Correspondence Management & Workflow Optimisation

There is a widely held belief that a strengthened version of general practice is essential to the wider sustainability of the NHS and that general practices themselves seem more open to new ways of working than ever before. It’s about ‘doing more with the same, rather than doing more will less’ but it’s also about ‘doing things differently’ and that means addressing both skills and processes.

One of the great strengths of UK general practice is its diversity and its adaptability.

This adaptability has been especially evident in its rapid response to COVID-19. The General Practice Forward View 5 Year Plan had already begun to introduce new/emerging technologies but the demands of COVID-19 has seen practices adopting these new technologies at pace. There has been two significant changes to the delivery of care in general practice.

The first is the acceptance that virtual consultations will be the default method by which the majority of all clinical / patient contact will take place. The second is that contact with the practice team will be routed through digital methods rather than by attending or calling in person. New principles and processes are emerging to help embed and support these new working methods as traditional roles are either adapted or replaced.

Overview

This module will give delegates the opportunity to reflect on the changes of the last 6 months and understand how new technologies and consultation types will continue to impact on traditional work patterns. It will help focus on and enhance current skills and increase delegates confidence to deliver care through Document Management as part of their role in the new environment.

Effective Correspondence Management & Clinical coding will help to deliver NHS England’s Digitalisation Plan, increased QoF, National, Directed and Locally Enhanced Service targets by capturing all relevant uncoded data at the earliest opportunity. This will lead to a reduction in the need for appointments as tests and procedures carried out elsewhere are quickly identified, reducing duplications.

Correspondence Management also provides a mechanism and route map to develop the skills and career paths of non- clinical staff. Practice staff will move away from a passive role and have a more direct impact on patient health outcomes. The skills and abilities needed to undertake CM are valuable in other new non-traditional roles such as Active Signposting, HCA and Care Navigation.

With relevant IT shared care agreements in place, a team of CM trained staff can support a number of practices from one ‘hub’ or host site. It can enable a consistent approach to data management across a given locality or CCG area. This will assist in the delivery of area wide health care outcomes. CM also has the potential for streamlining services by managing resources across multiple practices.

The day will be tailored towards particular CCGs or Federations key drivers and will be interactive to ensure that the outcomes of the day are directly applicable to the practices participating in the session.