Offered at some point, recorded somewhere
The nurse mentions counselling at the first consultation. The patient says they will think about it. Months later they are about to start donor treatment, and someone asks whether implications counselling has been done. The counsellor is part time, works from their own diary and keeps their own records. The coordinator emails them to check. The start waits for the reply.
Why offers and bookings are hard to track
- Offers are made verbally and not recorded consistently.
- The counsellor's diary is separate from the clinic's booking system.
- Completion of required sessions is known only to the counsellor.
- Pathways that require counselling are not flagged in the patient's plan.
- Patients have to phone or email to book, which puts some people off.
External counselling services add another gap. Where a counsellor is contracted rather than employed, they may not have access to the clinic's systems at all, so the clinic only learns a session happened when an invoice arrives. That is too late to help a coordinator confirm a start date.
What this costs
Starts are delayed while coordinators confirm counselling. Patients who would have benefited from support never get round to booking. The clinic cannot easily show that counselling was offered when it should have been.
| Point | Usual approach | With a booking and record flow |
|---|---|---|
| Offer made | Said aloud, maybe noted | Recorded with date and by whom |
| Booking | Phone or email the counsellor | Patient books online from offered slots |
| Required sessions | Checked by asking the counsellor | Shown as complete or outstanding |
| Coordinator view | None | List of patients with outstanding sessions |
Counsellors' time is also used unevenly. Without a shared booking view, some weeks are full and others nearly empty, and patients who could have been seen sooner are told there is a wait.
What we build
- We map the points in each pathway where counselling is offered or required, as your clinic's policies set out.
- At those points, the system prompts staff to make and record the offer, and sends the patient an invitation with a booking link.
- The counsellor's availability is published as bookable slots, in person or remote, without exposing their wider diary.
- Patients book, receive confirmations and reminders, and can rebook.
- After a session, the counsellor marks attendance only. Their clinical notes stay in their own records.
- Coordinators see which patients have required sessions outstanding before a planned start.
The system handles offers, bookings and attendance. It holds nothing about what is discussed, and it does not decide whether counselling is needed. Those are for your counsellors and clinicians.
We also think about privacy in the design. Patients booking counselling may not want reception to see the appointment type, and some prefer a different contact route. We build the booking so that only the people who need to know see the details, following your policies and your data protection lead's advice.
After the change
Offers are recorded consistently. Patients can book at a time that suits them without making a call. Coordinators know who has attended required sessions without chasing the counsellor, and the counsellor's diary fills more evenly.
Counsellors spend less time on diary admin and more on sessions. Their availability is visible to coordinators, so they are not asked the same questions by email, and invoicing for external services can be checked against recorded attendance.
Signs this would help
- Counselling offers are not recorded consistently.
- The counsellor's diary is separate from clinic systems.
- Starts wait while someone confirms counselling has happened.
- Patients have to phone to book a session.
- You cannot easily show counselling was offered to every patient.