Physiotherapy Discharge Process: NHS Robotics

MSK Physiotherapy Discharge Process: RPA Case Study

Service

MSK Physiotherapy East and West

Process Type

Discharge Process

Pre-Robot Manual Process

The Physiotherapy service for Musculoskeletal Outpatients works to develop personalised care plans that help patients manage and improve their conditions. Part of their processes involve discharging patients from their services, this can be for various reasons, including completed treatment, out of scope for the service or DNA’s. 

Before automation, the discharge process involved significant administrative work. The waitlist in RiO was manually checked for patients whose status had turned red. The patient record was then accessed to create a discharge letter based on the reason for discharge, with the letter being manually edited to reflect this reason. Afterward, the letter was printed for postal delivery to the patient and sent via Docman to the GP. The letter was also uploaded to RiO, and a progress note was added. The patient would then be removed from the waitlist in Rio and discharged from the service.

The need for automation was identified to facilitate the implementation of a unified, standardized process across both the East and West MSK services to support the efficient discharge of patients from the service.

Robot Reliability

93%

Hours released (AWH)

2452 hours per year

Software The Robot Uses

Rio, MS Word and Docman

Post-Robot Automated Process

The automation process mimics the manual discharge process completed for DNA’s and non-contactors by interacting with RiO to remove and discharge patients from the correct waitlist upon turning red. The discharge letter is automatically created and sent to the GP via docman, a copy uploaded back to Rio and a progress note added to the patient record.

Since implementation, the automation has improved discharge efficiency by keeping the team updated on actual patients waiting, thus eliminating outdated patient lists caused by time constraints. Time savings have been achieved due to reduced administrative tasks, and staff have experienced improved workload management as their time is now more efficiently allocated.

The Robot Went Live In

June 2024

The Robot's Name Is

Thanos

Time To Deliver

Medium (8 Weeks)