Five months after adopting the Rapid Health autonomous patient triage and navigation system, Smart Triage, Sutton Coldfield Group Practice has significantly improved patient access and practice operations. The GP practice, one of the largest multi-site practices in the West Midlands with 54,000 patients, has addressed longstanding challenges with patient access, including lengthy phone queues and high call volumes during peak hours.
Data from December 2023 to May 2024 shows the practice has experienced substantial improvements. During winter, typically the busiest period for primary care, phone queues were significantly reduced, dropping from up to an hour to just a few minutes. While call volumes have decreased from over 200 calls by 8am on Mondays to an average of 80.
The system has now processed over 20,000 patient medical requests, with 82% of appointments booked via Smart Triage being scheduled straight after completing the online assessment by the system. This capability eliminates delays for patients and the need for staff involvement in booking a high proportion of appointments. The unique clinical assessment and autonomous navigation features ensure patients can be directed to appropriate care without needing staff input, enhancing the overall patient experience, reducing waiting times and workload for the practice.
By automating the triage and navigation process, the system frees up valuable time for clinicians and administrative staff, allowing them to focus more time on delivering quality care. Additionally, the practice now has a clearer understanding of true patient demand, enabling targeted staff recruitment.
Feedback from both patients and staff has been overwhelmingly positive.
Morag Dugas, GP Partner at Sutton Coldfield Group Practice, said “Rapid Health has helped us to deliver improved services to patients. We value our partnership and welcome the opportunity to continue to develop the system’s capabilities.”
Chief Operating Officer, Deb Sutton, added “Rapid Health has undoubtedly improved our services to patients. Our telephone response times are much improved and the 8 o’clock reception queue has diminished. While we still have progress to make, Rapid Health is helping us transform our services to patients”
Carmelo Insalaco, CEO and Co-Founder of Rapid Health said: “When you create a system that benefits both patients and practice staff, change can happen very quickly, as we’ve seen with Sutton Coldfield. Using a system that gives patients the autonomy to book clinically appropriate appointments not only improves patient satisfaction, but also helps to positively influence patient demand and behaviours, eventually eliminating the 8am rush.”
The success of this project is attributed not only to Rapid Health’s innovative technology, but also to the critical feedback and collaborative partnership with Sutton Coldfield Group Practice. This collaboration has been essential in fine-tuning Smart Triage to meet the specific needs of the practice and its patients.
Due to the positive outcomes, Sutton Coldfield Group Practice has renewed its partnership with Rapid Health and plans to integrate the system with additional care services, such as pharmacy, further enhancing efficiency and patient care.