On Call Care
The technology to care
Supporting almost one million people with an out of hours GP
service, On Call Care provides vital medical help to the
communities of Kent and Sussex. So, when the organisation had to
relocate and streamline its call centre operation, it was essential
that their critical service wasn’t interrupted.
Of the three On Call Care call centres, two were set to be
replaced with one main facility, built within the new Emergency
Care Centre at Maidstone Hospital’s A & E department. Faster
call handling and a more efficient service would give On Call Care
the ability to deal with patients more quickly and effectively –
giving better attention to sick people and even helping to save
lives.
A managed, single call handling solution from ntl:Telewest Business
has given staff the resources they need to provide a high quality
medical service that’s second to none. And during the
implementation of our solution, our carefully planned programme
made sure that systems were up and running quickly, with no
disruption to essential patient care.
Community support through intelligent
communications
For the growing community that On Call Care’s service covers,
having easier access to medical advice, referral or treatment –
especially during the worrying night time period – is very
reassuring. Our sophisticated call handling solution helps staff to
coordinate care and treatment options quickly and simply, even when
under pressure from high call volumes.
The coordination to keep on top of demand
Between the hours of 6pm and 8am, On Call Care uses its team of
doctors, nurses, psychiatrists and dentists to help callers with
their medical problems. Whether it’s advice given, a home visit
carried out, or a referral made to a care centre or the emergency
services – calls are always carefully managed. Calls to GP’s
surgeries are routed to On Call Care staff, then logged and
recorded before being passed on to the appropriate health
professional.
With On Call Care’s operations spread over ten sites, precise
technical and logistical planning was essential to help the not for
profit organisation improve its system efficiency while developing
a new and advanced call centre. Our consultants made this happen by
combining the organisation’s voice and data infrastructure and
using the latest technology to create a complete solution.
Saving time for the things that matter
As we were already providing Maidstone Hospital with its
telecommunications systems, On Call Care was keen for ntl:Telewest
Business to develop its call centre solution too. “It made sense to
work with ntl:Telewest Business, rather than have two suppliers
onsite,” explains Rupert Coler, On Call Care’s IT Manager.
Meeting NHS guidelines was crucial, so, working closely with a
government approved systems integrator, our specialist consultants
developed a sophisticated solution. A full voice system and
advanced data infrastructure now link each site with the main call
centre and NHS Direct. Additionally, local call rates and
intelligent call routing gives On Call Care an advanced and totally
managed solution – leaving IT staff free for other critical
work.
The right approach – the ideal outcome
Installing the cabling for the project needed precise planning
to ensure none of the hospital’s A & E functions were affected.
“Cabling was very carefully and sensitively managed bearing in mind
that the department is open 24x7. I’ve found ntl:Telewest Business
to be very approachable and as keen to make the solution work as we
are.”
With all calls now received and handled using our single call
handling solution, not only is service speed and efficiency much
better, but patient satisfaction is high too, as Rupert explains,
“Calls are dispatched to 12 telephones, automatically routing to
the next available attendant who logs the details and forwards the
call to the most appropriate care. We currently handle about 10,000
patient calls per month - the response is extremely positive.”
What it has made possible
Now that the ntl:Telewest Business solution has been in place
for some time, Rupert and the On Call Care team can see the
positive impact that it’s having on their service. Patients are
experiencing much better access to the specialist advice and
support they need, just as they need it. And thanks to the
proactive approach of our consultants, a 24x7 nurse-led advice line
has also been established with Maidstone & Tunbridge Wells NHS
Trust – providing help to people calling Accident and Emergency
under a free pilot scheme.
Patients aren’t the only ones benefiting from the ntl:Telewest
Business solution either, as Rupert concludes, “With regards to the
data side, we’ve found the service to be cost-effective and
proactive. Modifications and extensions are done swiftly and
effectively.” With On Call Care’s services predicted to continue
growing, our consultants are ready to manage the ntl:Telewest
Business solution so that it can grow with them.
Related Links