“Since the installation, we have had very little need to call for any support, but I can say from the couple of times we have either called or emailed support, the response has been quick and efficient.”
The practice had a dated, analogue telephone system that had ceased to be fit for purpose. With only three lines in and out and no call-recording facility, staff had to wait for lines to be free at certain points in the day.
Park Lane Surgery is a single site GP surgery based in Derby with a small team of GP partners, nurses and support staff. The practice is busy, running a variety of clinics from antenatal and postnatal care to minor surgery and well-person check-ups. With so many patients to look after, it’s vital that the practice is able to communicate effectively inbound and outbound.
The practice had a dated, analogue telephone system that had ceased to be fit for purpose. With only three lines in and out and no call-recording facility, staff had to wait for lines to be free at certain points in the day.
The team also thought that being able to listen back to calls would be great from a training and monitoring point of view. The team agreed it was time to review their system and find something that better suited their needs. “Our existing system had been installed 7 years previously and we’d had a very unsatisfactory experience with that supplier. So, I wasn’t looking forward to having to repeat the task,” commented Lesley Hutchinson, Practice Manager. MPS were recommended to Park Lane Surgery by another practice manager. Lesley set up an appointment with an MPS consultant and was pleasantly surprised.
“MPS explained fully the different options that were available, together with the long-term financial implications and the initial costs of upgrading. I felt confident we were offered the best solution for our needs and we agreed to give the contract to MPS,” Lesley added.
The solution MPS advised would best fit the surgery’s needs consisted of a Voice Assured VOIP service with SIP lines and MPS’s free calls package. This increased the total number of lines into the practice, improving availability of lines for improved patient access, whilst ensuring surgery staff could make outgoing calls, as needed. To achieve the goal of being able to record calls, a new SIP-based NEC telephone system was installed, with Call Management Software and all call recording included. This helped the surgery further improve patient experience with continuous monitoring and learning from the recorded calls.
MPS also achieved cost efficiencies by ensuring lower service charges for SIP lines combined with free calls. This meant that the solution could be installed on a cost neutral basis over 5 years and was funded on a no capital outlay basis.
Having made the decision to work with MPS, Park Lane Surgery was given a date of around 5 weeks for the installation of their new system. “I was still a little haunted by my past experience with our old supplier, but I really needn’t have worried,” said Lesley. Two installation engineers were despatched to the surgery on installation day and installation was completed with the least amount of fuss. Training was provided after the initial set up and the surgery even benefitted from a few tweaks to the system, which they only realised they needed after installation was complete. The surgery is now able to communicate effectively with its patients, even at its busiest times. The call-recording facility is indeed a great source of training for the team, helping them deliver even better customer service.
In summing up working with MPS, Lesley said, “Since the installation, we have had very little need to call for any support, but I can say from the couple of times we have either called or emailed support, the response has been quick and efficient.”