Report: the importance of admin

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A recent report highlights the importance of good NHS admin in patient care.

The King's Fund, in collaboration with Healthwatch England and National Voices, has published a report focusing on the role  that admin plays in patient experience. 

Its findings show a frustration with communication in the NHS among patients, along with the ability to navigate and access its services, and the ability to book, change or cancel appointments. This is something we highlighted through our campaign last year to make GP bookings accessible for people who stammer, when over 300 of our members told us about the barriers they face when phoning their GPs. 

The King's Fund points to a Cancer Patient Experience Survey, which found that the number one factor for a good patient experience was good administration of a patient's care. It echoes findings from our own 2024 member survey, which found that 54% of people who stammer experienced mental distress around using the phone to make appointments.

Admin needs urgent attention, says The King's Fund, and booking an appointment should not add to peoples' anxiety. They argue that we need to start thinking differently about admin and recognise its value. 

Setting out its recommendations for building public confidence and trust in the NHS, The King's Fund gives a lists of 6 priorities for improvement, one being to design and deliver two-way communications, where people can communicate with the NHS in ways that suit them.

STAMMA applauds The King's Fund for identifying the importance of good and accessible admin for NHS patients, and we hope that its recommendations are acted upon. Otherwise, poor practices and procedures risk people who stammer delaying making appointments or avoiding them altogether in frustration or fear of negative responses, potentially seriously affecting their health.

Read about this in full in The King's Fund's article 'Lost In The System: The Need For Better NHS Admin'.