'Call centre' surgery in Taunton changing doctor appointments to deal with growing patient demand

One of Somerset's largest doctors' practices believes its new 'call centre' approach to patients is the best way to manage growing demand.

Taunton Vale Healthcare has 13,600 patients, but has introduced a system which means they only see a fraction of them face-to-face.

Instead, patients email, text or send video messages describing their symptoms before a medical profession decides if they need an appointment in the surgery or can be dealt with remotely.

Dr Tim Norbury, a partner at the surgery, said:"For every 2-300 patient contacts we have, about 30 of those will need a face-to-face appointment with a doctor.

"I think it's a much safer system because the old fashioned model would have relied on the patient describing that symptoms to a receptionist and then waiting for two or three weeks before seeing someone.

"This way we can get them in on the day if necessary."

The practice prides itself on answering every single contact on the day it's received.

That's made possible by the call centre-style hub it's set up in a building beside the M5 where up to 10 staff, including doctors, nurses and paramedics, respond to up 400 patient queries a day.

In a day the surgery is able to handle a week's worth of work.

With one of the UK's oldest populations, Somerset is increasingly having to find innovative ways to ease the pressure on its health services, most notably in its hospitals which are close to capacity.

"Our's is definitely the right model for the situation we've got now, which is greatly increased patient need," adds Dr Norbury.

"Patients are on more and more medicines, there are more and more conditions out there as well and this is a way of ensuring that everyone can get access to some form of healthcare very quickly."

Mary did need to see her doctor for an appointment after raising concerns about her 10-week-old baby. She sent an email mid-morning and a few hours later is in the consultation room.

"I always email, I would never pick up the phone because you can be on the waiting list on the phone for 30 minutes," she says. "I've never had an issue with getting an appointment."