NHS trusts face a significant challenge in delivering efficient, accessible patient communication – but there are concrete actions that can be taken

Communication between patients and clinical staff forms the bedrock of efficient and accurate care. Without an easy and efficient method for access to, and discussion with, clinical staff, patients can experience delays in treatment and a reduction in the standard of care. Meanwhile, NHS trusts will be unable to work to the best of their ability, and could face increased workloads stemming from inefficiencies and communication backlogs. With budget constraints and ongoing staffing shortages, however, ensuring that such communication is consistently available and accessible constitutes a significant challenge for many trusts. 

Beyond these constraints on trusts’ resources, the UK is also seeing a general increase in demand for these services from the general public. An aging population and increasing life expectancy are contributing to a higher baseline demand, while factors such as seasonal illnesses, targeted health campaigns, and increased awareness of certain conditions can drive shorter-term surges in call volume. Both of these can mean longer wait times for patients attempting to make contact, providing a less satisfactory experience and delaying their access to critical services.  

The combination of high call volumes and limited resources can inevitably also lead to increased pressure being placed on the trust staff that is available. This not only has the knock-on effect of increasing staff burnout and reducing morale but means that it is more difficult to protect vital patient conversations from becoming time constrained, potentially resulting in a less comprehensive picture of the patient’s situation. Matters can be complicated further by new technologies being introduced that are intended to improve processes, but with which clinical staff are unfamiliar. A trust may have a suitable contact centre solution in place, but due to existing pressures on staff time, or a lack of available training, the benefits of the technology may be unrealised. It’s vital that staff wellbeing and training is prioritised in any organisation – all the more so due to the critical nature of these communications. 

NHS trusts therefore face a significant challenge in navigating all these issues; while also ensuring they adhere to the strict privacy and security regulations that come along with handling sensitive patient data. Any contact centre solution that is used must stay up-to-date with evolving healthcare regulations, as well as ensuring the data that it handles remains secure at all times. Such protections are not only mandated requirements, but also crucial in building and maintaining trust from a public that is increasingly informed and aware of the potential dangers of a cyber attack. 

As one might expect from a situation born from many different challenges and systemic constraints, there is no single cure-all for NHS trusts struggling with patient communication. However, during my time working with NHS trusts, I have identified areas that can be acted upon to deliver real, quantifiable outcomes. Cloud-based systems, for example, can offer much-needed scalability and flexibility to a trust that is grappling with staff shortages and increased demand. With a platform that can adapt and grow alongside the needs of the trust, the heavy reinvestment involved in outgrowing a solution can be avoided – effectively balancing the need to innovate with budget constraints. 

The heart of successful healthcare is its people; that’s why when we have conversations around AI tools in this space, it must be in a role that supports and enables the humans already present in the process. AI isn’t there to replace human advice, provide diagnoses, or be a substitute for a necessary conversation; instead, it should empower clinical staff to be more efficient with their valuable time. For example, we’ve seen how AI transcription services can record and summarise patient conversations, sparing clinicians from writing up notes from scratch, allowing them to instead simply review and edit as required. Similarly, AI tools that monitor the wellbeing of clinicians can offer breaks or alert supervisors when it determines that a large workload of potentially challenging conversations has begun to impact clinicians’ mental health and stress levels. 

Another approach to the challenge of increased demand is to look at digital self-service platforms. By carefully identifying areas that would benefit from this approach, we can reduce the burden on contact centre staff, while improving overall patient experience. For example, automated outbound appointment reminders could provide patients with the ability to amend or cancel appointments, while retaining the ability to escalate the communication to a real person wherever required. Similarly, combining digital channels with automation through AI agents can enhance the ability of patients to find answers to frequently asked questions for themselves. With limited data provided, and guardrails in place, these agents can provide informational content on topics such as parking, visiting hours, and general pre-operation guidance for patients. This then frees up clinicians to focus on the conversations that require a human touch and their medical knowledge. 

The projects I’ve been involved with have demonstrated the profound impact that the right technology, delivered in the right way, can have in healthcare. By addressing the challenges that trusts face, healthcare contact centres can drive improvements in patient satisfaction, reduce operational costs, and ensure the delivery of high-quality healthcare services.  

It’s been a privilege to collaborate with teams that provide vital, life-saving support to their communities. I cannot emphasise enough that each project was a process that evolved over time. These environments are complex, and can’t simply be transformed into a new all-singing, all-dancing, AI-enabled environment in one move – nor should they. At ITGL, we believe in helping our clients address specific business needs and use cases. We pride ourselves on developing partnerships with our customers, rather than viewing projects in isolation, or acting purely as a supplier. As a result, each project went through multiple stages and adjustments to ensure that the technology truly suited the very specific processes and environments present in the healthcare community. 

Elena Pudge is the Collaboration Practice Lead at ITGL. Her work at ITGL has included Webex Contact Center and Webex Calling project migrations with multiple NHS trusts, particularly around deployment within mental health crisis lines. More information on the solutions mentioned in this article can be requested by contacting hello@itgl.com, where we will be happy to discuss them in relation to your organisation’s specific needs and challenges.