In the Autumn Budget, the government confirmed that the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) including the NHS would have a productivity target of 2% for 2025/26.
The message is clear: the NHS faces a period of significant financial constraint. Productivity improvements will be critical to navigating the challenges ahead. Tough choices are on the horizon, and the entire system will need to work together to ensure that resources are used effectively to deliver the best possible patient care.
Improving productivity in NHS Trusts
NHS England (NHSE) finance director, Julian Kelly’s, announcement underscores the pressure the NHS is under. He emphasised the need for a system-wide focus on productivity, particularly concerning workforce management. Trusts will be asked to scrutinise their staffing levels, especially in the support and administrative roles, which Kelly noted have grown disproportionately in recent years.
NHSE officials will be working directly with each trust board, providing data on potential productivity improvements in both workforce and other areas.
The goal: to identify and implement efficiencies to make the most of limited resources.
Increasing productivity with the right tech, in the right place
iaptus is a best-of-breed Electronic Patient Record (EPR) system, designed to help community and mental health services save time, reduce costs, and improve outcomes. Its data-driven, outcomes-focused approach equips teams with insights for delivering efficient, impactful and high quality care.
iaptus increases productivity, improves workforce satisfaction and can help to release cash back into the system. With features like Online Appointment Booking, patients easily schedule sessions, reducing administrative bottlenecks and freeing up staff to focus on high-value tasks. SMS Reminders boost attendance rates and improve engagement. Additionally, Webforms and automated recovery graphs empower clinicians to minimise paperwork and focus on meaningful patient interactions, driving better outcomes and staff satisfaction.
Online appointment Booking
Increasing access and improving outcomes by empowering patients to book appointments online
- Over 50,000 appointments booked per month
- Saving £4.8 million for NHS per year
- 3,200 hours & £60,966 saved per annum per 100 user service
“It’s quickly become an essential part of the way our service is run”
– Dorset Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
Stronger teams start with better data:
- Report on the national dataset
- Identify periods of high demand
- Collate and showcase evidence of service activity and outcomes
- Identify gaps in provision and evaluate productivity
- Analyse patient flow through treatment by looking at waiting times, sessions delivered and more
By putting actionable insights at your fingertips, iaptus ensures your service can consistently demonstrate its impact and improve its performance, which is invaluable for reducing administrative burden, bidding on contracts and securing funding.
Latest iaptus innovations: Patient Support Network
Our latest update gives services the flexibility to connect seamlessly with a patient’s wider support network, ensuring the right information reaches the right people at the right time. Whether it’s family members, carers, or other professionals, we have developed our appointment SMS feature to make collaboration easier than ever.
Built with our customers’ feedback at its heart, this development is another step in our ongoing mission to support psychological therapy and neurodiversity services with the tools they need to provide outstanding care.
Join us at Digital Health Rewired
We’re ready to discuss how we can help transform your healthcare services. Visit us at Stand I42 at Digital Health Rewired 2025 or contact us today to start the conversation.
