Streamlining patient access at Bridge View Medical Group

Setting the scene

A large training practice in Sunderland North, Bridge View Medical Group serves 15,150 patients within one of the most deprived communities in the region. As part of the Deep End Network, the practice is committed to delivering equitable and accessible care for its community—many of whom face complex social, financial and health inequalities.

In early 2024, the leadership team recognised the urgent need to modernise patient access. Long wait times, heavy inbound demand and limited visibility of call performance were creating frustration for patients and staff alike. The system in place simply wasn’t sustainable.

To deliver better outcomes for both patients and the practice, Bridge View Medical Group partnered with X-on Health, adopting a digital-first approach to access that combined the strengths of Cloud-based telephony, AI-powered care navigation and data-driven insights. The goal was not just to introduce new technology, but to transform how patients engaged with care to make the experience faster, fairer and more efficient for all.

The challenge

Before the transition, Bridge View Medical Group faced mounting operational strain that mirrored the wider pressures seen across primary care.

Telephone queues were often lengthy, especially during peak morning hours. Patients struggled to get through and many resorted to visiting the surgery in person for basic queries. The lack of structured call routing meant that simple administrative requests frequently took up valuable staff time. For staff, managing an unstructured workflow added to the daily pressure and limited opportunities to focus on more complex patient needs.

The team knew that the situation could not continue. They needed a solution that could:

• Reduce inbound call volumes and wait times
• Provide patients with more self-service options
• Improve visibility of performance data to guide decisions
• Ease the administrative burden on the reception and management teams

It was clear that a new model was needed, one that balanced human connection with digital efficiency, and allowed staff to deliver high-quality care without being overwhelmed by repetitive demand.

The solution

Working closely with X-on Health, Bridge View Medical Group implemented a fully integrated solution that brought together Surgery Connect, Surgery Assist and Surgery Insights into a single, intelligent access model.

Surgery Connect replaced the practice’s legacy telephony system, introducing structured call handling and powerful new features designed specifically for general practice. The Patient Callback function ensured that patients no longer had to wait on the line, while Check and Cancel enabled easier management of appointments. The introduction of X-flow simplified call routing, giving the team greater flexibility in managing demand throughout the day.

Meanwhile, Surgery Assist, X-on Health’s AI-powered digital navigation assistant, was deployed to handle common patient queries and redirect calls away from the phone queue. The chatbot offered a simple and accessible interface for patients to request information, make contact at any time, and self-serve without needing to speak to reception. By operating independently of the clinical system and without storing patient data, it provided a secure and efficient 24/7 extension of the practice’s front desk.

To ensure continuous improvement, the team also implemented Surgery Insights, an centralised dashboard offering real-time visibility into call patterns, performance metrics and patient behaviour. This provided the data foundation needed to refine workflows and demonstrate the impact of change.

Together, these solutions create a cohesive, digital-first access model that not only meet NHS England’s digital ambitions but also deliver immediate, tangible benefits for both patients and staff.

The results – for patients

With Surgery Connect streamlining call handling and Surgery Assist diverting routine queries, patients experienced faster access, reduced frustration and greater choice in how they engaged with the practice. 

• Average call wait time reduced from over 7 minutes to 5 minutes
• Callback success rates reached 95%, exceeding the national benchmark of 92%
• 30% increase in calls answered from the queue compared with earlier in the year, showing that Surgery Assist is effectively filtering and signposting calls to appropriate channels
• NHS App registrations increased by 5%, supported by proactive digital signposting

Patients can now access information or complete simple requests 24/7 through Surgery Assist, without waiting on hold or visiting the practice in person. The combination of convenience, speed and reliability has led to a noticeable improvement in patient experience and engagement.

The results – for staff

For the practice team, the transformation has delivered measurable efficiency gains and reduced daily pressure. Staff reported a significant improvement in the call queue within only weeks of Surgery Assist going live. With Surgery Assist handling a portion of inbound requests and Surgery Connect managing call flow, staff can focus on more complex patient needs.

• One full day of administrative time saved within 13 days of launching Surgery Assist
• By September, almost three days of admin time saved since going live
• 6% reduction in administrative requests via the online consultation tool, showing successful redirection toward self-service and appropriate care pathways

“The data also shows we’re successfully signposting patients to the correct place, whether this is Pharmacy First or towards a self help service. The number of admin days saved is a huge benefit to us as it allows the admin team to focus on other daily tasks, also giving them a wide variety of tasks rather than only answering the telephone.”

Assistant Practice Manager, Bridge View Medical Group

Looking ahead

The team at Bridge View Medical Group are continuing to build on these foundations, using Surgery Insights to guide further optimisation of call flows, digital navigation and triage processes. They are exploring opportunities to expand the model across the wider Primary Care Network, helping neighbouring practices achieve similar gains in access, efficiency and equity.

As the practice heads into the winter months, a period typically marked by high demand, the combined power of Surgery Connect and Surgery Assist will play a critical role in maintaining accessibility and sustaining service quality.

Bridge View Medical Group’s experience demonstrates the value of taking a holistic approach to access improvement—one that unites technology, data and partnership. By working collaboratively with X-on Health, the practice has been able to ease pressure, empower patients, and modernise access without compromising on care quality.

“Our partnership with X-on Health has been a genuinely collaborative process. The ongoing support and data-driven insight have helped us build a more efficient, accessible model of care that continues to evolve with our patients’ needs. We’re now focused on refining our approach even further, using real-time data and feedback to keep improving access and ensure our system remains sustainable for the future.”

Assistant Practice Manager, Bridge View Medical Group