A pharmacist-led telephone triage system piloted by St John’s Way Medical Centre (SJW), in Islington, has reduced face-to-face contacts for urgent on the day appointments by over 50% in the first three months. Patients now are either managed entirely on the phone without the need for a face-to-face GP appointment, or are signposted to an alternative service such as a community based health provider. Initial feedback from patients and staff has been positive.
Jack Johnson-Rose, SJW practice manager and project lead, and Amira Shaikh, clinical pharmacist, explain the reasoning behind the pilot.
“Employing clinical pharmacists in GP practices means that GPs can focus their skills where they are most needed, for example on diagnosing and treating patients with more complex conditions. This helps GPs to manage the demands on their time. Previous pilot studies conducted by NHS England have demonstrated clear and encouraging benefits of practice-based pharmacists in reducing work-related pressure on GPs whilst also helping to improve clinical outcomes for the patient.
“Our aim was to reduce GP workload to a more manageable and sustainable level to improve staff morale, encourage effective teamwork, and maintain excellent clinical outcomes and continuity of care for patients. We propose to reduce the total number of non-essential GP encounters by 10% and to reduce the number of repeat prescription signings by 20%.