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Five steps to 15 minute appointments (1 CPD hour)

 

Full CPD module

 

This module will offer a suggested five-step plan to introducing 15-minute appointments, based on the case study of one practice that has offered longer appointments for around eight years.

The module covers:

  • Research and discussion of a possible scheme within the partnership
  • Running a trial
  • Extending the scheme and adapting it over time
  • The challenges and benefits of the 15-minute scheme

After reading this article you should also look at the data Dr Bruml and a trainee compiled on their access system. Click here to see the resource.

You will be asked to record your learning points and some action points to earn a suggested 1 CPD credit. Below are some suggested questions to reflect on as you work through the module:

  1. What are you and your partners’ views on the success of your current access scheme?
  2. Do you know how often and how long surgeries over-run on average?
  3. How would offering longer appointments affect your practice business? How would you model a pilot of this scheme? (If you already offer longer appointments, how could you adapt access to make your system more productive?)
  4. Benefits from longer appointments at Dr Bruml’s surgery included reduced over-running, improved patient satisfaction, improved QOF score and better doctor-patient relations. DO you think your surgery might be able to achieve any of these benefits through longer appointments?
  5. If you don’t offer longer appointments yet, what are the challenges you’d face if you tried to implement this access scheme?