My RFL Care patient portal frequently asked questions - FAQs

My RFL Care is designed to be easy to use and help put you in control of your healthcare. See below for some commonly asked questions about the patient portal.

What is My RFL Care?

The My RFL Care patient portal is Royal Free London’s secure online system that allows you to look at information from your hospital record, view hospital appointments, receive test results and messages from your hospital care team and view your hospital letters. It is accessible from your computer, tablet, or smartphone.

What information can I see on the portal?

You can see an extract of information that we hold about your care on our electronic patient record system (EPR). Once registered you will be able to:

See details of hospital appointments such as date, time, and location.
Confirm your attendance, add reminders to your personal calendar, and view directions.
Change the date or time of some types of appointments.
View and download your appointment letters.
View and download your clinical correspondence letters.
View your lab test results and radiology reports.
View any allergies, key metrics, family, and social history documented on your hospital medical record.
Receive secure messages from your clinician.
Complete questionnaires and assessments prior to your appointments.
Choose your communication preferences and decide if you would like to go paperless.

Please note that not all types of appointments are available on My RFL Care. However, as we continue to develop the portal, more appointments will be available and new features will be introduced.

Who can use My RFL Care patient portal?

At present My RFL Care is available to Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust patients aged 18 and over, who have a UK mobile number and an NHS number.

Registration

Can patients under 18 be signed up on the patient portal?

No, the portal is currently for 18-year-olds and over only.

Can I ask a carer or family member to register on my behalf?

Unfortunately, delegated access is not possible at this time.

I share an email address with a family member, can we both register for the portal?

No. Every patient portal user needs their own email address. If you share one with a family member, one of you will need to create a new email address if you both want to register for the patient portal.

How do I register once I have received a text message from Royal Free London?

When you are scheduled an appointment, or sent a questionnaire, you will be sent a text message inviting you to join the portal (please make sure we have your current UK mobile phone number on our systems).

To register, open the text message from Royal Free London, select the invite link (in the invitation text message) and complete your details. You will then receive a text message containing a 5-digit code. If you do not receive a code, you can request another code by selecting the button labelled 'I did not receive a code'. Then, provide your consent to access your care information at Royal Free London.

For a detailed step by step guide, please watch our My RFL Care registering for the portal video.

I have a mobile but it’s not a smartphone. Can I still register for the portal?

Yes. You can register via a computer or tablet. Visit the Royal Free Hospital Patient Portal webpage and enter your details. You will need your NHS number.  You will receive a text message with a 5-digit code on your mobile that you will need to enter on the website in order to complete the registration process.  We recommend that you save the patient portal website address in your ‘favourites’ on your computer or tablet so that you can easily access it. Once registered, you will still need your mobile number to receive verification codes each time you log in.

Can I opt-out of receiving text messages from Royal Free London inviting me to register for My RFL Care?

If you have received a text message and do not wish to register or receive further invitations, you can send a text message to 62277 with the words 'PORTAL RFL STOP'.

You can also opt out using the online form here. You will need to include your details and the mobile number you have been receiving invitation texts on.

I previously opted-out of My RFL, but I have changed my mind. Can I register now?

Yes. If you change your mind and would like to receive a text message invite to register for the patient portal before your next outpatient appointment is booked, text the words "PORTAL RFL START" to 62277 from your mobile phone. 

Do I need any special software or devices to use the portal?

Once you’ve registered all you need to access My RFL Care is an internet connection and a suitable electronic device such as your home computer, tablet or smart phone, e.g., Apple or Android.

My RFL Care can be accessed using Google Chrome, Safari, Internet Explorer, and Firefox web browsers. If you have trouble viewing the portal, you might need to get an updated version of your web browser. A PDF reader is needed to view some documents within the portal.

The patient portal can be viewed on a tablet or smartphone and is designed to adjust to the mobile device you are using.

Using My RFL Care

I’ve forgotten my email address and cannot log in, what should I do?

If you have forgotten your email address or can’t remember which email address you used to create your patient portal account, you can use your NHS number and date of birth to solve this problem. Select forgot email on the patient portal webpage. Add your NHS number and date of birth. If the details are correct the system will help you find your email address.

Can I change the email I use to log in to the patient portal?

Yes. Go to ‘my details’ in the patient portal.  Select ‘email’ under ‘your login details’.  Confirm your password and then enter your new email address. 

Does changing my email address on the portal change the email stored on my Royal Free London patient record?

Yes, it does.  If we plan to contact you by email (e.g., to ask you to complete a health questionnaire) we will do this using the email registered in the patient portal. 

