Case studies

• Bolton PCT

  In 1987, a telephone consultation study was conducted in a Bolton practice of 14,000 patients.

  Sections:

  2.5. Telephone consultations

• Brigstock Medical Practice

  Croydon is the most heavily populated London borough.

  Sections:

  2.4. Appointment reminder systems

• Chessel Practice

  Patient surveys by the practice manager at Chessel Practice in Southampton revealed that some patients were unhappy with the level of service they were receiving from receptionists.

  Sections:

  5.1. Achieving patient-friendly services

• College Surgery Partnership

  The College Surgery Partnership in Devon serves around 14,000 patients.

  Sections:

  7.2. Why and how to create a website

• Dawlish Medical Group

  This is a large practice in Devon with over 12,000 patients.

  Sections:

  3.2. Self-service Check-in screens

• Dawlish Medical Group

  The focus is on helping patients to keep well and look after themselves.

  Sections:

  3.4. Waiting room health monitors and surgery pods

• Fernley Medical Centre

  Fernley Medical Centre in Sparkhill, Birmingham, found that its 6,500 registered patients, particularly the hard-of-hearing, would often struggle to hear their names being called out for appointments in a busy waiting room.

  Sections:

  3.3. Electronic display systems

• Good Hope Medical Practice

  The practice operates in a multi-ethnic community.

  Sections:

  6.1. Five steps to improve access for patients from black and minority ethnic groups

• Greystone House Surgery

  At the Greystone House Surgery in Surrey, doctors struggled to communicate with deaf patients and with people whose first language wasn’t English.

  Sections:

  6.2. Improving the experience of people with hearing loss

• Halton and St Helens PCT

  St Helens borough in Merseyside had one of the highest emergency admission rates in the Strategic Health Authority area.

  Sections:

  2.3. Home visits: duty clinicians and collaboration with other practices

• Hamilton Practice

  The Hamilton Practice in Harlow, Essex has some 9,500 patients.

  Sections:

  3.3. Electronic display systems

• Marple Cottage Surgery

  Before an online system was introduced, patients at this surgery on the outskirts of Stockport, near Manchester, would have to try their luck with the busy telephone lines or visit the practice in person in order to make an appointment.

  Sections:

  2.2. Internet appointment booking

• Marple Cottage Surgery

  Marple Cottage Surgery, on the outskirts of Stockport, near Manchester, has around 6,000 registered patients.

  Sections:

  7.2. Why and how to create a website

• New Hampshire (USA)

  In New Hampshire between 1988 and 1990, follow-up calls initiated by doctors replaced face-to-face consultations in a primary care setting.

  Sections:

  2.5. Telephone consultations

• Norbury Health Centre

  Norbury Health Centre, a practice of some 9,000 patients in south east London, found that its old method of calling patients for appointments put pressure on reception staff.

  Sections:

  3.3. Electronic display systems

• Oldham PCT

  Oldham PCT looked at several ways to increase access to primary care services and decided that a text messaging service has several benefits, including reducing DNAs.

  Sections:

  2.4. Appointment reminder systems

• Parkfield Medical Centre

  The patient group at Parkfield Medical Centre in Potters Bar bought a stand-alone automatic blood pressure monitor with a tunnel cuff, made by PMS (Instruments) Ltd.

  Sections:

  3.4. Waiting room health monitors and surgery pods

• Saltaire Medical Practice

  This Bradford practice puts excellent patient access and choice first. Its online appointments booking system is a key part of this.

  Sections:

  2.2. Internet appointment booking

• St Lawrence Surgery

  The St Lawrence surgery in Worthing, West Sussex looks after 12,000 patients and has always been innovative in responding to feedback from its PPG.

  Sections:

  3.2. Self-service Check-in screens

• The Barton Surgery

  The Barton Surgery is the only practice in the seaside town of Dawlish in Devon.

  Sections:

  5.1. Achieving patient-friendly services

• The Cottage Surgery

  The Cottage Surgery at Woodhouse Eaves in Leicestershire was set up by Dr Stephen Clay as a one-doctor practice in 2003.

  Sections:

  2.5. Telephone consultations

• The Kakoty Practice, Barnsley

  This is a Personal Medical Services (PMS) practice (since 1999) of around 6,100 patients

  Sections:

  1.1. Access: back to basics

• The Lighthouse Medical Practice

  The Lighthouse Medical Practice in Eastbourne saw that entrenched cultural issues were getting in the way of customer service.

  Sections:

  5.1. Achieving patient-friendly services

• The Limehouse Practice

  In 2006, the Limehouse Practice in East London found that patients were waiting a long time to be seen.

  Sections:

  2.5. Telephone consultations

• Victoria Medical Centre

  When the Victoria Medical Centre in London moved to a new state-of-the-art building two years ago, the practice wanted to introduce technology to match.

  Sections:

  3.3. Electronic display systems

• West Malling Group Practice

  West Malling Group Practice in Kent found that it was getting a large number of acute home visit requests during surgery hours.

  Sections:

  2.3. Home visits: duty clinicians and collaboration with other practices

• Worthing Medical Group

  The Worthing Medical Group was keen to increase patient engagement.

  Sections:

  8.3. Real-time patient feedback