Why are we doing this?
Our patients told us they were frustrated by the outdated technology used to manage appointments, the timeliness of communications and the letters they received about their care. For example, we previously relied on 15 different systems and 40 mailboxes to manage patient bookings. Three-quarters of calls to the Outpatient Appointment Service were simply to check, rebook or cancel appointments, tasks that most people would expect to complete online or through an automated system.
That is why we introduced the Patient Services Hub, bringing together and modernising outpatient and inpatient administrative services. By using digital tools, we aim to make processes simpler, more efficient and more consistent.
Progress so far
We have made strong progress in many areas and throughout the implementation we have ensured our colleagues in primary care, the ICB, NHS England and the CQC have been aware of our progress.
We recognised that some staff and patients had concerns about aspects of the Patient Services Hub implementation and that it had not yet delivered all of the improvements we expected in every area.
That is why in July, we announced a six month pause to further implementation of the PSH. During that time, we have been working hard with our clinical and administrative colleagues to make improvements:
- We have significantly improved our telephone response rates, even during peak periods. Before we established the Patient Services Hub, people could be waiting up to 45 minutes for their phone call to be answered as we had multiple telephone lines going to individual people. Now, the current average waiting time is 4-5 minutes.
- Only 13% of callers abandon their call before speaking to someone, which is significantly fewer than before the introduction of the Patient Services Hub where the historical figure was around 60%.
- Around 50% of calls are resolved or actioned at the first point of contact, with the remaining callers directed to the appropriate team.
- Patients can resolve routine queries, such as checking appointment details, cancelling appointments or rebooking, using automated self-service options.
- Historically, outpatient appointments were only booked 1-2 weeks in advance which often meant patients couldn’t make the necessary arrangements, such as arranging leave from work, to attend and this resulted in a high number of cancellations or people not attending. We are now booking over 80% of appointments for three to four weeks ahead and making significant progress towards our aim of booking all appointments six weeks in advance. Theatre booking is also progressing well. This means we can make the best use of those appointment slots to see as many patients as possible.
- We are using SMS messaging to notify patients about outpatient appointments available at short notice, usually due to cancellations. This helps patients access appointments more quickly while saving staff time by removing the need to contact each patient individually by telephone.
We are regularly reviewing our progress on making improvements and will be continuing the further implementation of the PSH continuing the engagement with clinical and administrative staff at the end of the six month pause.