A list that only grows
The practice opened a waiting list for NHS new patients when it stopped taking them immediately. Names were added to a spreadsheet by whoever answered the phone. Now it runs to many pages. Some people have found a dentist elsewhere, moved or changed number. Others ring every few weeks to ask where they are on the list.
When the practice gets capacity to take on new patients, reception starts at the top and rings. Most calls go to voicemail or to people who no longer need a place.
The list is also something the practice may be asked about, by patients, local groups or commissioners. A spreadsheet with duplicates and old numbers is not something anyone wants to show.
Why waiting lists become unmanageable
- Entries are added by phone and never checked again.
- There is no way for people to remove themselves.
- Priority rules, if any, are applied inconsistently.
- Offering a slot means calling people one by one.
- People on the list have no way to check their position, so they ring.
What an unmanaged list costs
Reception spends hours on calls that do not lead anywhere, both incoming questions and outgoing offers. New patient slots sit empty while staff work through dead entries. People who have waited feel ignored. And the practice cannot say with any confidence how many people are really waiting.
There is also a fairness problem. When the list is worked by phone, people who answer unknown numbers get places and people who work shifts or screen calls do not. An offer sent in writing, with a clear time to respond, gives everyone the same chance.
The waiting list we build
- An online form on your website where people join the list with contact details and the information your practice uses, such as household members and whether they are currently registered elsewhere.
- Existing phone entries are imported, and each person is sent a message asking them to confirm they still want a place.
- People confirm their interest periodically by clicking a link. Those who do not respond after reminders are moved to inactive, not deleted, according to your policy.
- When you have new patient capacity, you set the number of slots and the system offers them in order under your rules, by message with a link to book or reply.
- Offers expire after a set time and pass to the next person, and everything is recorded.
- People can check that they are still on the list through the link, which reduces calls.
| Task | Spreadsheet | Managed list |
|---|---|---|
| Joining | Phone call | Online form or phone entry |
| Checking interest | Never | Periodic confirmation link |
| Offering slots | Ringing one by one | Offers sent in batches with expiry |
| Status question | Phone call | Self-service link |
The order in which people are offered places is decided by your practice and any obligations that apply to you. We implement the rules you set.
A list you can trust
The list reflects people who actually want a place. Offers go out in minutes and are accepted or passed on without reception ringing round. People on the list know where they stand without phoning. And the practice has a real number when someone asks how many are waiting.
Households can be handled together too. Where several members of a family are on the list, your rules can decide whether they are offered places together, which is often what they want and saves repeated contact.
Is your waiting list like this?
- The waiting list is a spreadsheet or paper list.
- People ring regularly to ask about their position.
- Offering places means calling many numbers.
- You suspect much of the list is out of date.