Blog

In the coming years, the NHS is faced with the enormous task of going fully digital. While daunting, health bosses know that greater efficiency is needed if it is to cope with the challenges that lie ahead – including an aging population and complex conditions caused by obesity or excessive alcohol, as well as the rising cost of treatments.

The NHS is now on course to go paperless by 2020, with plans to make it easier for both medical practitioners and patients to access detailed electronic records. This ‘joined-up’ approach also allows professionals to share information confidentially, helping to ensure better patient outcomes, while making strategic decisions about service provisions.[1]

With demand on services only set to increase, the NHS is also looking at ways of reducing the administrative burden on staff. Tasks like booking appointments or sourcing additional rooms for speedier consultations may appear straightforward, but mistakes are both expensive and frustrating. With NHS targets for consultation waiting times now set at a maximum of 18 weeks, health providers simply cannot run the risk of mistakes or delays due to double-booked appointments, or a failure to utilise available resources.  

This is one of the reasons why scheduling software is already proving its worth for many healthcare providers, while also being aligned with plans for a digital NHS. It is well-documented that early intervention is essential – but if patients cannot access primary care, they may admit themselves to A&E instead, putting more strain on the service.

This is where scheduling software can help, enabling GPs and practice nurses to book last-minute appointments through their computer without having to spend time finding out whether a room is available.  

It can also prove effective in hospital renal departments, which must be able to accommodate large volumes of dialysis patients. The number of people living with kidney disease and receiving dialysis has risen from 20,000 in 2008 to a projected 40,000 by next year, largely because people are living for longer. As highlighted in our renal report, healthcare professionals are finding it increasingly difficult to manage appointments and waiting times using paper diaries, further strengthening the case for electronic systems.

Automation is key to ensuring processes are as efficient as possible, minimising the chance of error and maximising the available resources. Missed appointments, for instance, cost the NHS millions of pounds each year and take up time that could have been used to see someone else. To counter this, many trusts now use reminder services, usually in the form of a text message, alerting patients to an upcoming appointment.

Whether they work in a surgery, hospital or other healthcare setting, medical professionals want to ensure everyone can be seen when needed and that they receive the best possible treatment. Paper-based systems are already outdated and far too cumbersome to cope with the growing pressures faced by the NHS, while the scope for error is huge. Of course, new technology usually requires buy-in from teams as well as investment in training, however it pays dividends in the long-term.

For more details on our solutions, including ones developed for oncology, renal and outpatients departments, visit the products page.

[1] Source: https://www.england.nhs.uk/digitaltechnology/info-revolution