Quick Wins To Reduce White Space In Your Clinicians’ Diaries.

We're having frequent conversations with practices at the moment who are noticing 'white space' appearing in their previously full clinical diaries.

Here are a few suggested actions you could consider taking if this is a concern for you too.

Ask your Clinicians to escort their patients back to the reception desk and conduct a handover where the next step they have agreed with the patient is explained to the Reception team.

In this way, the next appointment for any planned treatment, or the next maintenance appointment, is booked in your zoned diary and scheduled appropriately.

This avoids Reception having to ‘squeeze’ the patient into a chaotic diary, or the patient wandering out of the practice with no ‘next step’.

If a patient can’t commit, train your Receptionist to schedule a follow up call, not more than 48 hours ahead and make sure the call has been made.

Extend your examination appointments.

It may seem counterintuitive, but this allows your Clinicians sufficient time to take photographs, thoroughly discuss treatment options, etc with their patients and agree a Treatment Plan. They can’t do this in ten or fifteen minutes.

Go to your recalls – do you need to do some housekeeping to identify any patients who are overdue an examination or a hygienist visit? Ask Reception to call patients personally and avoid email or SMS’s. They may have to make several attempts before they can speak to the patient successfully. Don’t leave messages, most people will return a missed call.

Revisit your list of open Treatment Plans without a future appointment. Delegate calling the patient to schedule an appointment to the Reception team and train them to advise the patient that any treatment plan over three months old will be closed.

How easy is it for your patients to book an appointment?

You could consider online booking on your website for patients who organise their lives in the evenings or at the weekend. Is your Reception closed over the lunch hour? Many patients can’t call during working hours, so staggering the Receptionists lunch break and creating a rota arrangement means you could keep your reception desk open and available to your patients during the times when they can call you.

Engage a bureau, such as Ansacom or Moneypenny, to answer incoming calls when your Receptionists are busy or when the practice is closed.

Make sure every missed call is returned.

Similarly, make sure you have responded to every email or website enquiry within 24 hours.

Do you offer Direct Access Hygiene appointments?

Do you have reserved time in your zoned appointment diary to accommodate emergencies? And are these available to patients not currently registered with your practice?

Keep (and use!) a Short Notice Cancellation list - train your Reception team to go to the list in the first instance when they take a cancellation.

Invite patients to join your Membership Plan, which will encourage the patient to visit for regular maintenance appointments (booked while the patient is still in the building).

Are you open at convenient times for your busy patient’s lifestyle?

Are you open on Saturday mornings?

And do you have early morning and late afternoon/evening appointments available?

Do patients know you have availability?

Temporary banners outside your practice will stimulate enquiries. Change them regularly, with different messages – and make the design eye catching.

Let people know you are taking on new patients, have new opening hours, are offering a new treatment such as Invisalign.

Can your Receptionists convert enquiries to prospects?

Make sure that, with good quality exterior training if necessary, your Reception team can confidently engage with callers, build rapport, give quality information, and secure that appointment.