At Ivel Medical Centre, we have approximately 13,100 patients, support around 220 appointments a day and handle on average 550 telephone calls a day, incoming and outgoing.
To manage this and continue long-term delivery of high-quality patient services, we must maintain a sustainable foundation so that general practice meets the needs of the present population whilst planning for future.
NHS England, the body which manages how health services are run across the country, describes general practice as ‘independent businesses that are contracted to provide services for the NHS.’
If we accept this, we can also accept that every practice is run on solid business principles, one of which is being financially viable.
It is crucial business managers recognise that being in balance provides numerous benefits in addition to excellent quality care. It improves resilience to better navigate unexpected economic challenges, it helps build a stronger workforce to support growth and development and it underpins quality and innovation to allow for reinvestment in the practice.
We take time to communicate these messages first, to our team, so all staff understand the impact of their actions on the ‘bigger picture’, for example, with processing claims coming via insurance and solicitors, and with coding, the method practices use to digitally record patient health information. And second, to our patients, encouraging them to support the practice by getting all the vaccinations and immunisation they need (e.g. flu), as well as access online material or alternative providers like pharmacy to avoid unnecessary attendance where appropriate.
As business managers in general practice, we hold a pivotal and sometimes isolated role, ensuring things run smoothly for everyone else in the practice. The focus remains on striving to strike the balance between finance, performance and embracing digitisation ultimately for a more sustainable, patient-centred approach to primary care.
By Rebecca Smith, Business Operations Manager, Ivel Medical Centre Biggleswade