1. Delivering healthcare in a digital world
Prime Minister’s Challenge Fund:
An Operational and Digital
Transformation of Primary Care

2. 2
The savings achieved for a DLS Access PMCF
Wave 1 project, based on 65,000 patients are
outlined below.
Costs are based on a transformed operating and
workforce model that incurs no additional cost,
which can be achieved with clear leadership and
a commitment to change across the project.
Telephony costs were not increased in this
project by using a common telephony model,
which delivered economies of scale as practices
connected into the HUB.
Many other benefits have been seen across the
business as well as a return on investment from the
savings this project has achieved including:
Achieving savings of £15 per patient with additional benefits.
Patient Population 65,000
Patient savings of installing DLS Access £
Per patient savings on DNA
Per patient per annum saving on reduced
A&E visits
Total per patient saving by installing
DLS Access
3.23
18.26
21.49
Annual savings for patient population £
DNA’s based on 72% reduction
A&E attendance based on 18% reduction
Total annual savings for patient population
209,950.00
1,186,900.00
1,396,850.00
Cost to install DLS Access £
DLS Access model of £5 +VAT per patient
per annum
390,000.00
Return on Investment (shown as savings) £
Savings for whole patient population
Per patient saving
Per patient return on investment
1,006,850.00
15.49
3.58

3. Prior to transformation, this Primary Care
organisation, like many others, did not record
patient traffic across online or remote channels.
Similarly, while clinical record systems document
number of appointments and factors such as DNAs,
there were no reporting mechanisms for these Key
Performance Indicators (KPIs), so it could not be
used as management information to drive business
efficiencies.
As a one year PMCF project, it was vital that valid
powerful results were visible and could be used to
evidence the model’s long-term sustainability.
The project requirements necessitated a baseline
and monthly data comparison. We included
additional KPIs to allow the practice to evaluate
its business in real time, providing the capability to
measure and respond to day-to-day changes.
Data from clinical record systems, telephony
reports, web traffic analytics and online appointment
requests were collated and reviewed daily in a
bespoke dashboard. Clinical data included the
number of used and unused of each appointment
type at each practice, the number of DNAs and the
percentage of remote consultations that resulted in
a face-to-face appointment.
This rigorous approach to management information
ensured the project was able to measure and report
on its success.
Transformed Service Model
DLS helped this organisation deliver a clear and
achievable digital strategy, which subsequently won
a place on the PMCF programme.
In order for the project to then succeed DLS
delivered two core elements, the enabling
digital products and the service and business
transformation.
Post award, the design phase underpinned the
strategic vision and direction for the project.
Stakeholder and patient workshops were used to
understand the current and future business model
and services, existing access channels, content,
patient workflows, data security and governance.
This outlined the new digital care pathways and
access channels, which the DLS technical team
used to deliver the digital service elements. DLS
transformation and operational resource worked
with the organisation, as one team, to transform the
existing service; standing up a new clinical contact
center and extended hours health hub, along
with new standard operating procedures, patient
pathways, governance and security policies.
DLS also provided a launch and roll-out plan, with
supporting internal communications and external
marketing plan to ensure patients and stakeholders
were clear about the changes and new models of
access.
The operational team benchmarked key
performance data at the start of the project and
developed dashboards and reporting structures as
described earlier in this document.
The service and digital elements delivered are
outlined below:
Creating Management Information, Data Analysis
and Benefits Tracking.

4. 4
Underlying Technology
The programme is underpinned and enabled by
the latest digital and interoperability technologies.
This digital platform delivers functionality for three
users.
Patients,for whom the system provides online
access to localised primary care services,
healthcare professionals, syndicated content and
self-care tools using every-day communications
tools such as telephone, smartphone apps, Skype
and the internet backed up with common identity
management and personalised health records
environment.
Care co-ordinators and managers for whom
the technology will provide a single view of the
patient across multiple systems allowing for better
case management, appropriate patient signposting
to the correct services and clarity on the complete
patient pathway.
Clinicians, commissioners and Business
Managers for whom the system will open up
management reporting systems across the whole
care population landscape, integrating across
multiple clinical systems to deliver clear and
focused business planning.
Tier 1:
Patient/Citizen
User Applications
Tier 2:
Business Management
and Care Coordination
Users
*Data Exchange/APIs*
Tier 3:
Clinical/Professional Users
Identity Management
Business Engine
Content Services
Secure Social
Networking
Personalised Care
Planning
On Demand access
to specialist content
Patient Access to
Medical Records
Telehealth and
self support apps
Scheduling Apps
Self Care Tools
and Content
Patient Feedback
Personalised Health Records
Patient
Index
Booking &
Scheduling
Contact
Centre MGT
Reporting
and M.I
Virtual
Caseload
MGT
}
GP 1 GP 2 Community Acute Social
Communication Apps:
• Instant Messaging
• Voice
• Video
• Imaging
• Telephony
Far from a world of queuing patients outside
each practice each morning and many days
spend waiting to get an appointment, these days,
consultation requests are made by registered
patients using their phone, a smartphone app or
via a web form.
All requests are directed into the ‘Health Hub’
and handled by trained call centre operatives.
The Health Hub team puts each patient on a call-
back list for the requested healthcare professional
who then aims to call the patient back within an
hour, either by phone or Skype, whichever the
patient requested. This system provides same
day primary care access for the groups patient
population, without opening for extended hours.
Out of hours demand is managed better and
patients are seen quicker.
Developing a new standard in primary care customer service
www.digitallifesciences.co.uk