GP Practice
Signposting & Care Navigation Toolkit
''At a time when triage is such a critical focus for primary care in managing rising demand, the toolkit has been an invaluable asset''
Who are we:
The Signposting and Care Navigation Toolkit was created and designed a few years ago by myself, Anita, as a Managing Partner working in a GP Practice in Sussex .
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I was in a position where I needed to further support my team in a way that enabled them to step-change their ability to deliver excellent care and support at every interaction.
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To do this I had to give them the tools needed to deliver this improved service rather than just rely on them to remember every piece of changing information within the landscape of GP Practices, PCNs, Collaboratives, ICB’s and the NHS in general.
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The changes are now too often and complex. It was not fair to continue as we had for many years, so the Signposting Toolkit's development was born.​
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Why did we create this Toolkit?
As many Practice Managers will relate, I needed all of my admin staff to direct all of our patients to the right outcome. This may have been an in-house appointment, or it may have been signposting the patient to a supporting service designed specifically to fast-track the solution without needing a ‘soft’ referral from the clinical staff e.g. First Contact Physiotherapy, Mental Health Practitioner etc.
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This signposting and care navigation toolkit has been ultimately designed to support your admin team in lifting their knowledge base, and creating an environment of calm, quick, efficient and professional call processing in the safest way possible. Including managing those patients who should have called 999 instead of their GP!
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Suddenly, with the Toolkit, you are now in a position of having a team of staff with the SAME level of knowledge, regardless of how long they have been in post. New staff members have the confidence and support needed to start answering the phones.
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The continuity, consistency and professionalism of everyone are raised significantly by delivering your script on every single occasion.
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This will have an immediate impact on your Demand and Capacity obligations.
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Your Care Navigation Toolkit
The cost of the toolkit is very low and is often self-funded by the practices themselves as there is very little cost involved.
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Alternatively, many practices are approaching their PCNs and ICBs to fund the Toolkit as part of the funding provided by the NHS for patient access to appointments.
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In the first year, it is only £795 per practice which includes all the amendments necessary to create your bespoke toolkit.
The annual cost from year two onwards is only £199 per practice giving you an unlimited number of amendments which will keep your Toolkit up to date and relevant capturing any changes in personnel or processes in the future.
You will be able to create your own BESPOKE version of this toolkit. The content is created by a collaboration between the GP Lead Partner or nominated Clinical Lead, and the PM/Admin Manager.
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This system is flexible so that you can request for bubbles to be deleted if you don’t want them, or we can add some additional bubbles where required.
Care Navigation in General Practice
This Signposting & Care Navigation Toolkit is designed to work across the various methods of contact your patient may choose to use to contact your practice:
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Face to Face
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Online Automated System
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Email
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Telephone Call
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The simplicity of the Toolkit is the key to its success.
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The toolkit is open on one screen all the time, with the second screen on your clinical system.
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The Signposting Toolkit is a CLOUD BASED system:
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The Toolkit is cloud-based only, accessible via a designated website link
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Each Practice has its own dedicated Toolkit link
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The whole practice can use the link to access the content of the Toolkit
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All content is decided by the Practice Clinical & Management Team
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The Toolkit is FULLY amendable to become the script for the admin team to engage with patient enquiries
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There is no password access, so no staff details are taken
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No software downloads into the practice computer system
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No access at all to clinical systems
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No clinical decision making by 3rd parties
A Script for your Staff to Follow........
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This toolkit is your script for your staff to follow, similar to what you have in place now, but this will make the delivery more consistent to all patients, supportive to staff so they don’t forget, and of course more supportive to patients ensuring they get the right solution straight away.
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If your staff are signposting to an external service, for example, the community pharmacy, we would suggest an F12 shortcut or the Ardens/Accurx signposting template. This will enable your staff to capture the signposting into the patient's consultation notes, as well as read coding the signposting so you can manage volume/performance.
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So for example we picked up that our team was not signposting to the harder to discuss subject matters such as social prescribing or the mental health team. The solution we put in place was some staff training to break down the barriers in place that were preventing them from offering those services and we quickly saw an uptick in those particular areas.
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Safeguarding Patient Access to Emergency Care
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Lastly, there is the safety element, when it comes down to:
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child health concerns
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chest pain
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limb numbness
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sepsis
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meningitis
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It is important your staff have the tools to ask the correct questions against an NHS system checker which will enable a timely intervention towards emergency care where appropriate and NOT booking them in for an appointment with a clinician a few hours later.
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This patient focused signposting toolkit has been designed to support your admin team in creating a script to enhance their knowledge base, and create an environment of calm, quick, professional and efficient call processing in the safest way possible, including managing those patients who should have called 999 instead of their GP!
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''The reception team have reported feeling much more confident when booking appointments, knowing that the toolkit has been reviewed and updated by one of our GPs. The clear information provided within the various tabs supports them in effectively signposting patients to the most appropriate clinician or service—whether that’s Pharmacy First, ARRS staff, or another team member. As a result, they no longer dread the phones ringing each morning, as they now have suitable appointment options to offer. This has also led to a noticeable reduction in the level of frustration and verbal abuse received over the phone.''
Meet The Signposting & Care Navigation Toolkit,
designed by a Practice Manager, for GP Practices
Please click on the orange button below for a demonstration of the Toolkit.
