Background:
Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust identified a need to improve efficiency in its Gastroenterology outpatient service. The Trust aimed to increase patient throughput and clinician time utilisation, while avoiding additional financial pressure. Existing scheduling processes lacked structure and consistency, which limited the effectiveness of both consultant and nurse-led clinics.
Analysis:
Meridian’s assessment identified key inefficiencies in clinic scheduling and workload distribution. Sessions varied widely in terms of structure, with some being underutilised while others were overburdened. Consultant-led clinics were not optimised to reflect actual demand, and nurse-led clinics had scope for expansion.
Implementation:
Meridian worked with clinical and operational teams to redesign clinic templates and balance workload across consultant and nurse sessions. A scheduling model was developed to ensure equitable time allocation and better appointment flow. Managers were trained to apply the new framework consistently to maintain service efficiency beyond the programme s completion.
Results:
The redesigned service delivered a 15% increase in consultant-led clinic capacity and a 40% increase in nurse-led capacity. An estimated annual opportunity of £183K was identified through better utilisation of existing resources. Patient throughput increased, and time per patient was optimised to improve access without compromising care quality. Staff reported higher satisfaction with clinic flow and structure.
