Practice

Different models of working are being embedded in many general practices. Accurate appointment data demonstrates the changes in activity and workload, and supports practices to:

• understand their own practice activity and workload across the month and during the year.
• identify pressure points that need mitigating for the benefit of staff and patients.
• plan deployment of extra and existing staff, as general practice undertakes its biggest ever workforce expansion.

Locality

Accurate data are key for local decision-making and workforce planning across the local health system to:

• help inform and understand demand and pressures in general practice as well as in hospitals.
• identify areas which do not have enough clinical resources and inform service planning, including new services and new service models.
• understand the use of ARRS roles to ensure optimum take up and utilisation across practices.
• to calculate likely workload if a practice has to temporarily close for any reason, such as flood, fire, utility failure, sickness, or COVID-19.

Nationally

Accurate GP appointment data helps:

• better show the sheer scale of what general practice does for us all.
• Demonstrate and make the case for extra investment in general practice.
• give insight about different ways of working and variation across the country.

Next page: General practice should record all appointments in their appointment book