Overview
Plashet Medical Practice was under pressure across its access model, despite rotas being broadly aligned to demand. The issue was not capacity alone, but how patient requests were being managed across different routes.
By introducing Total Signposting and creating a single, consistent care navigation process, the practice was able to reduce pressure, improve fairness and make better use of appointments.
Alongside this, a clear set of operational measures gave the team the visibility to track performance and keep improving over time.
The challenge
Demand was coming in through multiple routes, but it was not being handled in a consistent way.
Appointments were often filled early in the day, which meant there was less flexibility to respond to patients with urgent need later on. At the same time, variation in how requests were assessed meant that prioritisation was not always based on clinical need.
The existing model relied heavily on a first come, first served approach, which added pressure to the front desk and created frustration for both patients and staff.
The approach
The focus was on practical, day to day changes rather than large scale redesign.
Working through the Modern General Practice framework, the practice introduced Total Signposting to ensure that all patient requests were assessed in the same way, regardless of how they were received.
A single care navigation process was put in place across phone, online and in person contact routes. This created a clearer and more structured way of understanding patient need at the first point of contact.
To support this, the team developed a suite of KPIs covering telephony, online access and appointment utilisation, giving them a practical way to monitor performance and adjust their approach.
What changed in practice
- New AccuRx templates aligned to self booking links and the EMIS diary
- Telephony messaging updated to promote online enquiries
- very patient enquiry recorded through AccuRx, regardless of contact route
- Patients informed they would receive a same day update on their care plan
The results
The changes led to clear improvements across demand, access and staff time.
Reduced call demand
Calls reduced by around 33%, equivalent to 8 hours and 40 minutes of talk time per week.
Shift to digital access
Online enquiries increased significantly, rising by around 1000% and broadly matching the reduction in phone calls.
Time savings for staff
At least one minute saved per telephone call, equating to around 4 hours and 20 minutes per week.
Improved appointment availability
Appointments were no longer filled early in the day, allowing capacity to be held for patients with urgent need.
Better patient and staff experience
Reduced pressure at the front desk and fewer difficult interactions with patients.
What this meant in practice
The practice made clear progress in care navigation, digital access and demand management.
What stands out is that this was achieved through straightforward operational changes, supported by consistent use of data, rather than major redesign.
By creating a consistent approach across all contact routes, the team was able to:
- Prioritise patients more fairly
- Use appointments more effectively
- Reduce avoidable pressure on staff
- Respond more flexibly to demand throughout the day
Key learning
This case shows how much impact a consistent care navigation approach can have.
When every patient request is assessed in the same way, practices are better able to prioritise safely and make full use of available capacity.
It also highlights the importance of combining process change with simple, practical data. Having clear measures in place allowed the team to track progress and keep refining their approach.
It shows that meaningful improvement does not always require large scale transformation. Clear processes, aligned teams and simple digital tools can make a real difference.
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