Revolutionising Centralised Booking for a Large Federation

Background

Havering Health is a forward-thinking GP Federation, serving approximately 35 practices and several Primary Care Networks (PCNs), including Havering North, Havering South, Havering Liberty, Marshalls, and Havering Crest. Led by the clinical duo of David Derby and Ruth Crowley, the Federation sought to streamline service delivery by centralising bookings for Enhanced Access and Spirometry appointments.

The Challenge

The Federation operated its own EMIS instance to manage appointments across its network but faced a key logistical hurdle: how to enable practices to seamlessly direct patients into the Federation’s booking system. Without a simple online booking mechanism, the process was fragmented, leading to inefficiencies and delays in patient care.

The Hero Health Solution

To address this challenge, Havering Health partnered with Hero Health to implement a direct online booking system integrated into each practice’s website. This allowed patients to book appointments at the centralised hub 24/7, significantly improving accessibility and efficiency for both practices and the Federation.

Key components of Hero Health’s solution included:

• Seamless Integration – Hero Health quickly deployed its online booking functionality across all 35 practices, ensuring smooth interoperability with the Federation’s EMIS system.
• 24/7 Patient Access – Patients could now book appointments at the hubsite at any time, reducing administrative burden and enhancing patient convenience.
• Optimised Resource Allocation – By centralising booking, the Federation benefited from better utilisation of out-of-hours appointments and shared resources.

Expanding the Impact with Care Navigation & Triage

‍Building on the success of online booking, Hero Health collaborated with the PCN Digital Transformation Leads to introduce additional functionality:

• Care Navigation & Triage – This allowed GP practices to triage patients using Hero before directly booking them into the Federation’s hub, all without needing to open EMIS.
• Direct Booking Efficiency – By enabling direct appointment allocation through Hero, practices streamlined patient flow, ensuring patients were booked into the most appropriate service promptly.

Results & Impact

• Enhanced Patient Access – Patients experienced improved booking convenience, reducing delays in receiving care.
• Operational Efficiency – Practices saved valuable administrative time, while the Federation maximised appointment utilisation.
• Scalable Solution – The seamless integration of triage and direct booking set the stage for further innovation and expansion across the Federation.

Hero Health’s online booking functionality has transformed how Havering Health manages centralised services. By providing a frictionless, integrated, and efficient booking solution, Hero has enabled the Federation to deliver high-quality care at scale. As Havering Health continues its digital transformation journey, Hero remains a trusted partner in driving innovation and efficiency in primary care.