Can I change my phone number via the patient portal?

No. If you need to update the phone number we have for you, please contact your hospital department.

What should I do if I spot information in the patient portal that is not correct, or not related to my care and treatment?

If you believe the error relates to something clinically important, then please contact the clinical service or team delivering your care. Contact information can be found on letters sent to you from the hospital, or you can find contact details for services and staff on the hospital’s website.

If the error is not urgent, then please raise this next time you are visiting the hospital, so that it can be corrected at that time.

If I update my personal information on the portal, will it update my patient record.

No, alterations made to your personal information will not be pulled through to your hospital record. If your details have changed, please contact your GP practice and the hospital.

Why can I only reschedule some appointments in the portal but not all?

There are several reasons why you may not be given an option to change your appointment using the patient portal, these may include:

Not having any alternative appointment slots available.
Your appointment may have been previously rescheduled a few times by the hospital or by you.
Your appointment cannot be changed online because it may be time sensitive, or requested changes will need to be reviewed and assessed. Hospital teams may need to discuss the requested change before they can be made.
Your appointment may have been booked via the NHS eReferral Service (eRS).

If you are unable to reschedule online, then you can contact the department directly using the phone number on your appointment letter. 

If you were referred through the NHS e-Referral Service, please ring the NHS Appointments Line on 034 5608 8888 or visit  http://www.nhs.uk/referrals to rebook or cancel the appointment.

More information on managing your hospital appointments can be found here.

Will all my letters be on the patient portal?

Appointment letters

When you are booked a new outpatient appointment, you will receive an SMS text message from the Royal Free London. Once you have registered on the portal you will be able to log in and view that appointment letter. You will also be able to view other appointment-related letters in the portal, for example if the trust cancels, or reschedules your appointment.

Please note, if you reschedule your appointment yourself using the ‘Manage’ feature in the patient portal, you will only receive a text message confirming the new date and time you selected, however, you will not see a new appointment letter in the portal. Go to the ‘Appointments’ section of the portal to view updated dates and times and refer to your original appointment letter for all other details such as location and hospital department contact details.

Patient information leaflets and patient resources

A searchable list of patient information leaflets can be found here. Additional patient resources and links to other useful websites can be found here.

What happens if I choose to go paperless?

You will continue to receive paper letters unless you choose to go paperless when you join the patient portal. You can change your preferences at any time. Go to the home page and click ‘my details’. Scroll down to the section called ‘your letter delivery’ to see if you are currently registered for paper free, or traditional post. To change your preference, click on the blue arrow. Even if you choose to opt out of paper communications, we will still send you some letters by post depending on your hospital department.  

Can I use the patient portal to message my clinical team?

If you are registered on My RFL Care and your clinician needs to send you a secure message, they may be able to do so using the portal. If you have been sent a message, you will receive an email notification to your registered email address asking you to log into the portal to view the message. Once logged in to the portal, you can view the message in the 'Secure Messages' section of the portal.

If you are required to respond to the message, a Reply button would be visible at the top of the message.

Test results

Why can’t I see some test results and what does ‘pending’ results mean?

The hospital has taken the decision to have delays in results being visible in the portal. Once your tests have been completed; they will appear as ‘pending’ in the patient portal. The date and time they will become available to view in the portal is displayed and you can log into the portal after that date and time to view them. Please note:

Most laboratory test results have a seven-day delay.
Pathology reports such as cytology and histology have a 30-day delay.
Radiology reports have a 30-day delay.

The delay in results being visible in the portal is to allow clinicians to review, consult and interpret what your results mean as they relate to your specific conditions. Clinicians and clinical teams may contact you to discuss your results prior to results being visible in the patient portal.

I am not a doctor - how will I know what my results and information mean?

Test results and reports have been produced by clinicians and are used to communicate with your GP and/or other health professionals, so they do contain necessary medical terminology. If you do not understand any of the content, we recommend you discuss this at your next appointment.

There is also a useful website that provides information in plain English on what various tests are for, and what the results indicate. This can be accessed here: https://labtestsonline.org.uk/

If my lab results are outside the ‘reference range’ does that mean they are abnormal?

Important things to consider:

A test result outside of the reference range may not indicate a problem. Equally, if all results are within the reference range this does not completely guarantee there isn’t a problem. Patients with chronic diseases often have results that lie outside of the reference range. Speak to your clinical team for more information.
Not all abnormal results will be flagged as abnormal on the report. This is because there are some results that laboratories cannot report an abnormal flag for. This is particularly true for text results.
Always look out for comments attached to results. Often these have important information about the test and how to interpret the result.
Comments may have been added automatically by a laboratory computer or by a laboratory scientist or doctor. Generally, comments are written for the doctor requesting the test, rather than the patient and so they may not be particularly meaningful to you. Always talk to the requesting doctor if you have concerns about a report.

