Dear NHS...

Yesterday I was having a conversation with a friend who works at a GP surgery. She was talking about her day and how a person had called for an appointment at 2:00 pm, and there was no way if you called at that time of day that you ever going to get an appointment, "you need to call at 8:30 am for the available slots and when they're gone, that's it, you have to try again the next day…"

"Why do GP surgeries run their appointment system this way, I used to be able to book an appointment via an app, and I no longer have that feature", I said.

She explained, "It's because patients were booking appointments for completely unecessary issues, ones they could quite easily go to a pharmacist for".

"OK", I continued, I understand that, but the process isn't particularly caring; it basically acts to control the patient when they could be redirected and resolve their issue a lot quicker without the need to try and run the gauntlet of calling every morning…

"We explain this when they call; it allows us to triage the appointment and redirect them."

I was amazed; my business analysis brain was in overdrive, calculating the inefficiencies in the process. However, I decided not to bore her and asked, "What would you do differently?"

"Create an email form with a question about why they need the appointment so that receptionists at the surgery can triage them throughout the day. Or put the appointments back on the app with a list of issues they would have to review, which could be dealt with by a pharmacist….this would reduce the calls in the morning and allow people to self-serve. ?

It's a good idea, I mused… and it would definitely reduce the number of calls; of course, there will always be a cohort that needs to speak to a human, but what about a Chatbot?

Unfortunately, while I discussed the merits of Chatbots and how it would put the patient back in control, I fear I sounded like I was talking about something that could happen in the year 3000…

I also posed the question to CHatGPT: here’s what I learned….

1. Online Appointment Scheduling:

The chatbot could facilitate online appointment scheduling, allowing patients to book appointments through a user-friendly interface. This eliminates the need for patients to call in at a specific time and can be more convenient for those with busy schedules.

2. Triage through Chatbot Interaction:

The chatbot could conduct a preliminary triage by asking patients about their symptoms and the urgency of their condition. Based on the responses, it could recommend appropriate actions, such as scheduling an appointment, directing them to a pharmacist, or suggesting self-care measures.

3. Integration with Electronic Health Records (EHR):

Integrating with the GP surgery's electronic health records system allows the chatbot to access relevant patient information and medical history, aiding in more informed triage decisions.

4. Automated Pharmacist Referrals:

If the chatbot determines that the patient's ailment can be addressed by a pharmacist, it can automatically provide information on nearby pharmacies, including opening hours and contact details. This ensures that patients are efficiently redirected to the appropriate healthcare professional.

5. Real-time Updates and Notifications:

The chatbot could provide real-time updates on appointment availability and notify patients when earlier slots become available, reducing the need for patients to call in repeatedly to check for openings.

6. Educational Information:

The chatbot can offer educational information on common ailments and self-care measures, empowering patients to make informed decisions about whether they need to see a GP or can manage their condition with over-the-counter solutions.

7. Multi-Channel Access:

?The chatbot should be accessible through multiple channels, such as the GP surgery's website, mobile apps, or messaging platforms. This provides patients with flexibility in how they interact with the service.

8. Language Understanding and Context Awareness:

Implement advanced natural language processing capabilities to better understand patient queries and context. This ensures that the chatbot can accurately interpret symptoms and provide appropriate guidance.

9. Feedback Mechanism:

?Incorporate a feedback mechanism to gather information on patient satisfaction and continuously improve the chatbot's effectiveness in managing appointments.

Implementing these features can enhance the efficiency of GP appointment management, making the process more user-friendly and responsive to patient needs.

So if you’re reading this NHS it’s time to review how AI can improve efficiencies at GP surgeries and give patients back some control.