Category Archives: News

Demand capacity audits

To help practices improve patient access, identify efficiencies, and explore new ways of working, One Care’s general practice support team (GPS) offers free demand, capacity and activity audits.

The audits monitor the activity within your practice to help to build up a holistic view of your workload, and to provide you with the data to better understand your patient demand and ability to meet it. This also supports your future workforce planning and strategic decision making.

The range of audits capture the volume of patient demand, and gather insights into existing patient pathways, before mapping this against your practice’s capacity. Data is also collected to measure the volume of administrative tasks undertaken by practice teams, to help you identify opportunities to improve processes.

The GPS team is supported in this by One Care’s business intelligence team, who can provide further detail and analysis of population health management that, alongside the audit results, can enhance your practice’s strategic vision.

The digitised audits use Microsoft Forms and are designed in partnership with you to reflect your existing processes and protocols. They are also customised to answer any specific questions or identify data that you would like to find out. Support materials are provided to help you communicate to your practice team about what will be happening and how the information will be used.

The audits take place over a two-week period. When your audit is complete, the GPS team will summarise your data into a concise and streamlined format. They will also provide recommendations and highlight where they and other One Care teams can add value.

If you feel this service would be beneficial to your practice or would like further information, please contact the general practice support team: practice.support@onecare.org.uk

Extended funding for NHS App project

Following a successful year, further funding for a One Care project to increase use of the NHS App has been secured.

The NHS App project, led by One Care and funded by the ICB, has been successful in achieving:

  • 30% of BNSSG practices with an NHS App sign up rate of 67% and over of their patients – the highest rate in England
  • an increase in the rate of take up of the App
  • 5% increase in the number of people who switched their App notifications on – an extra 57,000 people
  • an average reduction in practices’ SMS fragment usage rate from 2.38 to 2.35 – a saving of approximately £9,000

Morgan Daly, One Care’s deputy director of digital transformation, said: “Securing another year’s funding is great recognition of the achievements of this project.

“The team has worked hard to help practices and patients alike. We know that increased use of the App will not only help patients manage their care online, it will also help release valuable time for practices by giving patients access to their medical records, test results and the ability to order repeat prescriptions.”

The project has also promoted digital inclusion in the region and has recruited three local VCSE organisations to support this. The project team produced guides for using audio and translation services available in the App, and enrolled local libraries to provide warm spaces with access to devices, connectivity, and 1-2-1 support for patients from a digital champion​.

The next steps for the project are to:

  • review the accessibility of the App promotional materials
  • identify areas within BNSSG with low uptake of the App and understand the reasons for this
  • explore how the App could be integrated with secondary care, such as mental health services
  • look into how the different levels of functionality offered by different practices affect patients’ experiences

To find out more about how the NHS App can benefit your practice and patients please contact nhs.app@onecare.org.uk

One Care digital support for practices

Our digital team is here to help your practice make the most of your digital systems and innovative technology.

We can help improve your practice’s digital expertise, to make your processes more efficient and save you time and money. We offer our member practices free hands-on support, resources, and training to help the smooth running and development of your business.

We offer expertise across a range of digital systems, including:

  • in-person training for EMIS and managed referral
  • help with day-to-day TeamNet operational issues
  • guidance on Black Pear, CareFlow Connect, and Resource Publisher

We have also developed a range of searches and protocols to help the working life of practices – all available here.

Join us at our latest digital roadshow – 23 May 2025, 10am-2.00pm, Arnos Manor Hotel, Bristol

As part of our support for practices, we host an annual digital roadshow. This is an opportunity for practice staff to

  • meet tech suppliers in person
  • enjoy live presentations and explore cutting edge technology
  • meet the One Care digital team and find out more about the support we offer
  • connect with your peers

The tech suppliers you’ll be able to meet include Heidi Health; X-on Health Ltd; Healthtec-1; eConsult; Accurx; Abrace; NHS SCWCS; Hippo Labs; Agilio Software; Klinik Healthcare Solutions; and GP Automate.

