A centralised NHS call centre was underperforming. 30% of calls were abandoned as patients gave up waiting, while those that hung on endured waits of up to 13 minutes. GP’s and other clinical staff wasted time trying to resolve issues due to poor management and procedures. Jacqueline was assigned to resolve the critical issues for patients, clinicians and staff alike.
Within a month, the abandoned call rate had decreased from 30% to less than 5% with an average wait time of less than two minutes. Within six months, and for the first time ever, 100% of referrals were tracked, contributing to a 30% improvement in clinic attendance rates. The turnaround in performance resulted in the Board reversing the decision to outsource the department and saved the jobs of the whole team.
