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23 February 2004
Mubbasher Khanzada, an MBA postgraduate at Strathclyde University, has developed an IT system, Well Time, with the potential to save up to £400 million per annum for the NHS by reducing the wastage associated with cancelled GP and hospital appointments.
The service is based around a Well Time kiosk terminal, with screen and computer system, located in the GP or hospital reception area, which will permit patients to agree, at the time of their first visit, a subsequent appointment time and also their preferred means and time of contact to confirm their attendance. The system is designed to be as a socially inclusive as possible and offers a choice of landline, mobile phone, SMS text or e-mail contact to each patient.
Well Time uses specially developed software to automatically contact individuals ahead of their due appointment and requests that they confirm they will attend. The patient is given the option of declining the agreed appointment. If they do so, Well Time will then scan a database of other patients whose appointments lie at a future date and, against a predetermined list of priorities, automatically contact these individuals to try to offer them the earlier appointment time.
Mubbasher Khanzada comments: "Did Not Attends (DNA)- patients who fail to appear at their appointed time - represent a huge waste of resources within the NHS. It is estimated that 17 million patients per year fail to turn up for their appointment, costing the NHS up to £400 million. Not only can there be equipment booked and sitting idle, doctors and nurses on standby, there may also be ambulance crews involved in trying to collect these missing patients - all this represents a major drain on limited resources. These missed appointments cause inefficiency, reduce scheduling capacity, lower the quality of care, and negatively affect the working environment for providers and staff.
"Well Time will allow automated contact to be made with, we estimate, 90% per cent of patients in advance of their appointment and permit them to confirm whether or not they will attend. Those who indicate in advance that they will attend will be marked down as so doing, and the resources will be put in place for their visit, but for those who indicate they will not be able to attend it means the opening of a window of opportunity for another patient whose appointment is at a later date.
"Well Time automatically contacts those individuals and offers them an earlier appointment. Therefore, it reduces wastage from DNA situations and also speeds up the process for other patients, cutting overall waiting time. It is a win-win situation."
Mubbasher Khanzada will make an investor presentation to Caledonia Investment Angels on 1st March as he seeks additional funding for the system. Jackie Stewart of Caledonia Investment Angels is mentoring the team to assist them materialize their ambitions. To date, support for Well Time has come from the Scottish Institute for Enterprise, which encourages business start-ups from within Scotland's universities, and the Hunter Centre for Entrepreneurship at Strathclyde University.
Alasdair MacKay, the Scottish Institute for Enterprise Commercialisation Practitioner at Strathclyde University, states: Well Time is an early stage company with enormous potential. Its founder is an excellent example of the commercially aware individuals in Scottish universities who, in addition to studying towards a degree, are also capable of developing innovative businesses. Mubbasher Khanzada concludes: The trial system is already well-advanced. My business partner and technical director, Adrian Sach, is very experienced and has his software running in the NHS. Our technical team combines over 20 years of IT experience.
The system in the reception areas is touch screen based and is designed to be very easy to use. Because these terminals will also show infotainment, education and awareness raising content, they also represent a unique channel to communicate with specific demographic sections, such as people over 50, pregnant women, young parents etc.
We aim to make the package available to GPs and NHS hospitals by June 2004.
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