The challenge
Upperthorpe & Ecclesall Medical Centre faced significant challenges with their outdated telephony and patient management system. It couldn’t provide actionable data, which made it impossible for the practice to redesign its operations around patient access needs.
Without the ability to generate insights, the practice could not identify or address key issues affecting patient access and satisfaction. On top of this, any system changes required external intervention from the supplier, which limited the practice’s control and flexibility.
This lack of data and control meant the practice struggled to efficiently manage patient interactions and meet growing demand, ultimately impacting the quality of care and patient satisfaction. That’s where Focus Group came in…
The solution
To address these challenges, Upperthorpe & Ecclesall Medical Centre utilised Think Healthcare’s comprehensive NHS-specific cloud telephony system and Virtual Care Navigator (VCN). This combination allowed the practice to redesign its operations around real patient access data and significantly improve patient experience and operational efficiency.
Our VCN solution now allows patients to book, check, and cancel appointments, order repeat prescriptions, and access vital services via the phone. Integrating seamlessly with the medical centre’s clinical systems, VCN can support multiple languages and enhance patient satisfaction, coupled with a cloud telephony system featuring auto-callback, dynamic call routing, and advanced analytics.
Ultimately, this solution ensures efficient communication and uninterrupted patient support, with customised call routing prioritising vulnerable patients and extensive staff training empowering autonomy and operational optimisation.
The results
Our VCN and cloud telephony solution for Upperthorpe & Ecclesall Medical Centre has already achieved a 92% patient satisfaction rate, reflecting significant improvements in access and service quality.
Furthermore, by automating prescription processes, call volumes have been reduced by 30%, allowing the VCN to handle a third of daily calls and freeing up receptionists for complex tasks.
An 80% triage form completion rate further decreased call queues, with call volume reduction allowing for the reallocation of 3.5 FTE funding to clinical care, increasing appointment availability.
Effective call management, even during peak times, streamlined prescription management and reduced digital exclusion, with customised configurations have addressed access inequalities, enhancing services for diverse patient needs.
Overall, Upperthorpe & Ecclesall Medical Centre’s strategic use of data and technology has significantly enhanced service delivery, demonstrating how a well-integrated communication solution can meet the evolving needs of both patients and healthcare providers.
“The data is absolutely fantastic. What we can get out of it has transformed how we manage patient interactions and our overall efficiency.
For the elderly, to be able to order their medication on the phone, it has given them their autonomy back. They can look after themselves, and that’s absolutely fantastic.
Our receptionists got really excited about the data, and it became a bit of a competition to see how we could improve patient access and satisfaction.
Integrating the VCN with our existing systems has been a dream. It works seamlessly and has significantly improved our operations across both of our sites.”