Healthcare
Enhancing Patient Flow and Practice Efficiency
Enhancing Patient Flow and Practice Efficiency
We partnered with a GP practice in Cambourne, Cambridgeshire through the NHS England General Practice Improvement Programme (GPIP), delivering targeted interventions to optimise patient access pathways, improve digital engagement, and create quantifiable time savings across reception and clinical functions.
Results
- 3 hours 50 minutes saved per month through reduced DNAs (Did Not Attend appointments)
- 1 hour 22 minutes per week saved in reception check-in time
- 3 hours 4 minutes per week saved through digital access promotion
- 8 hours 14 minutes total weekly time savings across the practice
- Improved patient flow through repositioned self check-in facilities
- Enhanced communication through PPG engagement and local media
- Increased use of pre-consultation information gathering
Approach
- Diagnostic activity to highlight areas for improvement
- Significant opportunities were identified within:
>Understanding and managing demand across multiple access channels
>Analysing patient flow through the practice
>Improving digital uptake for appointments and follow-ups
>Enhancing patient communication about services and self-help options
>Optimising staff workload to ensure wellbeing and productivity
>Spreading demand more evenly throughout the day to improve access - Comprehensive review of existing improvement recommendations from the System Leadership Framework (SLF) diagnostic tool and MGPST assessments
- Detailed analysis of demand patterns across telephone, walk-in, and digital channels
- Audit of appointment utilisation and avoidable appointments to identify learning opportunities
- Review of waiting time at reception desk to understand patient flow challenges
- Assessment of DNA rates and contributing factors
- Evaluation of digital engagement including NHS App and AccuRx usage
Solution
- A thorough understanding of current processes and challenges was gained through comprehensive engagement with clinical and administrative teams
- Created structured action plan from SLF and MGPST recommendations with realistic implementation timescales
- Conducted detailed demand and capacity analysis across multiple access channels (telephone, walk-in, and AccuRx)
- Established regular monitoring of appointment system to identify avoidable appointments and learning opportunities
- Repositioned check-in screen to improve visibility and accessibility following patient flow audit
- Ordered second check-in screen based on analysis of reception waiting times
- Engaged with Patient Participation Group (PPG) to improve communication strategies around digital access and demand distribution
- Developed regular practice updates for local publication “Crier” to educate patients about spreading demand throughout the day
- Created standardised text message templates with self-booking links for follow-up appointments, reducing manual GP task creation
- Implemented pre-consultation information requests to enhance clinical efficiency
- Developed specialised templates for medication, HRT and pill check reviews to maximise appointment capacity
- Introduced appointment reminder and cancellation link through AccuRx, reducing DNA rates by 36% within one month
- Expanded patient communication through coordinated website, Facebook and in-practice messaging
