Dundee GP surgery introduces anytime appointment system

A Dundee doctor's surgery has introduced a model allowing patients to have appointments whenever they like.

Staff at the Westgate Medical Practice took inspiration from the story of King Canute, the 11th century king who tried to turn back the tides.

They decided to "stop fighting the tide" and allowed their 10,300 patients to make appointments whenever they wanted.

The results are published in the latest edition of the British Medical Journal.

The clinic, which has eight partners, worked out the maximum possible demand for services on their busiest days as the "high water mark" point.

Staff set up a daily appointment "pool" for all patients calling in for immediate or urgent care, starting from 10:30 each morning.

When 20 patients had been booked at 10:30, patients were advised to come at 11:00, and then the next 20 at 11:30.

Writing for the British Medical Journal, general practitioners Ron Neville and Simon Austin said: "King Canute could have kept his feet dry if he had moved his throne back up the beach to the high tide mark.

"From there he could have surveyed the North Sea every day and sat comfortably as the tide ebbed and flowed.

"We decided to retreat to the 'high water mark' of patient demand."

Initial evaluation of the new system found patients were appreciative, the atmosphere at reception was calmer and work patterns for nursing staff were improved.

The majority of patients were seen within 10 to 20 minutes of arriving by one of the four doctors on shift, with patient numbers ranging from as few as four or five to 60.

The practice has seen an increase in patients seeing their own doctors, from 74% to 87%, and now advises other practices on how to implement the system.

Drs Neville and Austin concluded: "We did not quite manage an evaluation free radical NHS change, but we did try, and we kept our feet dry."