Getting fast and friendly help across Kent has just become even easier, thanks to a new way of creating NHS referrals.
Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust (KCHFT) has combined previously separate teams from local referral units (LRU) in east and west Kent, into a single, unified point of access, which is available round-the-clock.
Before the change, each area operated differently, which led to inconsistent service, depending on where you lived. Now, every call is met with a quick, caring response no matter where in the county it comes from, with a streamlined system and shared processes.
An ambitious goal was set to answer at least 80 per cent of calls within 20 seconds. The team has surpassed this, consistently answering more than 90 per cent of calls in that timeframe.
Head of Referral Management Charlotte Herbert, who worked closely with Referral Unit Managers Amanda Stout and Karen Bell to make the changes, said it made perfect sense to bring east and west together. She said: “Sometimes one team was overwhelmed while the other had breathing room. Now, with everyone cross-trained and working as one, the service delivers consistent and compassionate care to every adult in Kent, no matter where they live. This also provides a quicker route of referral to our clinicians.”
Colleagues did extensive cross-training, becoming multi-skilled so any advisor could respond to referrals and calls from across the region. A support tool was developed to give instant access to process guidelines and service information, helping advisors respond accurately and empathetically to a broad spectrum of adult community health needs, from end-of-life support to therapy services.
On top of a better service, the trust also managed to trim costs by about £47,000 last year and £50,000 this year, due to the integration, eliminating the need for extra recruitment.
Looking ahead, the unified way of working is set to expand. The trust plans to explore additional areas which could benefit from this seamless structure.
Charlotte said: “The improvement project wasn’t just about efficiency and making things more equal. It was about dealing with calls with compassion, putting our patients at the heart of all we do and being ready to help every time the phone rings or an email comes in, giving better patient experience.”
Click on the image below to open, read and download the project summary