Manager Practice
“
WE ARE VERY MUCH DRIVEN IN HOW WE DELIVER OUR SERVICE BY WHAT IS AVAILABLE TO SPEND. BUT OUR PRACTICE VALUES ARE ALSO HUGELY IMPORTANT
”
But providing alternative services is of no use unless patients are actively directed to use them. So the practice introduced a computer-based tool called Navigator which the medical receptionists use to guide patients to the most appropriate service. This might mean offering an appointment at the Xpress Clinic or with a practice nurse or healthcare assistant – or if necessary a GP either by phone or face-to-face. Patients may also be directed to the primary care access centre at the local hospital or Pharmacy First. The system was developed by GPs and includes safety features to manage emergencies and urgent needs. “It’s not about denying access to doctors,” says
PHOTOGRAPH: RICHARD LEE
wrote in the BMJ: “The objectives of demand management are essentially utilitarian: the maximisation of total met need for the greatest number within available resources. The process is not simply about curtailing demand for ineffective services but may involve creating demand for underused services known to be cost effective.” In explaining the concept to me, Pat likens it to building roads.
“They put a motorway around Newcastle, two lanes in each di- rection. Fantastic – it took traffic from the toll tunnel underneath the Tyne. It was wonderful. Within a year or two the road was full. So you build more lanes and what do you get – more cars. At some point you have to do something to stop people from want- ing to drive. You need to offer alternatives.” Pat and her team began exploring more innovative ways of dealing with the rising demand among patients at Seaton Park. Among the initiatives they introduced was an Xpress Clinic run by specialist trained nurses, offering treatment for minor illness- es such as acute cough and chest infections, earache and urinary infections. The service has helped free up more GP consulting time. The practice also offers a telephone consultation service in which a patient can speak to a GP about minor illnesses and other issues such as medication reviews or fit notes. Again this reduces the need for more lengthy face-to-face consultations.
Pat. “If the patient says ‘I want to see the doctor’ then they have that right to do so. And it’s also not about receptionists being clinicians.” She admits to some resistance among patients. “There will always be people who think a recep-
tionist has no right to ask them anything. But the majority of our patients think Navigator is a good thing.”
PRACTICE VALUES Such innovations tend to be driven by budget considerations and it’s easy for practice managers to get overly focused on the bal- ance sheet. Says Pat: “We are very much driven in how we deliver our service by the money – what is available to spend. But our practice values are also hugely important.” On the Seaton Park website these values are clearly articu-
lated: a commitment to patient-centred care which looks at the whole family, equality of treatment, listening to and respecting patients, and respecting and caring for colleagues. They serve as the litmus paper for the decisions made by Pat and the other partners. No initiative can avoid the question: “Is this something good for our patients?” Or as Pat puts it: “We have to preserve what’s precious, because
that’s what gets us up in the morning, that’s what makes us all work ridiculous hours – because we believe in what we do.”
Jim Killgore is an associate editor of MDDUS Practice Manager
WWW.MDDUS.COM
11
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16