Overview
Our client in the East Midlands is one of the largest teaching hospitals in the UK, providing services to over a million residents and employing over 18,000 people.
The Challenge
In the aftermath of the pandemic, the Trust faced a growing backlog in Audiology and ENT services, with both adult and paediatric waiting lists stretching into the thousands. Substantive staff were overworked and morale was low, with some patients waiting over 76 weeks for an initial diagnosis. Despite best efforts, the Trust struggled to make any significant impact on reducing the waiting list backlog.
The Trust required an insourcing partner that could immediately increase capacity, work efficiently within their existing system, and help alleviate pressure on their in-house staff.
Our Approach
After a series of scoping meetings, we collaborated with the Trust to assemble a team of skilled Audiologists and ENT specialists to run weekend clinics. Our team consisted of 10 Trust-approved clinicians, working in a rotation of 4-6 staff every weekend to provide additional capacity without disrupting the Trust's regular operations.
Working on-site, we seamlessly integrated our clinicians with the Trust's teams, managing a variety of caseloads, including 1:1 and 2:1 patient clinics. The Trust arranged patient appointments, and our team handled the consultations and diagnostics, seeing an average of 15-20 patients each weekend.
Highlights
Our approach provided significant support to the Trust in managing their Audiology and ENT services:
- We deployed up to 6 clinicians each weekend, running clinics across the Trust's facilities.
- The clinics managed a mixed caseload, serving both adult and paediatric patients.
- On average, our team saw 15-20 patients every weekend, rapidly reducing the backlog.
- The seamless collaboration between our insourced team and the Trust's staff helped maintain high levels of operational efficiency and patient care.
Outcomes
Through our efforts, we successfully eradicated the 52-week+ Audiology and ENT waiting list and reduced the overall waiting list by 68%. Over the course of the contract, the Trust experienced significant improvements in patient flow, staff morale, and service delivery.
Our ability to provide immediate additional capacity enabled the Trust to clear backlogs, improve patient access, and reduce the burden on their internal teams, ensuring a positive outcome for both staff and patients.
Client Comments
TPG Insourcing has been an incredible partner in helping us tackle our Audiology and ENT backlogs. Their team quickly integrated with ours, running weekend clinics that made an immediate impact. Thanks to their support, we reduced our waiting lists by 68% and completely cleared the 52-week+ cases. Their professionalism and seamless collaboration have been invaluable, and we wouldn't hesitate to work with them again in the future.
Head of Services, Leading East Midlands NHS Trust