Spindogs are thrilled to share that they have developed a transformational digital project for NHS England designed to alleviate the pressures faced by GP practices and their staff.
Spindogs has been working on a six-figure contract for NHS England to develop a new website solution for surgeries across the South West of England.
The two-year project, the first of its kind in the UK, is part of wider strategy to reduce the number of incoming patient calls and on-site drop-ins being experienced at doctors’ surgeries, encouraging members of the public to instead use online booking systems as a first port of call.
More than 60 GP practices have now adopted Spindogs’ new digital platform, which is optimised for both mobile and desktop.
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To date, a 44% increase in online patient registration and a 66% increase in online appointment making has been reported across sites where the new websites have been implemented. Spindogs is aiming for this number to rise over the next year, translating to long-term cost savings through reduced staffing needs, improved efficiency, and better patient management.
The project comes as local GP surgeries face an uphill battle to manage communications and ensure the effective treatment of patients within the context of a growing and aging population. To help ease the burden, NHS England is aiming for 25% of all appointments to be booked online.
Liam Giles, Managing Director at Spindogs, said:
“A lack of confidence in the digital offerings of GP practices is causing patients to bypass GP websites entirely – favouring more traditional communication methods like telephone calls and in person visits – resulting in more work for staff and an inefficient system.
“With so many GP surgeries at bursting point, creating or refining a website simply isn’t a priority in terms of time or financial resources for many of them. However, without an effective website in place, patients understandably turn to calling or visiting instead, which blocks phone lines and increases workload unnecessarily as many of their requests could be dealt with easily online.”
The digital platform created by Spindogs provides GP surgeries with a standardised website that enables patients to easily book, change and cancel appointments online as well as access A-Z guides on health conditions and triage requests digitally. It also allows users to obtain sick notes, request repeat prescriptions, access test results and register with a practice – features designed to improve patient experiences and lessen the workload of overstretched surgery staff.
To develop the platform, Spindogs undertook extensive discovery and user testing with GPs, stakeholders and patients to gain a deep understanding of each visitor’s journey, aligning the website with the NHS visual framework and fully complying with AA accessibility guidelines.
The firm said the patient-first approach guarantees a trusted, consistent, and accessible experience for all users, regardless of their device, ability, reading age, or first language. The digital platform was rigorously evaluated by a third-party accessibility compliance specialist, who lauded its design and usability.
Looking ahead, Spindogs now hopes that the project will be rolled out across other parts of England, as well as Wales.
“This project has been more successful than we could have ever imagined, with many of the surgeries we’ve worked with reporting a significant drop in caller numbers, helping to streamline and improve patients’ experiences, reducing pressures on surgeries, and freeing up time for GPs and other staff.
