NELFT Reported by EBO to Cut Missed Appointments by 25% With AI Virtual Assistant Harper

According to EBO's case-study page, North East London NHS Foundation Trust (NELFT) achieved a 25% reduction in missed appointments (DNAs) and £169,135 in annual DNA savings across two early adopter services that use EBO's AI Virtual Assistant, named Harper. The page also gives patient engagement out-of-hours of 43% and a patient satisfaction rate of 91%. NELFT serves 4.3 million people across London, Essex, Kent and Medway. It partnered with EBO to digitise its appointment management process and give patients a 24/7 self-service alternative to call-based bookings and rescheduling. The Trust set out to improve patient experience, reduce administrative burden and lower missed appointment rates. EBO's AI-powered Virtual Assistant gives patients a simple, conversational interface to book, reschedule, cancel and manage appointments independently. The solution is fully bi-directionally integrated with Rio EPR and was co-designed with frontline teams, which, according to EBO, enabled intelligent automation of booking workflows while keeping them aligned with existing clinical processes. Harper has been shortlisted in the 'Unlocking Productivity and Efficiency with Digital' category at the HSJ Digital Awards 2026. EBO describes Harper as a virtual assistant that "enables patients to book, reschedule, cancel, and view appointments online, improving access to care, easing pressure on administrative teams, and already delivering outstanding results."