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Introduction: Benefits and Concepts
The NHS has faced growing pressure for years with rising patient demands, limited resources, and increased administrative pressure. Now, Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) are finding that digital innovation is helping general practices meet demand.
ICBs are responsible for ensuring healthcare services meet the needs of diverse populations.
And from handling vast amounts of patient data to managing ever-increasing appointment requests, the general practices they are made up of are stretched thin. In this challenging environment, innovative solutions are essential.
Black Country ICB, with 1.26 million residents coming under its 29 practices, is a good example of the problems being faced and what working towards a solution looks like.
In this blog we explore how Black Country ICB practices have benefited since their 29 practices have adopted Silicon Practice’s industry-leading FootFall software.
The headline figure of over 34,700 phone calls or visits saved to Black Country practice receptions by FootFall in its first year only tells part of the success story.
Key Challenges Facing ICBs and General Practice
ICBs, and the general practices under their umbrella, face several common challenges that threaten the quality and accessibility of care, including:
- Overloaded Phone Lines: Constant phone calls create a bottleneck in accessing care, especially during peak times like flu season and winter
- Administrative Overload: Frontline staff are often bogged down with repetitive tasks, such as repeat prescription requests and basic enquiries, leaving less time for urgent patient needs
- Digital Exclusion: Some patients – particularly the elderly, those from low-income backgrounds or individuals with learning difficulties – are unable to take advantage of digital services being more reliant on traditional contact methods
- High Appointment Demand: Practices often face extreme pressure during winter months, with increased illness and urgent care needs making managing resources difficult
These challenges have only increased as healthcare demand has skyrocketed in the wake of the Covid pandemic. ICBs are expected to create efficient, patient-centred care pathways but, without the right tools, this can be a daunting task.
FootFall: Built to Streamline Patient Care
Digital innovation streamlines patient care, and FootFall is leading the way.
FootFall is a complete patient engagement and workflow automation platform that helps ICBs and general practices handle these pain points head-on. Here’s how:
- Patient Empowerment Through Digital Forms: Instead of relying on lengthy phone calls or in-person visits, FootFall provides patients with easy-to-use forms that can be completed at their convenience. This reduces unnecessary contact, freeing up phone lines for those who are unable to access digital channels due to poverty, age, or learning difficulties. During the busiest times, such as the winter months, FootFall’s digital solutions prove invaluable. In just one season, nearly 78,000 forms were completed by the Black Country ICB practices – each one representing a patient who didn’t need to wait on the phone or visit the surgery’s reception
- Reducing Reception Pressure: With FootFall, practices can reallocate resources where they’re most needed. In the Black Country practices there were tens of thousands of instances where patients were able to engage digitally with the practice, easing the administrative burden and allowing staff to focus on more complex, urgent needs
- Comprehensive, Customisable Dashboard: FootFall’s advanced dashboard offers real-time insights into practice operations. Practices can track patient inquiries, form submissions and other interactions at a glance. This gives practice managers the data they need to make informed decisions about resource allocation, peak periods, and patient trends
- Saving Staff Time: The FootFall dashboard enables staff to send a healthcare episode directly to the patient record, complete with SNOMED-CT coded data. Attachments, such as images, can also be sent into the clinical system
- Improving Access for All: While FootFall’s digital-first approach is ideal for the majority, it has also been designed with inclusivity in mind by adhering to the latest NHS standards and being WCAG 2.1 AA compliant
- Fewer Frustrations: Patients who are digitally excluded due to financial, cognitive, or physical barriers are still able to call or visit in person, ensuring equitable access to care. With reduced pressure on phone lines, reception teams can dedicate more time to supporting those who need extra help
- Helpdesk with 98% Satisfaction Rating: Shifting the emphasis away from the front desk to managing tasks online needs support which Silicon Practice is geared up to help with; our helpdesk has a customer satisfaction rating of more than 98% for 2024 to date, from nearly 1,000 reviews. Online training sessions are provided for administrative staff and clinicians, with an extensive library of online video tutorials available
Why Now Is the Time to Adopt FootFall
As healthcare continues to evolve, practices need digital tools that allow them to better serve their patients while reducing staff workload. FootFall not only addresses the most common issues faced by ICBs and practices but also delivers measurable improvements in efficiency and patient satisfaction.
By empowering patients to handle administrative tasks in their own time, FootFall reduces reliance on overburdened reception teams. Its customisable dashboard gives practice managers unprecedented insight into patient interactions, enabling smarter decisions about resource allocation.
With success stories like the Black Country practices—where over 34,700 calls and visits to practice receptions were avoided in just one year—it’s clear that FootFall is the future of practice management.
Request a Demo of FootFall Today
If you’re ready to reduce pressure on your practice and improve patient access, it’s time to explore what FootFall can do for you. Request a demo today and see first hand how our innovative platform can transform the way you work, freeing up time and resources to deliver better patient care.
Silicon Practice’s FootFall is more than just a platform; it’s a solution designed to meet the specific needs of general practices in the modern healthcare landscape. Don’t wait—contact us today and discover how you can make your practice more efficient, inclusive, and patient-friendly.
You can find the full case study and others here
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