A GP surgery in Dumfries is the third in Scotland to install an automated telephone appointment booking system developed by Voice Connect to help patient communication and reduce missed appointments which cost the health service millions of pounds each year.
The service, known as Patient Partner, enables patients to call the practice at any time, night or day, even when the surgery is closed, to check, book or cancel their appointments.
The system has been designed to be simple to use. Patients call the surgery's usual number and enter data such as their date of birth and/or telephone number for security purposes. The system is able to detect spaces in the doctors' and clinic diaries and the patient can then choose the appointment time which suits them best by pressing a button on their touch tone telephone. They can also use the system to cancel or re-arrange appointments 24/7.
"Patients may continue to book appointments via a receptionist," said Michele Postans, Practice Manager at Greyfriars. "However, by providing a round the clock service, we can offer greater flexibility for all our patients, including those who work unsociable hours. We also believe that it will free up valuable time for our receptionists to attend to patient care."
A study by psychologists at the University of Glasgow estimated that missed appointments (DNAs) at UK GP practices and hospitals cost the health service around £600 million a year.
They concluded that the most common day for missed appointments was Monday while other surveys have found that younger patients were most likely to fail to attend.
One of the ways that Patient Partner helps reduce DNAs is by sending automated text message appointment reminders.
Voice Connect MD Stefan Olsberg believes that the system is an important step towards improving access, and ultimately, patient care.
He said: "Getting through to their surgery is a priority for patients across the UK, and while online booking has helped to ease call congestion, many people still prefer to use an automated telephone system, which doesn't require passwords or usernames - all patients need is their date of birth."