Learning from practice

Including a ticket system for walk-in GUM clinic attenders, Patrick Clements Clinic

GUM services at the clinic were previously provided on a 100 per cent walk-in basis.  Research shows that the patients at most risk of having a sexually transmitted infection are also the patients who are most unlikely to make an appointment at a GUM clinic, meaning that walk-in services encourage these patients to attend. 

The clinic found, however, that seeing all patients as ‘walk-in’ attenders placed a high workload on staff and was inefficient leading to a situation where ‘peaks’ and ‘troughs’ in the number of attendances could not be effectively managed.


‘Walk-in’ services are not always practical for patients with jobs or other commitments, such as women with young children, as they may not be able to spare the time to wait in the clinic to be seen.

In order to meet the varied needs of the clinic’s catchment population, a balance between ‘walk-in’ and ‘appointment’ services was therefore seen as necessary.


Contact Details:

For more information please contact Dr Gary Brook, Consultant Physician, North West London Hospitals NHS Trust, Gary.Brook@nwlh.nhs.uk

Choose and book survey

Data from previous electronic booking pilots show that when patients are given a choice of date and time for their appointments they are more likely to attend. This leads to fewer wasted appointments and helps to improve the overall efficiency of outpatient clinics.

http://www.chooseandbook.nhs.uk/staff/whatis/benefits

Source: desk research for NHS Institute by Matrix research and consultancy