Lunch will be provided, and free parking is available. Please register here by Friday 2nd May. We look forward to seeing you there.

Let us know how we can support your practice: digital@onecare.org.uk

 

Patient facing wound care videos

As part of One Care’s communications offer to practices, we are now able to develop animated videos to support accessible, meaningful communications with patients.

In a recent project with Bridge View Medical, lead nurses Lauren Pentony and Kirstie Whitelock proposed developing two videos to support patients experiencing leg ulcers.

The videos are intended to help patients recognise a leg ulcer, know when to seek help, prepare effectively for their appointment and support healing afterwards. They will be shown in waiting rooms and will be available online.

The One Care communications team worked closely with Lauren and Kirstie, providing advice and guidance to develop content that would maximise the impact with patients, and support accessibility.

Viv Munday, Bridge View Medical PCN manager said the team at One Care ‘provided great advice and support to our team and the finished product speaks volumes of their professionalism.’

The two animations are now available and can be shared with patients as a link, or can be embedded on practice websites.

One Care to offer free HR services pilot

From 1st April to 30th June 2025, One Care’s HR services will be free to practices to assess the value in offering these services as part of member subscription.

One Care’s practice HR services cover a wide range of support, including:

  • Employee relations support – assistance with managing employee stress, absence, and resolving problems
  • Performance management support
  • Disciplinary and grievance support – guidance, advice and attendance at disciplinary and grievances meetings.
  • Advice related to employment termination
  • Bespoke policies and letter templates
  • Advice on contractual queries
  • Mediation

Feedback about the service has been very positive, with one practice who has made use of One Care’s practice HR support commenting, “One Care supported us through two difficult HR processes, including a termination of contract. Gertruda and Lauren provided a fast and proficient service, their HR knowledge was excellent. They gave as sound and clear advice, as well as drafting letters for us. Thank you.”

One Care has received short-term funding to run this pilot. The subsequent inclusion of this support in the subscription fee will be contingent on sufficient uptake, so practices are highly encouraged to make use of it.

If you would like to make use of this free support, please contact One Care’s People Services.

Top tips for website usability

Having an accessible, easily navigable website makes patients more likely to make it their first port of call for finding out information and getting in touch with their practice. As the healthcare system becomes increasingly digital, a usable website is more important than ever. Here are five top tips to make your practice’s website as usable for patients as possible.

Create an intuitive homepage and navigation bar layout

Studies by NHS England show the most important tasks to patients are being able to book, change, or cancel appointments; order repeat prescriptions; register with a practice; get a sick / fit note; get test results; and find out opening times and contact details. It’s therefore wise to have these links in the top third of your home page and in your navigation bar. However, don’t overload either of them – stick to what patients are looking for most often.

Check how your site looks on mobile browsers

The majority of people now access web content on their mobile phones. Check your site is still navigable via a mobile browser – ideally, get colleagues involved to check it on a variety of devices (older, newer, Apple, Android, etc).

Use an accessibility testing tool

The WAVE browser extension is a good starting point for picking up issues that people using screen readers might run into. Install the extension and look over your home page and frequently visited pages. If you see lots of errors, contact your website provider to try and resolve them. However, this doesn’t replace a full accessibility audit, which your website provider should be able to run.

Make sure your written content is readable to a range of patients

Did you know that the average reading age in the UK is approximately nine years old? Making sure the written content on your website is in plain English, free of jargon (including terms like ‘triage’ and ‘online consultation form’) will ensure as many people as possible understand the information, which can reduce unnecessary or confusing contacts. To test how readable your content is, try Hemingway.

NHS England also has some excellent templates for frequently visited pages, such as appointments and prescriptions, which you can adapt for your practice. (In fact, the whole guide is a brilliant resource for anyone looking to improve their practice website!)

Engage with your PPG

Your patients are the most valuable source of feedback – get their thoughts about how easy they find the website to use, and the changes they would like to see.

We hope you find these tips useful. If you’d like help to make your website more usable and accessible, contact Alasdair Wallace who will be happy to help.

