As you know, here at School Lane we like to keep you updated on how we are doing and the give you an open picture of the work taking place at School Lane Surgery. Our monthly snapshots share some of that activity, helping you see how we are supporting patients and helping us identify where we need to improve.
September was a busy month, with more appointments provided, more enquiries received and more prescription items issued than in August. We were also pleased to see our average phone waiting time fall, while patient recommendations remained at 97%.
September, by numbers…..
During September, our team:
- Provided 7,516 appointments, compared with 5,826 in August.
- Received 7,437 phone calls, compared with 6,206 in August.
- Received 5,095 online forms, compared with 4,176 in August.
- Issued 36,622 prescription items, compared with 31,729 in August.
These are monthly totals, and activity can vary with the number of working days. Each figure represents part of the care and support our team provides, alongside work such as reviewing results, arranging referrals and coordinating care.
A shorter average wait on the phone
Our average phone waiting time reduced from 10 minutes in August to 8 minutes in September, despite an increase in calls. This has been helped with some new Receptionists, Charlotte, Sam and Niamh joining the team the past couple of months and being trained.
This is encouraging, although we know that an average does not reflect everyone’s experience. Some patients will have waited longer, particularly at busy times like Monday mornings. We do ensure we have as many staff as possible on the phones at peak times, but demand is high. We recognise how frustrating that can be and will continue to monitor waiting times to help guide improvements.
Thank you for your feedback
In September, 97% of people who responded to our Friends and Family Test said they would recommend School Lane Surgery, matching August’s result.
Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their experience. It means a great deal to our team to hear when things have gone well. It is equally important that we hear when they have not, so we can understand what could work better. Also feel free to leave a Google Review. We look at all source feedback and use this to improve services or celebrate staff.
Helping us make the most of appointments
In September, 198 appointments were recorded as not attended, compared with 151 in August.
Look, we understand that plans change and unexpected things happen. If you no longer need your appointment, please let us know as early as possible so we have the opportunity to offer it to another patient. It does not matter how short notice, often we can find someone to offer it to!
Thank you to our patients for your support, and to our whole team for the work that goes into caring for our community every day.
As a Surgery, we are committed to keep you updated and informed about what work is happening at the surgery and I will continue sharing these snapshots each month.
