Case Study: A Practice Transforming Services and Patient Experience

Case Study: A Practice Transforming Services and Patient Experience

Burdwood Surgery
Mark Foster, Practice Manager

Using Data and Considering Data Quality 

Our data quality is ensured though review and audit. All new members of staff are given training in the necessary requirements and monitored. I analyse data in terms of activity rates and achievement of clinical and non clinical targets. Analysis of Surgery Connect allowed me to redeploy my reception team for example.

Using Apex


Apex is used as an evolutionary tool using the Plan-Do-Study-Act process improvement methodology. Apex was used to better manage the daily duty doctor workload which was a significant issue. By using the forecast and Capacity Planning module, we have matched patient demands with available doctor resources through to an advanced planning horizon. This has increased surgery sustainability and begun to introduce capacity into the system.

To find this data, navigate to Access & Demand > Capacity Planning. 





Apex was also used to predict the Flu requirements for next year based on previous three years history. 









To find this data, navigate to Contracts > Flu Manager. 

The Future of Apex 

Apex combined with Surgery Connect and the NHS App could lead to a Primary Care health push to our patients. We could proactively communicate with our patients to manage their health needs instead of waiting for them to contact the surgery. We could then more effectively match the scarce clinical resource with the patient demand at a time suitable to the patient. The patient journey could be managed dynamically in the surgery with relevant patient clinician appointments of varying length depending on complexity rather than multiple short appointments.
As I continue to develop my clinical interface with Apex, I intend to explore the following areas: 
  1. Treatment Room Capacity Management based on Pareto’s law of 20% of patient use 80% of resource
  2. Separate Treatment room capacity into on the day and routine scheduled appointments
  3. Implement data of birth recall for patients with LTC
  4. Balance list holding doctors patient complexity matrix by RAG rating
  5. Develop a health care push model to patients replacing the patient access flawed narrative of yesterday.

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