One Care Contacts

Member practices told us they would like to have a named representative at One Care, who they could contact directly to ask questions, raise issues, or request support or advice.

In response to this, we’ve set up a ‘One Care contacts’ model, which sees members of the One Care team take responsibility for one or more member practices, being on hand to help with anything they may need.

That could be finding out the answer to a question, putting them in touch with a team at One Care who can help solve a problem, or giving direct assistance on something within their own expertise.

The model aims to build stronger, more consistent relationships between One Care and member practices, and enable them to access One Care’s services and programmes quickly and easily.

One Care’s Chief Operating Officer, Rachel Burton, said: “We hope our practice colleagues will find it helpful to be able to contact a specific person at One Care when they need something. Being able to build those personal, trusted relationships with members of our team will help members get the answers and support they want as effectively as possible.”

Resolving workplace disputes: mediation services for practices

Our people services team now offers a mediation service to help practices settle disputes and develop healthier working relationships. The service focuses on finding solutions that everyone is happy with, improving communication, and setting clear parameters for future co-working. 

Gertruda Grudyte, One Care’s senior HR advisor, said: “A lot of workplace conflict is left to develop and worsen. With early intervention we can help stop issues escalating. 

“Our mediation service is informal and voluntary. Mediation can only happen when everyone is open to it and wants it to succeed so we work with both parties to a perceived conflict to make sure they want to be a part of it.  

“We don’t apportion blame; it’s about working together to find a way to cooperate and work well in the future.” 

 

What to expect 

If you contact our team for mediation, they will arrange a free assessment to discuss the situation. You will be asked questions about the issue, and both parties will be asked if they’re willing to join mediation. 

Following the initial assessment, and if both parties are happy to take part, separate and joint meetings are held to work towards a resolution. Due to the confidential nature of the meetings, managers are only told whether or not an agreement has been reached – no details are shared. As well as confidentiality, other careful rules of engagement are followed during the meetings, including honesty, openness, and courtesy. 

 

Cost 

The service is offered to BNSSG practices at a day rate of £450, although this can vary depending on the nature of the issue and how the practice wants to deal with it. The initial assessment is free of charge. 

To find out more please contact people.services@onecare.org.uk 

The new staff support scheme

The One Care general practice support team (GPS) offer mentoring sessions for newly recruited members of practice management, to help them get up to speed with their new roles quickly.

The new staff support scheme uses the GPS team’s extensive experience working in practice and alongside practice managers to support you – whether this is your first time working in general practice or within the BNSSG area.

The GPS team is highly knowledgeable in all aspects of practice management and can provide tools, pragmatic guidance, hints, and dedicated time to focus on the support you feel you need. They can also introduce One Care and the rest of the local healthcare system, advising staff on the nuances of working within the BNSSG region.

For sessions covering systems such as TeamNet or EMIS, GPS can arrange for managers to meet with One Care’s digital team for a specialised session.

You will be entitled to six sessions (face-to-face or via Teams, providing tailored advice and dedicated sessions on CQC, general practice finance, and more. The team is also available for any follow-up questions on an ad-hoc basis.

The GPS team has been working with new members of practice management already, and a practice manager has found the service beneficial in their new role. They said:

‘One Care’s new staff support scheme was incredibly helpful in getting started as a practice manager. Having a knowledgeable point of contact at the end of the phone and email was hugely important and really helped me to find my feet. The service they provide to new staff is fantastic.’

If you are new to your role and feel that this scheme would benefit you, please contact the GPS team practice.support@onecare.org.uk

Meet our general practice and operations support (GPSO) team

To make it easier for practices to find the right support for their needs, here are the specialist areas the members of our GPSO team can help you with. They all have years of practice experience to draw on, and can help you remotely or will come into your practice to work with you directly.

The GPOS team’s work helps:

  • support process optimisation
  • improve efficiency
  • manage, save or gain practices money
  • release time for practices

If you ever have questions for One Care or need our help but are unsure who to contact, please email enquiries@onecare.org.uk and we’ll direct your enquiry to the right person, who will make sure you get the assistance you’re after.