About this action

The traditional 8am phone rush excludes many vulnerable patients, including those in insecure work, with caring responsibilities, or experiencing mental health challenges. Drawing on the FAIRSTEPS framework, flexible appointment structures are a key intervention that makes services easier to access for underserved groups. Approaches to implementation: - Discuss your current appointment structures and how these might disadvantage Focus Patients. - Maintain a genuine mix of advance, same-day, and walk-in options throughout the day - Reserve meaningful proportions of appointments for walk-in access, particularly for patients experiencing crisis - Ensure booking options work across the day, not concentrated in early morning rushes - Reserve specific slots for patients who might struggle with traditional appointment booking processes - Build in flexibility for staff to exercise judgement about urgent needs Key benefits: Removes structural barriers that exclude vulnerable patients from timely care, reduces the inequality of access based on ability to navigate systems, and demonstrates responsiveness to diverse patient needs.