An AI-powered triage system at a Surrey GP practice resulted in a 69% drop in same-day appointments and an 8% increase in the number of consultations delivered each day without hiring additional staff.
It also resulted in a 73% reduction in waiting times for pre-bookable appointments within a few months.
An independent NHS-funded evaluation measured the impact of the autonomous AI-powered patient triage system implemented by The Groves Medical Centre in New Malden between October 2023 and February 2024.
It found that patient waiting times for pre-bookable appointments were reduced by 73%, from 11 to three days.
And it revealed that the pre-implementation rate of 62% of patients who were triaged and booked into same-day appointments fell to 19% under the new system.
This is now less than half the 44% national average in England for on-the-day appointments, and it significantly expanded the capacity for pre-bookable appointments.
Unlike traditional online triage tools, which only collect information, the AI-powered triage system Smart Triage can assess patients’ clinical needs without the need for human intervention.
Dr Andrea Fensom, GP partner at Groves Medical Centre, said the system had ‘completely changed how we work’ by optimising resources and increasing patient access.
‘Feedback shows that patients find it easy to use our online tool and it’s convenient for them, giving them multiple options for appointments where safe to do so and booking them with the most appropriate clinician for their problem. We are all very proud of these results,’ she said.
GPs now spend 50% more time with each patient, moving from 10 to 15-minute appointments.
Jake Kennerson, group manager at Groves Medical Centre, said the positive outcomes had been achieved ‘during the peak winter months and without any additional staff’.
The AI tool, developed by Rapid Health, has also had an impact on the volume of phone calls to the practice. The evaluation showed that the practice received 47% fewer phone calls at peak hours and a 58% reduction in the maximum number of calls.
After the system was implemented, only 18% of all patient requests were initiated over the phone compared to 88% under the old way of working.
The triaging tool gives patients a wider selection of appointment slots to choose from, with an average of 61 slots available per patient appointment request. And the evaluation found that 70% fewer patients needed a repeat appointment, having received the right care on their first visit.
The findings also showed that 91% of appointments were automatically allocated without staff or clinical intervention.
Smart Triage automates the patient navigation process by guiding patients through a series of questions based on their concerns.
The system then assesses their symptoms and directs the patient to the most suitable care, enabling immediate self-booking into the right appointments.
The evaluation, conducted by Unity Insights, showed that 85% of appointments booked via the new system were delivered face-to-face, a 60% increase compared to the pre-implementation period.
The evaluation was funded by Health Innovation Kent Surrey Sussex, one of 15 health innovation networks across England and assessed the system’s acceptability, implementation, effectiveness, and impact on health inequalities.
