Dealing in both secondary and primary care, LLR PCL receive referrals from the NHS, identifying which patient care needs can be looked after locally. They then contact individuals in a timely and suitable manner to pass on relevant information and appointment details.
Looking to streamline the process of sending crucial patient communications picked up from the NHS e-Referral Service, accuracy and timeliness of delivery are of utmost importance to LLR PCL.
The original process undertaken by the community healthcare organisation involved letter folding machines and outdated equipment, which would be operated by their in-house staff.
Unsurprisingly, this would eat into staff time, which could otherwise be spent prioritising more pressing tasks.
The natural next step was for the team to seek out the services of a print and post provider, though they found that up to 30% of their output was simply not being delivered correctly.
These repeated issues saw LLR PCL decide to partner with a new supplier, CFH, in November of 2022, a decision which has certainly proven beneficial across the last two years.
One of the primary objectives of LLR PCL is to cut down NHS wait lists by ensuring a quicker delivery of services, and they look to do this is by approaching patients via 3 distinct communication channels, those being text message, phone call and the delivery of physical mail. CFH’s industry-leading hybrid mail solution, Docmail, is compatible with the healthcare provider’s chosen software platform, SystemOne, therefore the transition was simple. With a system integration, the in-house team could easily access their new hybrid mail platform of choice through a system they were already familiar with.
It was proposed that the Docmail system would deliver all physical forms of patient communication for this process. As LLR PCL send a large volume of personalised, highly sensitive patient documents daily, it would be necessary for the system to deliver at scale and be capable of sending letters in bulk. Already assisting many health sector clients including GP surgeries, ICBs and more, CFH’s Docmail system improves existing processes through streamlined functionality, the ability to pre-schedule mailings and reduce administrative pressures.
An aspect of Docmail that immediately appealed to LLR PCL director Luke Craig, was the support available to him and his team. In particular, the fantastic level of service provided by CFH Business Development Manager Serena Schofield was highlighted. Described as a ‘fantastic person to work with’, Serena offered initial training on how to use both the web portal, and print driver desktop add-on, and has remained a constant source of assistance throughout the course of the partnership.
Praise has also been extended to Docmail Account Manager Verity Capel, who trained additional members of the LLR PCL team on how to use the Docmail system to its full potential. A ‘train the trainer’ approach was also adopted so that Luke could train any new employees as they join the organisation. Up to 24 individuals within the organisation are now active Docmail users, with an increased understanding of how the advanced hybrid mail interface works. In relation to the system itself, feedback has also been resoundingly positive, with the batch print functionality considered incredibly useful.
The LLR PCL team now have a seamless method of managing printed communication. With the ability to print letters from SystemOne straight to the Docmail print driver, a recording of the mailing is attached to each patient record for future reference and ease of use.
Another noted benefit from the perspective of the team is that documents sent via Docmail can be sent in non-windowed envelopes, which ensures the contents are fully secure. This greatly reduces the chance of sensitive patient information being exposed within a window due to documents shifting in transit.
With full trust in the hybrid mail system, LLR PCL have embraced Docmail as their primary method of sending patient communications. The idea of vulnerable individuals not receiving important referral information was once a ‘source of sleepless nights’ for the team, who are now assured that even if issues are encountered, they will always be rectified quickly and efficiently.
Though the community healthcare organisation still review their systems annually, they never feel the need to change providers simply because of the excellent quality of service received, and the relationships already formed with supportive CFH personnel.
The process of sending printed communications is now efficient, effective and helps minimise the time for patients receiving the care they require through information and engaging letters.
Since onboarding, LLR PCL have sent over 85,000 documents via Docmail, helping to support local individuals in need of healthcare assistance.
With the community organisation expanding to a wider geographical region, and serving a larger pool of residents, the relationship with CFH is likely to go from strength to strength. The scalability of the system and continued support ensures that local patient care communications will continue to be delivered with complete efficiency.
From the very start, CFH have been a breath of fresh air. Serena, Verity and the team are so open, honest and likeable, and have been from the very beginning of our relationship. It may be an old school way of thinking but having that responsiveness, direct contact and genuine knowledge on our side really makes working with CFH a no-brainer. They’re always keen to help, and most importantly, very responsive, which is crucial for our health sector patient communications.
Luke Craig,
Director at LLR PCL
