‘‘GP teams are stretched to our limits as demand for our services rises but we have fewer fully qualified, full-time equivalent GPs than we did five years ago.’ Professor Kamila Hawthorne - RCGP chair.
The demand for GP appointments is skyrocketing, fuelled by a growing and ageing population, increasing chronic health conditions, and heightened patient expectations. At the same time, primary care budgets are not keeping up with rising demand, leaving many healthcare providers searching for innovative ways to meet these challenges without compromising the quality of care.
An article by the BBC earlier this year explained the impact the rising demand is having on GPs and their patients, saying that wait times of 28 days or longer for an appointment have increased to 188,000 in 2023. A spokesman said the "intense workload and workforce pressures" facing GPs and their teams was contributing to many patients struggling to access timely care.
GPs provide essential services and care to millions across the UK. However, the pressure on these services is intensifying, with many patients facing long wait times for appointments. This growing demand not only strains resources but also impacts the overall patient experience and the job satisfaction of healthcare professionals.
CE of The King’s Fund Sarah Woolnough highlights the issues for patients, GPs and the wider NHS by saying ‘Many people across the country will have personal experience of struggling to get a GP appointment, trying to contact other services, and when all avenues have been exhausted, reluctantly going to A&E. It feels like all roads lead to the hospital, but our hospitals are already full.’
In order to combat this situation, GP practices need to begin streamlining processes to save time, resources, and money. This is where Patchs comes in. Patchs is a comprehensive tool equipped with AI capabilities designed to enhance the efficiency of GP practices, presenting a cutting-edge solution to these challenges, here’s how the solution can help:
Telephone Requests
As well as being an intuitive Online Consultation System, Patchs also features a Telephone Assistant, which allows patients to use their phone to contact their GP, but instead of having to wait in a queue to speak to a receptionist and make a face-to-face appointment, they will instead be given the option to go through Telephone Assistant, which will ask them the same questions they would answer online.
Their answers are then transcribed into the online system, mirroring the same workflow as a digital submission. Once in the Patchs system the clinical member of staff can view and action the request as needed.
This means the flood of morning calls can be reduced to a trickle, GPs won’t need to put extra staff on to handle the excessive workload, and reception staff can focus their efforts elsewhere to deliver excellent care to patients.
Language Translation
In our diverse society, language barriers can pose significant challenges in healthcare settings, often costing the practice time and money to translate patient requests. Patchs addresses this issue head-on by offering language translation services in over 30 different languages, allowing clinical staff to pick up requests from patients, regardless of their native language, without missing a beat.
Automated Triage
Whilst patients being able to log a request without the need to speak to a receptionist saves time and reduces stress all around, there is the concern of more urgent cases getting buried in a pile of non-urgent requests. However, the smart AI within Patchs intelligently categorises and prioritises patient requests based on urgency, enabling GPs to focus on those who need immediate attention first, and handle the rest later.
Demand Management
Unlike other online consultation systems, Patchs is equipped with advanced demand management tools. This means the system can be kept on at all times, but the number of requests during a given period can be limited in order to prevent an unmanageable number of requests landing on GPs all at once.
In conclusion, by integrating Patchs into their practice, GPs can significantly reduce administrative burdens, streamline processes, and allocate their time and resources more effectively. This not only tackles the issue of rising demand and lower budgets, but also enhances the overall patient experience—ensuring timely access to care and reducing unnecessary stress for both patients and healthcare providers.
To find out more reach out to a member of our team and start your journeying to a more efficient way of working.