Further explanation about specific tests and reference ranges can be found on https://labtestsonline.org.uk

What action should I take once I receive my results?

You should not make any changes to your treatment or medications based on results viewed on the portal. They are provided for information or reference only.

Changes should only be made in consultation with your treating clinical team.

Accessibility

How accessible is My RFL Care patient portal?

It’s important to us that My RFL Care meets your needs. The portal is a ‘web-based’ app. What this means is you will be able to access it using your internet browser (e.g., Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome) from any suitable device, for example a modern smartphone, tablet, laptop, or PC.

You will be able to use built-in features on your internet browsers or device, such as the 'pinch and zoom' function to increase text size, screen readers and colour contrast. The portal has also been optimised to work with accessibility apps such as Yello and Voiceover.

Can I tell my hospital department that I need an interpreter or BLS interpreter through the patient portal?

Unfortunately, you can’t do this at the moment. Please phone your hospital department about this or ask someone to phone them on your behalf.

More information on booking interpreting and translation services can be found here.

Can I use the patient portal to tell my hospital department that I need reasonable adjustments to be made for my outpatient appointment?

Unfortunately, you can’t do this at the moment.  Please phone your hospital department about this or ask someone to phone them on your behalf.

More information can be found here.

Can I use the patient portal to request or book patient transport services?

Unfortunately, you can’t do this at the moment. Please contact our call centre on: 033 3240 4909 (open Monday to Friday, 8am-5pm).

More information on patient transport services can be found here.

Can I use the patient portal to reschedule my outpatient appointment if I have transport or interpreters booked?

Changing your outpatient appointment using the portal does not change bookings for interpreters or transport. If you need to change your appointment and have any of these services booked, please do not reschedule using the portal.

Instead, please contact the outpatient appointment centre: 020 7443 9757, Monday to Friday, 8am-6pm (excluding bank holidays). Please note, they experience a high volume of calls and thank you for your patience while you wait.

Alternatively, you can use this online form.

Is my information secure?

Yes. My RFL Care patient portal uses the same technology that other websites use to gather sensitive information. The padlock on the web browser assures you the site is secure.

Patients are invited to join My RFL Care based on the mobile number associated with their Royal Free London medical record, and if that mobile number is updated in the hospital medical record, that number will update in My RFL Care as well. To register, patients will be sent a secure link via text message. To log in, patients will use their email address as their username, and they’ll use both a password and two-factor authentication to access the portal. Login is quick and easy, while ensuring that all patient information is secure.

Will the hospital use my email address for anything else?

We take the security of your personal information very seriously and there are strict rules about how we use your data; we will register your email address on our main hospital system to contact you regarding your My RFL Care Patient Portal account.

This contact information will be used to communicate with you regarding your health. By providing your email address, you are giving us permission to interact with you for other health related reasons such as sending email notifications when you have messages from your clinical teams, or for receiving health assessment questionnaires.

Email notifications from the My RFL Care patient portal will display as coming from ‘noreply@iqhealth.com’. These messages only inform you that you there is something for you to action in the patient portal and it will ask you to log in to the portal to view. You will not be able to reply to these email notifications and we will never ask you to reply to this email with any personal information.

Will I be able to see my GP record through My RFL Care?

At this stage you can only see information contained within your Royal Free Hospital record. Your GP record is on a different system and therefore not included in My RFL Care. However, blood tests or scans that are performed at RFL hospitals will be visible in the patient portal.

A single patient record is something that we are exploring with other organisations, we are working towards accessing Royal Free London and GP data through the NHS App, however, this is some time away from being available.

Will my clinician or GP be able to see what information is included?

My RFL Care displays an extract of your complete Royal Free London electronic patient record to which your Royal Free clinical team will have access. GPs often only have access to a subset of this hospital record so may not be able to see all results directly.

The information in My RFL Care is your record - you are free to share the information in the record with other health care professionals if you so wish.

If I was previously registered on Royal Free’s HealtheLife patient portal, will I need to register on My RFL Care?

Yes, the old HealtheLife patient portal elements will now form part of My RFL Care. You will need to re-register via My RFL Care to use the patient portal. The HealtheLife portal will no longer be accessible.