Table of Contents
The practice was not losing patients because of clinical quality. It was losing them because nobody answered the phone at lunchtime.
Three sites, eleven practitioners, and a booking process that existed entirely on the telephone. Reception staff spent most of the morning on calls, and 22% of appointments were being missed without notice.
What we built
- Online booking tied to the existing practice-management system, so there is one diary rather than two.
- Automated reminders by SMS and email, at 48 hours and 2 hours.
- A cancellation flow that offers the freed slot to a waiting list automatically.
- Staff training on site at each practice, not a video link.
Result
No-shows fell 31% within three months, almost entirely from the two-hour reminder. Reception recovered around nine hours a week, which the practice redeployed to follow-up calls rather than to cutting staff. Roughly 40% of bookings now happen outside opening hours — appointments that previously simply did not get made.
Losing bookings to a busy phone line? Get a scope and a fixed price.
