trust an opportunity to accelerate digital patient engagement. Choosing the right PEP can determine how much value you get from that investment.
Portasana connects the NHS App with existing clinical systems, while providing the flexibility to build digital pathways around the needs of your patients and services.
With NHS App integration, deep Rio integration and a growing range of digital care capabilities, Portasana can support your immediate Wayfinder requirements while giving you room to develop your wider digital strategy.
Already secured Wayfinder funding?
Find out how Portasana can help you turn your funding into a connected digital patient experience – get in touch with our team.