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Improving referral management processes in the Navigation Hub Patient Flow Admin Team
Greenwood, Rachel Supported by the Quality Improvement Team
Greenwood, Rachel
Supported by the Quality Improvement Team
Abstract
Project Aim: To improve the efficiency of the referral management processes within the Navigation Hub Patient Flow Admin Team.
Inefficient referral management processes within the Navigation Hub administrative workload have the potential to cause delays, duplications and lack of oversight, previously heavily reliant on paper referral processing and manual data capture. Delays in referral processing causes a ripple of delays and challenges within both demand and capacity planning and reportable data. A shift to focus on recording accurate waiting times, and highlighting challenges to RTT timeframes is needed to support changes within the Clinical service. The Administrative function within this team is imperative to supporting flow to the clinical team and record of clinical outcomes. Due to changes within the service and leadership teams, there is current opportunity to align this team to support more efficient Patient Flow.
Tools Used:
SPC charts - https://aqua.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/qsir-statistical-process-control.pdf;
Driver diagram - https://aqua.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/qsir-driver-diagrams.pdf;
Fresh eyes - https://aqua.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/qsir-fresh-eyes.pdf;
Process mapping - https://aqua.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/qsir-conventional-process-mapping.pdf;
Stakeholder involvement - https://aqua.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/qsir-stakeholder-involvement-an-overview.pdf;
PDSA cycles - https://aqua.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/qsir-pdsa-cycles-model-for-improvement.pdf.
Project Impact: The SPC chart shows a significant and sustained improvement in the number of referrals waiting to be uploaded to Carenotes - this has reduced from approx 200 at the start of the project to 16 by the end. When the mean is recalculated, this reduces from a mean of 86 at the start of the project to 12 by the end. There has been some very positive feedback from staff including both admin team members and clinical staff.
There are a number of positive outcomes and improvements:
- Better oversight of what is waiting.
- Shorter turnaround time for referrals.
- Improved team morale.
- Team able to achieve their established function.
- Data pulled from EPR instead of spreadsheets.
- Fewer errors and more accuracy of data.
- Data is now accessible for reporting to senior leadership and can contribute to EPG, with the team being able to answer questions more easily.
MIDER Authors
Citations
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Date
2026-03
Type
Internal Poster
Subject
PATIENT CARE MANAGEMENT
Collections
Citation
Greenwood, Rachel. Improving referral management processes in the Navigation Hub Patient Flow Admin Team. Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust, 2026.
Journal / Source Title
DOI
PMID
Publisher
Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust