Thread by @BenAllenGP

Despite the #gpcrisis we've gone from: Struggling with unmanageable 'demand', exhaustion & low morale.
⬇️
A thriving & hopeful team with excellent patient feedback.
How? Dozens of factors.
This thread describes 1 subtle essential ingredient
#TeamGP
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link.medium.com/JpbZd1BQHnb

Primary care is over worked and overwhelmed. The GP crisis is exasperating for staff and patients. GP numbers continue to tumble. Part of the solution is before our very eyes: the receptionist. But perhaps not as we know them.
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How much of a GPs frantic day is spent solving problems that could have been better solved by someone else? Either by a GP who knows them better, another service or an additional PCN role? GPs also waste time untangling messy tasks like old referrals, prescriptions/ sick notes
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1 solution is to get patients &tasks to the right clinician/service in the right time. For this we need people who can untangle the problems that present to Primary Care
Simple concepts like this are an absolute art to get right in practice. An art we simply cant afford to miss
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What can we learn by comparing a GP to driver in the Grand Prix? A highly trained Formula 1 team optimises car performance. They make tough decisions at the race. They master pit stops. A driver can succeed only because the conditions for success have been optimised around them
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How can conditions be optimised around a GP? Every item of work that comes to a surgery should be carefully assessed with a view to passing it to the most appropriate person/service. If clinical triage is required, high quality info should be gathered & presented to the GP
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This reception/ admin support does not require a medical degree. It requires someone with care, curiosity, communication skills and time. Like an operating surgeon, GPs need at their finger tips the right staff, systems, and equipment. This can start now.
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Beyond managing access, there are dozens of similar administrative tasks eg incoming letters, problems with prescriptions & sick notes. With care and support, administrative staff can either clear the work entirely, or present the GP with all the key information that they need
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Could staff even be trained to pass on simple common messages like certain blood results? Any recurrent activity that feels like a waste of time is an opportunity to improve.
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Last week a patient was determined they needed a face to face appointment with a specific GP. Our receptionist’s skilful and sensitive perseverance established there was a problem with a prescription.
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Exploring the clinical system and communicating with the pharmacy, she resolved the patient’s problem herself. Several times, a 15 minute confusing phone call has been converted into a simple 1 minute conversation between receptionist and GP. There are 100s of examples.
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The supply of GPs and clinical staff is out of our control. Whilst it takes real care to find and nurture support staff, there are sufficient people with the personal qualities that are needed. The training is vastly quicker.
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Our reception team were recruited from customer service,pubs,hairdressing&care work. Despite no NHS experience, in months they can enable GPs to be 30% more efficient. And an absolute joy to work with. Regardless of the GP crisis, the economic argument for this can stand alone
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As receptionists role evolves, we must be mindful to take patients with us. Many patients dont expect reception to be so involved. We need sensitive, persistent messages that communicates that empowered receptionists are key to ensuring they get the right help more of the time
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Perhaps the title ‘receptionist’ needs to more accurately reflects the changing role. Care Co-ordinator, Care Navigator, Patient Support team?
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We DO need more GPs. We also need GPs surrounded by teams optimised for success like Formula 1. If the whole team works, the whole team wins. #primarycare needs to start winning for the sake of our teams &our patients. Could ur surgery be transformed by a #ReceptionRevolution?
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There's hope for #primarycare now.
This thread's small example how.
@olliehart7 @alliedgeler @AllyD4473 @ralanshirley @AndyHilton74 @Parody_RCGP @HelenBevanTweet @DrSimonHodes @NHSSheffieldCCG @DeanEggitt @dave_dlt @deb_cohen @dclovesgp @drterryhudsen @AmyCEdmondson @fhussain73

There's hope for #primarycare now.
This thread's small example how.
@joannabircherQI @TomHoldsworth7 @TheIGPM @IolantheFowler @JoMaher8 @JennieJoyce6 @parthaskar @pkonline84 @NormingtonNicky @AmarRughani @rebrobinson11 @primarycareshef @rvautrey @NHSEngland @rcgp