New solution reduces ‘did not attend’ (DNA) rates across the NHS

Missed appointments or ‘no shows’ are a costly problem affecting all levels of NHS appointment management. Hospitals looking to reduce costs, cut waiting lists and increase clinic utilisation whilst responding to patient needs, now have a viable solution with the Appointment Management Cycle, an end-to-end solution which enables hospitals to ‘Remind, Rebook and Refill’ appointments easily.

Building on nearly 20 years of experience working within the health service, Netcall launched its Appointment Management Cycle suite of products at a series of regional health roadshows in the autumn of 2011.

Health professionals who attended the roadshows discovered the efficiency benefits the Appointment Management Cycle can provide. Initial feedback was very positive, such as “Clear concise benefits profile”, “Very strong suite of products” and “I’m excited about the Appointment Management Cycle”.

Mark Holmes, Sales Director at Netcall, commented, “Trusts who have implemented this solution have experienced significant results. Chelsea and Westminster Hospital has reported approximately 800 fewer DNAs and savings of £72,000 per month, the Mid Yorkshire NHS Trust DNA rate was reduced by 25%, and annual savings of £1,000,000 have been reported by Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust”.

Using Netcall’s proven speech recognition technology, this health-specific solution enables hospitals to control, manage and plan the entire appointment process, from partial bookings to admission reminders.

Costs are reduced by replacing mundane administration tasks with speech automation. Waiting lists are cut, as slots that would have normally remained empty can be refilled with those that are able to attend, therefore increasing clinic utilisation and patient satisfaction.