Helena Brown, Interim Head of Customer Success, Accurx
For a long time now, many GP practices have been overwhelmed with patient demand. But what we hear and see from our GP community is that much of this demand could be better managed in a different setting, or even entirely self-managed by the patient.
So why isn’t it? Perhaps the more existential reason is that from a young age, it’s been ingrained in us to ‘call for a GP appointment’. Another reason is that the system has always placed GP practices as the first point of contact for patients, even though they end up spending a lot of time diverting requests that could be better managed elsewhere.
Over the years, this has led to:
- Poor patient access to general practice – GP or PCN appointment waiting times can be over six weeks, and patients often experience the ‘8am rush’ when seeking care.
- Poor patient access to alternate services – it is hard for patients to know what services are available to them and how to get in touch. We recently surveyed 214 practices and the second biggest factor that slows GP practices down with their triage process is having to signpost patients away from the GP to alternate services.
- Poor efficiency – patients end up being seen in more expensive and capacity-constrained settings, and there is significant duplication as they bounce around the system.
But we know there is a better way. Over the past few years, there has been constant innovation and commissioning of alternative and more appropriate channels to direct patients to. This ranges from NHS.UK self-help content and self-refer physio services, to Pharmacy First and out-of-hours GP services. Now we need to put these channels to better use, through creating a single ‘digital front door’ that directs patients to the most appropriate setting first time, instead of using primary care’s limited resources to redirect them when their care isn’t best managed there. In this article, I’ll explore what that could look like.
A digital front door
We believe that the future of digital in primary care is in a single ‘digital front door’ that directs patients to the most appropriate setting, first time. The front door allows the patient to see and get in touch with both primary and secondary care services in their area from one single place, so patients are treated in the right place, with the right person, in time.
For example, if a patient presents with a sore throat or sinusitis, the digital front door could pick up that these are Pharmacy First conditions, and make them aware that they can be treated in their local pharmacy. Of course, showing all options for care would not be appropriate for every patient. The NHS Spine integration would recognise specific cohorts of patients who could be directed immediately to any existing team they were under, e.g. complex care coordination.
A digital front door would reduce demand on GP practices, decrease duplication of patient requests across NHS services and increase the speed at which patients get the right care.
At Accurx, we believe the digital front door we’re building could eventually divert up to 40 percent of requests away, before they ever reach the GP practice.
What to think about when implementing a digital front door
Consider first where a ‘digital front door’ can have the greatest impact, fastest. For example, with a record 3.8million people treated in 2023 by NHS Mental Health Services, and a large proportion of these being for mild to moderate conditions, the digital front door could play a huge role in signposting to IAPT self-referral options locally. We’d recommend connecting with your local IAPT services or pharmacies as part of Pharmacy First to explain the change and how this could affect patient flow. In the case of Pharmacy First, the front door could be a huge incentive to get their completed consultation payment.
Then there’s preparing patients for the change. We’ve come a long way since the pandemic in delivering and accessing care digitally and we know involving patients is integral to any digital change management. Your Patient Participation Group will have some ideas on how to make the transition to a digital front door seamless. Consider starting out by sharing the link to the front door with patients who you know are digital champions and familiar with online consultation. If it doesn’t work for them, it won’t work for the rest of your patients. Then consider what resources might you need to help other patients get on board, and how your admin team can begin preparing patients in their regular touchpoints for the change.
Your local patient population is unique, and their needs will affect what services have been commissioned in your area and therefore what is available to them in the digital front door. By knowing these services, and mapping out which ones you want the digital front door to signpost to, you’ll be able to hit the ground running.
Interested?
If you’re interested in up to 40 percent fewer requests coming to your practice, or the practices in your ICB, whilst improving productivity, access and staff experience, we’re currently recruiting for a front door pilot. Get in touch with customer.success@accurx.com and we’ll add you to our waitlist.
