"The path to better patient flow isn't always about adding resources—it's about understanding and aligning your demand and capacity patterns."
Founder, CEO and Clinical Director at The Ralph (Veterinary Referral Centre), the UK's largest independent specialist referral centre.
📊 Understanding Healthcare Demand & Capacity: Key Insights from NHS Guide Effective healthcare delivery isn't just about having resources—it's about having them in the right place at the right time. Thanks to Jess for sharing this guide with me. It contains many insights, some of which are transferable to the veterinary setting. Here are some key takeaways from this guide: 1. The Four Pillars: - Demand: All incoming requests requiring resources - Capacity: Available resources to do work - Activity: Actual work completed - Backlog: Previous unmet demand 2. Hidden Challenges: - "Hidden demand" like unsuccessful phone calls or diverted patients often goes unmeasured - "Theoretical capacity" rarely matches actual capacity due to leavers, training, travel time - Using activity data alone can mask true demand patterns 3. Smart Solutions: - Regular monitoring helps catch bottlenecks before they become backlogs - Process mapping to granular levels reveals true constraints - Capacity should be set to match 65th-85th percentile of demand, not averages - Success story: One GP practice reduced wait times by 93% through demand-capacity matching 💡 Key Takeaway: The path to better patient flow isn't always about adding resources—it's about understanding and aligning your demand and capacity patterns. #Healthcare #Operations #ProcessImprovement #NHS #HealthcareManagement https://lnkd.in/e7xdH6gK