NHS Direct has consolidated all its five million patient
records into one single database and upgraded its call centres
across the UK to create a “virtual contact centre”.
The move is designed to make sure that patient enquiries can be
easily handled anywhere, regardless of their origin.
By using a system from Clinical Solutions, which includes a call
streaming prioritisation tool (CSPT), nurses and health advisors
can quickly prioritise calls, access the relevant records and
provide accurate health advice.
Previously, patient records were located within 22 separate
databases so calls could not be shared between locations.
By introducing a single patient database within the Clinical
Solutions platform, staff can work from shared call queues across
locations, on a regional or national basis.
This enables the call workload to be equally shared across the
country, helping to ensure a more efficient service for the
patient.
Murray Bain, director of ICT at NHS Direct, said, "The new
system saves time - our nurses can access calls from one shared
system and patients are seeing a hugely improved service."