December 2020
Ordsall Health Surgery provides healthcare in Ordsall, Salford, Greater Manchester to over 11,000 patients in a deprived urban area, which is undergoing significant population growth coupled with substantial investments being made into the area.
The Challenge
As Business Manager, Stuart Wright, explains "We were previously using an NHS funded telephone network that offered little flexibility or management control. The funding for this was withdrawn and the Practice had to find an alternative telephone system solution."
Stuart continues "We needed to be able to manage the telephone system in-house, adding and changing roles and users where necessary, whilst enhancing the patient experience when contacting the Practice.
"Of importance from a new provider were: the ability to record calls; manage and review the call information for reception; add caller messages; and to be able to integrate into the Practice clinical system, all from a 100% secure system.
"Future proofing of the system was important so that it could be enhanced as time goes on with new service developments, which is clearly beneficial to the Practice and Patients."
The Solution
Ordsall Health Surgery elected to replace their legacy phone system with Surgery Connect, X-on's digital cloud based GP telephony solution. Surgery Connect provided all the features the Ordsall Health team were seeking, with all patient data and call recordings encrypted and hosted on X-on's own highly secure network.
Surgery Connect has been developed over many years utilising feedback from it's customers - GPs, Practice Managers, IT Leads, Business Managers, Receptionists etc. - with all feedback guiding development of the platform and new features. All new features are rolled out to existing customers ensuring their phone system provides the best available patient and staff communications. It's future proof!
The improved patient contact of the new system has proven timely given COVID-19. Stuart explains "The management of user accounts, adding new messages to inform callers of service availability and COVID implications, has enhanced patient communications."
Ordsall Health Surgery Says
"The initial installation was seamless with X-on support staff on site throughout, ensuring that all users were comfortable with how to use it.
"We enjoyed a positive go-live experience as it's easy to communicate through the support portal and service support helpline. Response times to issues are excellent with all cases being resolved in a timely, efficient manner.
"We find the new service easy to use, having the management controls to make changes to the system such as moving users into different roles and adding and removing accounts. Having the ability to observe the current call situation allows management to flex staffing to cover where additional demand is required.
"The future proofing of the system, flexibility and technical Support service. The call recording and ease of accessing these, is really helpful for investigating caller issues and for developing staff.
"Cost savings have not been made, as the previous telephone system was NHS funded; the Surgery Connect system is paid for by the Practice. However, the regular monthly payments are rarely if ever exceeded.
"A value for money, reliable professional service with all of the service enhancements that you would expect for a busy Medical Practice.
"Very efficient professional organisation that put the customer at the centre of all that they do."
Stuart Wright
Business Manager
Ordsall Health Surgery
ordsallhealthsurgery.nhs.uk
For further information on Surgery Connect please call Sales on 0333 332 0000.
