LONDON, April 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Patients at King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (http://www.kch.nhs.uk/) in London are to benefit from a groundbreaking new patient automated arrival system from NCR Corporation (http://www.ncr.com/) (NYSE: NCR). The solution is designed to reduce queuing, increase the immediacy and privacy of patient communications and cut down on paperwork allowing staff to focus on providing the highest standards of clinical care.

The queue-busting NCR MediKiosk(TM) (http://www.ncr.com/industry/healthcare_industry.jsp) solution enables patients to inform the hospital quickly that they have arrived for an appointment, view and update their contact details and complete questionnaires. Receptionists will be on hand to assist patients in using the kiosks if required. Targeted well being messages will also be broadcast on digital displays in the waiting room according to the profile of the patients who are present.

Currently at King's one in seven patients fails to turn up for a scheduled appointment, generally arranged via the NHS Choose Book system or their GP. The majority of patients need follow-up consultations and it is difficult to ensure that they receive correspondence sent by the hospital. A fifth of adults move house every year in the UK according to the Office of National Statistics. Even if patients remember to tell their local GP surgery, address details cannot be easily shared within the NHS.

By consistently asking patients to check their contact details - including their mobile phone number and email address - at the kiosks, King's will help to ensure communications regarding future appointments are received. Additionally the NCR system can identify patients who miss appointments, allowing staff to reschedule at a more appropriate time.

In the next phase of the project, routine information will be relayed to patients prior to their consultation via the kiosks, for example reminders that they will be asked to provide a urine or blood sample or need to observe a 24-hour fast if they are undergoing surgery. This will help to free up clinicians' time to focus on diagnosing, explaining and treating patients' conditions.

From their desktop computers receptionists will be able to monitor whether consultations are in progress, about to begin or delayed via a simple traffic light system. The solution enables individuals to be seen early if slots become free, maximising the use of the clinicians' time, and alerts patients about anticipated delays using a real-time 'ticker' on the digital displays. It also broadcasts audio announcements to call forward the next patient for their appointment.

Howard Lewis, ICT Project Manager at King's College Hospital NHS Trust commented, King's College Hospital selected NCR due to the depth of its self-service experience in the U.S. healthcare market and the proven reliability of its solutions. This exciting new project is supported by a very strong business case. It will help to improve the immediacy and privacy of patient communications as well as reduce queuing and paperwork, enabling our staff to focus on delivering excellent clinical care and enhancing the patient experience at King's.

About King's College Hospital NHS Trust

King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is one of the UK's largest and busiest teaching hospitals, with over 6,000 staff providing around 700,000 patient contacts a year. King's has a unique profile, with a full range of local hospital services for people in the London boroughs of Lambeth and Southwark as well as specialist services to patients from further afield. The Trust is recognized internationally for its work in liver disease and transplantation, neurosciences, cardiac and haemato-oncology. King's also plays a key role in the training and education of medical, nursing and dental students with its academic partner, King's College London. The self-service project team will be lead by Leila Howe, Service Manager, Ophthalmology, Orthopaedics and Pain Management; ICT Project Manager, Howard Lewis and Mark Reed, Purchasing Manager.

For more information, visit http://www.kch.nhs.uk

About NCR Corporation

NCR Corporation (http://www.ncr.com/) (NYSE: NCR) is a global technology company and leader in automated teller machines, self-checkouts and other self- and assisted-service solutions, serving customers in more than 100 countries. NCR's software, hardware, consulting and support services help organizations in retail, financial, travel, healthcare and other industries interact with consumers across multiple channels.

NCR is a trademark of NCR Corporation in the United States and other countries.

News Media Contact Helen McInnes NCR Corporation +44(0)207-725-8253 / +44(0)7748-761-041 helen.mcinnes@ncr.com

News Media Contact: Helen McInnes, NCR Corporation, +44(0)207-725-8253 / +44(0)7748-761-041, helen.mcinnes@ncr.com