With administrative workload one of the greatest threats to GP numbers, data reveals Lexacom’s technology saves 3.5 million admin hours per year
With the NHS facing mounting pressures, and amid fears that hundreds of GPs across England will leave the workforce in the next five years, new data reveals how the burden on overworked clinicians can be radically reduced using workflow and speech recognition software from Lexacom.
A recent report from the Royal College of General Practitioners shows 42% of GPs will likely leave the profession in five years in a ‘mass exodus’, with many citing fears over patient safety, inability to assess patients properly, and working more than 40-hour weeks. Of those who are planning on leaving the profession, 66% say reduced administrative workload, and 56% say a reduced clinical workload, would make them reconsider.
New data from Lexacom shows GPs using technology developed over its 25-year history save on average more than three hours a week on administrative tasks. With more than 25,000 users across England, this equates to a saving of approximately 3.5 million hours of NHS time per year.
According to Dr Andrew Whiteley, founder and managing director of Lexacom, greater uptake of technology across primary care networks could help prevent a vast number of GPs exiting the NHS.
“25 years ago, as a practicing GP, I set out to build a solution to support clinicians and streamline how practices operate. Since then, we have worked with thousands of customers to address their administrative burdens and have seen huge successes, not just freeing up doctors to provide better patient care, but also restoring their work-life balance.
“The NHS has changed vastly since we began this journey as a company, and we recognise the need for even broader support to address the challenges in GP retention. I am incredibly proud of the impact we make every day, and I’m excited to announce we are launching a new platform capable of extending the benefits we offer to every aspect of clinical work and administration, from auto-coding and data entry to AI assistance, streamlining nursing home visits and phone calls.”
The company has been hailed as a gamechanger for clinicians. A recent survey revealed that besides significant time savings, 78% of users saw improved efficiencies, while a third highly value the extra time the technology gives them to spend with patients. For many healthcare providers, Lexacom is more than just a software tool; it’s an essential component in the delivery of quality care.
Mendip Vale Medical Group, the largest merged practice in the South West, uses Lexacom across its eight sites. “Lexacom has significantly reduced turnaround times for referral letters, medical reports, and patient records, and has created more efficient and productive workflows overall. By reducing the time spent on administration, our clinicians have more flexibility in their daily schedules, allowing them to see more patients or to spend more time addressing complex cases,” says the group’s managing partner, David Clark.
Dr Whiteley concludes: “Our solutions can provide much-needed relief by simplifying administrative processes and enabling clinicians to focus on their core responsibility – patient care. While our current platform offers significant time savings, reduced error rates, and improved workflow, our new comprehensive approach reflects our commitment to making a real difference in healthcare efficiency.
“Any good organisation needs to focus on the needs of its staff, and that is what we offer. With greater adoption of technology such as ours across the country, we can reverse the worrying decline in GP numbers.”
