New way of working has halved admin time allowing staff to increase one-to-one support
Parkwood Leisure’s Downham Health & Leisure Centre is seeing record attendance on its Steps to Health exercise referral programme after switching from paper-based processes to a fully digital system, dramatically improving service efficiency and patient outcomes.
Since adopting ReferAll, the UK’s leading exercise referral platform, patient engagement has soared while staff have been freed up to spend more time supporting clients directly. In just four months, initial assessment attendance rates have nearly doubled, rising from below 40 per cent to a consistent 73 per cent.
“By transitioning to a digital platform, our Steps to Health programme has successfully navigated a period of rapid growth while improving the quality of patient care. ReferAll has not just changed our systems; it has changed our culture. We are spending less time behind a desk and more time on the gym floor, which is exactly where our expertise is needed most,” says Adam Roberts, PFI Contract Healthy Communities Manager."
ReferAll’s automated SMS functionality ensures consistent patient engagement, while the self-service portal, MyReferAll, allows participants to book and manage their own appointments, fostering a sense of autonomy and reducing last-minute cancellations.
“The platform encourages patients to take ownership of their referral journey. Clients can update personal information and complete assessment forms in advance, saving time and letting us spend more time working with patients,” says Roberts.
Manual administration has also reduced dramatically. Referrals are now automatically entered into the system as Referral Requests. Once submitted, a team member reviews the details to ensure all information is accurate. Every interaction is centrally logged within the ReferAll platform, providing full visibility across the entire team.
“Before implementing ReferAll, the team spent 16 hours each week on admin for just one site. That has been halved to just 8 hours across two sites, allowing us to reinvest that time in one-to-one support and supervised sessions to enhance the patient experience and drive better health outcomes,” he says.
The platform has also improved data collection, reporting and evaluation. Staff can generate real-time reports on attendance, progress and wellbeing outcomes, sharing insights with healthcare partners and supporting funding applications.
Ruth-Anne Hurst, Key Account Manager at ReferAll, says: “By moving away from manual processes, Downham Health & Leisure is improving patient engagement, one of the biggest challenges in exercise referral, while boosting the quality of care and allowing staff to focus on supporting the people who need it most.”
Get in touch to find out how ReferAll can help you streamline referral management, reduce admin time and gain clearer insight into the impact of your wellbeing and social prescribing programmes 📲