South Liverpool Treatment Centre (SLTC) made the early decision to pool their resources and protect patients by establishing a joint ‘hot clinic’ for symptomatic COVID-19 patients at SLTC – keeping infected patients safely separated from COVID-19 negative patients. With hundreds of GPs from the participating 24 partner practices, and no centralised system to acknowledge any differing schedules, the initial method of scheduling via Excel was inefficient. Sudden surges in demand at the clinic would be difficult to manage from a staffing perspective, as was the unpredictability posed by GPs having to self isolate on account of showing symptoms of COVID-19.
The Network leaders understood that the virus, and the unique demands it placed on Primary Care providers, would not disappear in a matter of weeks. They needed to establish a workable staffing solution which was not a major administrative burden and which enabled the reactivity and flexibility that the clinic required.
With shifts and schedules previously managed by the networks using laborious and time-consuming Excel spreadsheets, Patchwork Health has granted the PCNs full access to its digital staffing solution for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic. With Patchwork’s user-friendly technology, GPs are now offered the ability and flexibility to self-book onto vacant shifts using one system, ensuring increased fill rates for safe staffing levels, reduced admin burden and greater visibility of workforce data for managers.