Five reasons to adopt group clinics in specialist care
On 17 September, 12.30 – 13.30 Experience Led Care www.elcworks.co.uk is hosting a lunch and learn webinar to explore successful group clinic models in specialist settings.
Why does this switch make sense? Here are five reasons why:
- People are waiting longer for surgery and are at risk of deconditioning as they wait
Over six million individuals are awaiting surgery in England. The longer they wait, the more likely it is that they will decondition, leading to a vicious circle of decline as they limit physical activity and gain weight – all factors that increase anaesthesia risk and impact negatively on their recovery and post-surgical outcomes.
In Wales, the prevalence of this problem is monitored. It is a significant problem. Between April 2022 to March 2023, 4,860 of the 6,350 (76%) of last-minute cancellations were because the patient was deemed unfit for surgery.
The same figures are not readily available in England. The national data set tracks cancellations due to non-medical reasons only.
Welsh government is developing a “waiting well” approach. Group clinics are very much part of that model. Because waiting well work involves lifestyle change and is often led by allied health professionals and nurses, group clinics are a great fit.
At our webinar, you will hear about how Hywel Dda University Health Board have scaled this model to help patients wait well.
- Group clinics maximise scarce clinical time
Often the reason waiting lists grow is because specialist clinicians’ time is scarce.
The group clinic model makes the most of their time. Often appointments in specialist clinics are longer – as long as 45-60 minutes.
A group clinic is 90 minutes and usually 6-8 people attend a video group clinic (VGC) or up to 12 attend a face to face (F2F) one. VGC can also significantly reduce travel time for both patients and clinicians – especially in rural areas. This can release significant time that specialists can invest in patients who need one to one attention.
- Group clinics reduce waiting time
The fact group clinics reduce waiting times for patients is well documented. In England, introducing first-contact group assessments for Long Covid reduced waiting times by seven weeks immediately. Even patients who were seen one to one benefited as clinicians had extra time to see them sooner.
- Group clinics facilitate patient initiated follow up (PIFU)
PIFU is an integral part of outpatient transformation. Teams often struggle to imagine how they will slot patients who initiate follow up into scheduled one to one clinics quickly. It is much easier to slot an extra patient into a group clinic. Combining PIFU with group clinics works well.
- Group clinics support staff wellbeing and retention
Introducing group clinics is often highly motivating for clinicians and their support staff. Clinicians have autonomy to transform necessary yet repetitive clinical reviews into engaging, fun groups that deepen their relationships with and understanding of their patients’ lives. They have longer to explore what matters. They see patients responding and being inspired by their peers to make change, this restores joy to practice. VGCs support flexible home working. And group clinics usually finish on time, so clinicians regain control over their schedule and perceive a better work-life balance.
If you are curious to learn more, come along on Tuesday 17 September and hear from Welsh teams who have already mainstreamed the model.
BOOK LUNCH AND LEARN PLACES
TUESDAY 17 SEPTEMBER 12.30-13.30, USING THE LINK or QR CODE:
https://www.elcworks.co.uk/free-lunch-and-learn-webinars/