Overview:

The key objective of engaging the patients and signposting is to help patients access the right care at the earliest opportunity. It is a new system of ‘triage‘, carried out at the first point of contact with the GP Practice by non-clinical staff under direction of the clinical team.

Objective:

After training staff will be confident in advising and referring patients to care providers who work either within the practice team or to external care providers.

Entry Requirements

All staff wishing to be considered for Active Signposting/ Care Navigation:

  • Should be experienced GP Practice staff.
  • Should have an understanding of ‘Medical terminology’.
  • Should attend the full Patient Engagement training and understand that their work will be audited and monitored back in the practice.
  • Practices must understand that implementation must be continually monitored, audited and significant or critical events reported to appropriate bodies.

 

Programme

Session One – 10:30-12:30

Introduction to Signposting & Navigation – This session will introduce why engaging the patient to enable access to Right person, right place, right time’? Signposting is now a recognised tool to meet demand on GP time and how it can increase access. Discussion will explore the benefits, risks and limits of the approach.

How are you feeling? Thoughts from a patient’s perspective, thoughts from a Receptionists perspective

How will the Receptionists role has changed with signposting and navigating – Sources of help will receptionists will refer patients to, including:

  • How to make referrals to allied healthcare professionals and other internal and external clinical team members eg. physician associates, paramedics etc
  • Understand the new roles under the ARRs scheme and how to engage them
  • ARRS
  • 111/OOH
  • CPCS pathways
  • Criteria for developing a useful practice directory

Group Work & Practical Session – Typical scenarios found in GP Practices and will be an opportunity for participants to develop new techniques to deal with enhanced patient interactions. Emphasis will be on developing confident communication skills, with all participants having the opportunity to practice these new skills.

Session Two – 13:30-15:30

Communicating the changes to patients – Achieving effective and persuasive communication through traditional and online channels

  • effective messaging for patients –
  • coordinating Websites/ Facebook/ Telephone messaging
  • Econsult – who can be redirected
  • What’s suitable for telephone appointments
  • online consult
  • Accurx
  • Ardens

Using and developing the Directory of Service

Monitoring patient engagement, Signposting and Navigation successfully in practice

  • What does success look like?
  • How to monitor
  • How to communicate the success

Next Steps – Formulate an Action Plan