The key component of the partnership will be the delivery of self-service kiosks to NHS trusts. The kiosks enable patients to check-in automatically for an appointment and to ensure that their information is as up to date as possible - including address, next of kin, ethnicity and religion. Existing deployments have shown that self-service kiosks improve the patient experience and eliminate queues. They also free up reception staff time so they can concentrate on other vital administration duties and devote more time to providing face-to-face help for those patients who need it most. By automatically logging patients, the system also helps clinical staff keep a roster so they can better manage their work flow. Crucially, it can help identify and cut down on time wasted waiting for patients who 'Did Not Attend' (DNA).

The kiosks have been designed for easy use by people of all ages and abilities. The system can read a barcode printed on an appointment letter or card to automatically log in the patient - or patients can key in their details manually on a touch screen. There is a wide choice of language options as well as a format, meeting RNIB standards, for visually impaired people. By displaying the patient’s General Practitioner's details on screen, the trust can share information with the correct practice.

Readily accepted by members of the public of all ages, kiosks streamline the appointment process and help improve attendance rates.

"This is an exciting addition to our range of solutions that we can now offer UK trusts," comments Andrew Spence, CSC's UK director of healthcare strategy. "Savience has an excellent track record of delivering innovative self-service kiosk technology and the combination with CSC's expertise in healthcare IT means we are perfectly positioned to continue delivering solutions that will save time and money while improving the patient experience."

"With the kiosks we can now enable trusts to be truly patient-facing. By cutting down or eliminating reception queues, hospitals can run far more efficiently and clinical staff can be assured they have accurate up-to-date information about the patient. I believe trusts will greatly appreciate the 40 percent time saving benefits that the kiosk have been proven to deliver," added Spence.

Savience managing director, Roger Everitt, said: "Already proven, I strongly believe that trusts will be receptive to the self-service kiosks, and that partnering with CSC will strengthen our position to rapidly roll out this technology. We have demonstrated that kiosks work and that they free up resources and improve the patient experience, so our objective is to ensure that they become common place in all trusts throughout the country. Working with CSC will provide the platform to enable us to work towards that goal and several trusts have already expressed an interest in the kiosks."

Related news articles:

• CSC's Profile

About CSC
CSC is a global leader in providing technology-enabled solutions and services through three primary lines of business. These include Business Solutions and Services, the Managed Services Sector and the North American Public Sector. CSC's advanced capabilities include system design and integration, information technology and business process outsourcing, applications software development, Web and application hosting, mission support and management consulting. The company has been recognized as a leader in the industry, including being named by FORTUNE Magazine as one of the World's Most Admired Companies for Information Technology Services (2010). Headquartered in Falls Church, Va., CSC has approximately 94,000 employees and reported revenue of $16.1 billion for the 12 months ended April 2, 2010. For more information, visit the company's website at www.csc.com.

About Savience
Savience Limited is a UK-based software development company specialising in cost- effective, clinic management systems for the health sector. Founded in 2001, Savience is based in Towcester in the UK's East Midlands. With in-house software developers and a touch screen manufacturing plant on its doorstep, Savience can react quickly to clients' specialised needs. Relationships with top IT suppliers to the NHS, ensures that Savience keeps well ahead of the competition and provides systems that integrate easily into existing IT infrastructures.