How to request and book a GP with the GPnetworks system

Using the GPnetworks system to Request and book a doctor brings many advantages. Its time saving, it creates an auditable schedule and history for both parties, it allows us to keep GPs availability bang up to date and it ensure highly usable, formal communication between GPs and Practices.

There is only one simple method to requesting and booking a doctor, via the system:

  • You look through the Calendar of GP availability, clicking GP names that show availability for the session(s) you require
  • When you are in the GP details screen, you can click on any session of availability in their Personal calendar and a little Request box appears that allows you to input details of your request
  • Specify the start and end times you require and optional fees and any notes and click the button to send the Request to the GP
  • This places an entry into your Schedule screen and sends the GP a Request notification (placing an entry into their schedule too)
  • When they respond you will get an email notification and the entry in your Schedule will change color to match the response
  • If the GP response was positive (an acceptance), you then come back to your Schedule and cancel or Confirm the session
  • On Confirm, both parties get a notification, practices are sent the GPs professional documents and both parties Schedules are modified to reflect the new status of the Request
  • The GPs availabaility is modified to reflect the change
  • GPs also get a reminder the day before the booked session

How do you know a GP is willing to travel to your practice to work?

When you login to look for a GP, how do you know that the GPs you see in your GP Availability calendar are willing to travel to your practice to work for you?

The entire system is built around this idea. Each account (GP and Practice) has a postcode and the system measures the distance between GPs and Practices and stores this in the database (if you alter your postcode it is re-measured)

Every GP has a screen in their account that allows them to specify how far they are willing to travel to work – when they set this radius, the system automatically shows them a list of practices within that radius. These are the practices that can see the GPs availability when they login.

In short, if your practice is on a GPs list, then you can see them. The fact that you see them in your GP availability calendar means that they are willing to travel as far as your practice to do sessional work.

However, for a GP, this is an initial tacit expression of willingness to work at a practice – not a commitment. Each request for work and subsequent commitment to work is negotiate individually between GP and practice during the request/booking process.

This means that both parties can take into account all the other important variables like nature of work, pay, visits, skills and qualifications, etc.

2011 usage statistics

Our figures for 2011 are in and they show a marked improvement on 2010

2011 statistics:
11604 logins by 259 practices, across 30 pct’s
18097 logins by 467 GPs

2010 statistics:
10011 logins by 251 practices, across 22 pct’s
14786 logins by 393 GPs

How can GPnetworks help ensure quality cover for practices?

We know that the issue of quality is very important to practices and finding a locum through a DIY system like GPnetworks can be a bit hit and miss. However, we have some tools to help you ensure your locum will be competent and reliable.

 1. Governance documents
The GP profile allows doctors to upload all their important professional documents as well any additional documents that relate to specific skills, experience or qualification. Practices are able to view and download these documents from within their GP details view. As well as this, when you book a GP via the system, these documents are automatically sent to you in the confirmation email.

 

2. Confirmed booking reminders:
We send automated email reminders to GPs for any Confirmed bookings made through the system. These go out 3 days before the booking date.

 

3. Trusted GP lists:
Your account lets you create and manage your own Trusted list of doctors from the wider GPnetworks pool. For each GP in your list you can retain your Governance information. You can also filter the general sessional availability calendar by your Trusted list, removing all other doctors from view (you can switch back at any time).

Enhanced account holders can invite any GP in the system to join their Trusted list, there is no additional cost to either party.

 

4. Ratings:
Any locum that has worked for you can be rated by you, using a very simple tool, found in each locums details screen. Click the locums name to access their details screen. Then click the ‘rate this GP’ tab at the top.

GP ratings will be seen anonymously by other practices as accumulated scores. They can help all practices to judge whether or not a GP is a safe bet.

Ratings cover 5 key areas:

  • Did the locum GP turn up for work on time?
  • Completion of tasks
  • Handover of patients
  • Significant Patient complaints
  • General attitude

*You can modify your answers at any time by re-visiting the GPs details

The Trusted list feature

All Enhanced (paid) accounts include Trusted list management.

A Trusted list is a list of GP, controlled by each practice, comprised of GPs from the wider system that the practice trusts. Practices may request any GP to join their Trusted locum list and GPs can accept or decline this request. Being on a practices list means that a GP is more likely to get work with that practice.

This internal list is managed in an extra screen within your account. Practices can add/remove doctors from their list and retain information relating to the clinical governance of their list members.

Accounts with the Trusted list feature can also filter the general sessional availability screen and their schedule screen using their Internal list. This will then show only doctors on their list.

To add a doctor to your Trusted list, simply locate them first in the general availability, then visit the doctors details screen to find a link allowing you to request the doctor to join your internal list.

They will then receive an email notification containing links to accept or decline this request.

If they accept they will appear in your Internal list screen and within a new part of their employers screen reserved for these trusted relationships.