In the lead up to Code the City 7 we sent attendees some blank Barrier and Opportunity cards. We asked them to complete and bring them – with a single suggestion or idea per sheet.
On arrival people were to stick them to the wall. The response was great – with an enormous display of creativity quickly assembled. Many of these suggestions grouped well together. As we got started, five volunteers stepped forward to be the champion for one idea each, which formed the starting point of each of the projects taken forward during the weekend. You can read more about these from this blogpost onwards. Even the drawings accompanying the ideas were great – see the montage above!
But what of the remaining ideas – of which there were dozens? I read each of them and have summarised some of them – often grouping several together – below. Each of these has merit as a potential area to explore further (perhaps at a future event).
- Find out how busy a GP practice is, before you register
This links number of a blog post I wrote recently about the ratio of GPS to patients at Scottish Surgeries.
- Information on GP practices
It is suggested that there is no consistency across the NHS Grampian area – with some good examples of websites and some poor.
- Waiting times for appointments at GPs’ surgeries?
Where is the data to show which days are busier than others. How could that help patients?
- Live Tracking of referrals to consultants
Patients, on being referred to a consultant are often left in the dark for weeks or months until a letter arrives. How could that be made transparent? Could we have a ‘track my referral’ as you would a ‘track my parcel’? How or when will you get an appointment with a consultant? Could you self select from calendar rather than get one which doesn’t suit and has to be changed.
- Lack of data interoperability between elements of health service / Health and Social Care etc.
- Assist GPS to do more online – self service – online calendars for appointments – meaning that they can spend longer with patients or reduce waiting times for appointments
- Citizen / Patient digital literacy
How could we assist patients to use digital services as these are developed. Which also raise the issue of health literacy – how could we assist people to understand their own health – e.g. cause and effect.
- Persuade / help GPs to get citizens to use informal / community-based support
- A shared calendaring across NHS Grampian to share training opportunities. Much training is common but is delivered is a siloed basis.
- Develop a common organogram showing remits, areas of operation across the formal and inform H&SC landscape
- Address the challenges of patients being treated in parallel between two specialists, so that they don’t feel that they are being passed from pillar to post.
These ideas alone would feed another three hack weekends! If you are interested in working or these – or sponsoring a further weekend such as this, please let us know!
Code The City 