GP media is full of headlines to the effect that demand in general practice has been overwhelming in recent weeks. Our data from practices shows around 10% increase since January, peaking in March. Seasonal effects are normal, but is overlaid with the unpredictability of the pandemic (last year saw demand reduced 30%). There are real world reasons why demand is now high: secondary care waits, mental health issues and increased complexity. How can askmyGP practices adapt? We don’t have a silver bullet but can offer some thoughts. Firstly, a couple to avoid:
– It may be tempting to delay non-urgent patients. This doesn’t really save work, as the patients still need to be dealt with and are more likely to chase, increasing stress. – Shutting off online access when a number has been reached means patients will turn to the phone, increasing workload on the day, but they may lose trust in the online system longer term, increasing your workload.
We suggest continuing the tactics you would normally use, with these aims:
respond rapidly to avoid patients chasing and rework
encourage online access as it gives you the option to message patients
manage the flow same day to keep you feeling in control.
1. Check the data that you have on demand, from your reports section. Trends over time will give you the longest view, while weekly demand shows the split by day of week. From the superuser menu Settings>Capacity planning helps with a simple way to estimate demand, as a % of your list size by week and by day. By default set to 6.5% of list per week for clinical and 1% admin, you can adjust these figures and save to dashboard. Some practices drive more demand eg repeat prescriptions through askmyGP, so it’s best to use your own figures. 2. Adjust rotas? Where possible, both timing and capacity (number of requests per session) will help. You’ll see on the dashboard how close total capacity comes to predicted demand, which is a good predictor of how well each day is going to work. 3. Adjust opening hours? Views differ on how best to organise. Many practices accept requests 24/7, responding only in core hours, and we’ve found that patients appreciate the convenience but rarely abuse the system. OOH requests are about 20% of the total, much of it just before opening time, and weekends are very low. Others don’t accept requests OOH or stop receiving requests some time in the afternoon. Our evidence shows that this has very little effect on total demand (patients have to wait), but if the cutoff is too early, say before 4pm, it does drive demand onto phones which increases practice workload. Requests judged urgent should still be put onto askmyGP so the workflow is consistent and you have a true picture of total demand, while losing the ability to message patients.
4. Change service message? Any service message can be set at Settings>System to advise patients although we don’t know how well read they are. A short message is always better than a long one which is much more likely to be skimmed or ignored.
5. Assign new requests quickly especially at peak times. If there is likely to be a delay compared with normal service, you can send a preset message from the assign screen (“skip” bottom right, then the message dialogue appears)
They say that after rain comes the sunshine and we expect the normal pattern to be re-established before long. Roll on summertime!
Are you seeing higher than usual demand?
GP media is full of headlines to the effect that demand in general practice has been overwhelming in recent weeks. Our data from practices shows around 10% increase since January, peaking in March. Seasonal effects are normal, but is overlaid with the unpredictability of the pandemic (last year saw demand reduced 30%). There are real world reasons why demand is now high: secondary care waits, mental health issues and increased complexity. How can askmyGP practices adapt?
We don’t have a silver bullet but can offer some thoughts. Firstly, a couple to avoid:
– It may be tempting to delay non-urgent patients. This doesn’t really save work, as the patients still need to be dealt with and are more likely to chase, increasing stress.
– Shutting off online access when a number has been reached means patients will turn to the phone, increasing workload on the day, but they may lose trust in the online system longer term, increasing your workload.
We suggest continuing the tactics you would normally use, with these aims:
1. Check the data that you have on demand, from your reports section. Trends over time will give you the longest view, while weekly demand shows the split by day of week. From the superuser menu Settings>Capacity planning helps with a simple way to estimate demand, as a % of your list size by week and by day. By default set to 6.5% of list per week for clinical and 1% admin, you can adjust these figures and save to dashboard. Some practices drive more demand eg repeat prescriptions through askmyGP, so it’s best to use your own figures.
2. Adjust rotas? Where possible, both timing and capacity (number of requests per session) will help. You’ll see on the dashboard how close total capacity comes to predicted demand, which is a good predictor of how well each day is going to work.
3. Adjust opening hours? Views differ on how best to organise. Many practices accept requests 24/7, responding only in core hours, and we’ve found that patients appreciate the convenience but rarely abuse the system. OOH requests are about 20% of the total, much of it just before opening time, and weekends are very low. Others don’t accept requests OOH or stop receiving requests some time in the afternoon.
Our evidence shows that this has very little effect on total demand (patients have to wait), but if the cutoff is too early, say before 4pm, it does drive demand onto phones which increases practice workload. Requests judged urgent should still be put onto askmyGP so the workflow is consistent and you have a true picture of total demand, while losing the ability to message patients.
4. Change service message? Any service message can be set at Settings>System to advise patients although we don’t know how well read they are. A short message is always better than a long one which is much more likely to be skimmed or ignored.
5. Assign new requests quickly especially at peak times. If there is likely to be a delay compared with normal service, you can send a preset message from the assign screen (“skip” bottom right, then the message dialogue appears)
They say that after rain comes the sunshine and we expect the normal pattern to be re-established before long. Roll on summertime!
What you can read next
How will your PCN manage workflow, demand and capacity?
We need happier GPs
Fancy a 10 hour working day?