Quality time: The value of consultants - BMA

QUALITY TIME
more likely to miss an appointment if their child had been referred by a school nurse rather than a doctor.
‘People were less worried about not attending than if they’d been referred by a GP. So we’ve tried to change
perceptions of referrals, because it costs the NHS a lot of money if the patient doesn’t attend. We now make
sure that the appointment is necessary, that it’s been agreed by the parents, that the parents are convinced of
its importance, and that admin staff ring them with a reminder.’ Measures such as this have resulted in DNAs
dropping by around a third, with significant cost savings for the local NHS.
Leading informatics for her service is now part of Dr Rahman’s official responsibility, but she says she could not
have got her ideas off the ground if she had not had SPA time available to begin with: ‘I am very fortunate to
have a wonderful medical director, who has allowed me to be free with my time, which means I can generate
ideas. If I’d just continued to do routine clinical work, I would never have had time to think we could be doing
better. I would have just sat there and said “Another DNA – what can I do?” I’d just be a machine.’
BMA – Quality time 31