As primary care managers approach the new financial year, budget setting is a key priority. With increasing demand for patient services, rising costs, and ever-evolving digital transformation goals, finding solutions that improve efficiency and patient access while remaining cost-effective is essential.
One area that is often overlooked in financial planning is telephony. The right cloud-based telephone system, tailored to your surgery’s needs can help reduce costs, unlock funding and facilitate collaboration with neighbouring GP practices.
Telephony considerations for the new financial year
In primary care, when practice managers carry out budget planning, they aren’t just allocating funds - they’re trying to ensure that every investment supports operational efficiency and patient care. Upgrading the practice’s telephony can help with this. As part of financial forecasting, managers should consider:
- How effectively their current telephone system supports practice workflows, patient access and staff efficiency.
- Whether outdated systems are contributing to long wait times, frustrated patients, and overworked teams.
- The potential cost savings and productivity gains from switching to a system specially designed for primary care.
- How well their system integrates with other NHS digital tools, such as EMIS and SystmOne.
Cost-saving opportunities with babblevoice
Traditional phone systems often come with high maintenance costs, long contracts, and outdated technology. Babblevoice telephony offers:
- Lower operational costs – No need for expensive on-site hardware and maintenance.
- Scalability – Only pay for what you need and use, with the flexibility to adapt to patient demand.
- Remote working capabilities – Reduce admin burden by allowing staff to work flexibly.
- Call management improvements – Features like call queuing, call-back options, and automated routing help to reduce patient frustration and improve access.
Unlocking additional funding
While budget constraints are always a challenge, various NHS funding initiatives may support the move to a telephony upgrade. Consider exploring:
- The Better Purchasing Framework (BPF) – Ensuring procurement aligns with NHS-approved suppliers.
- Additional PCN or ICB Funding – Some regions allocate budgets for digital transformation projects.
- Cost savings reinvestment – By reducing ongoing telephony costs, funds can be redirected to patient care.
Seamless integration with other digital systems
Babblevoice telephony is not a standalone tool - it is specifically designed to easily integrate with other NHS digital platforms, including:
- EMIS and SystmOne – Ensuring quick access to patient records during calls.
- Patient consultation and triage platforms – Supporting better communication between different services.
- Video and messaging tools – Streamlining multi-channel communication.
Facilitating collaboration between GP practices
With the growing role of Primary Care Networks (PCNs) and Integrated Care Systems (ICSs), effective collaboration is more important than ever. Babblevoice telephony enables:
- Shared call handling between practices – Reducing pressure during peak hours.
- Improved patient triage – Directing calls to the right clinicians or services.
- Better communication across teams – Supporting ‘one team’ collaborative working and extended hours services.
Final thoughts
As you finalise your budget for the upcoming financial year, upgrading your telephony system could be a key enabler of cost savings, improved patient access, and better collaboration. Investing in babblevoice telephony isn’t just about replacing an older system - it’s about future-proofing patient communications and providing support for your team by easing pressures and enabling improved patient care.
Want to explore how babblevoice could fit into your practice’s budget? Get in touch with us for a chat and a demo.
