Background - More patients, more pressure Founded over 30 years ago to serve citizens near the Port of Blyth, the practice has seen its patient numbers increase steadily from 13,700 to 14,300. The decline of the area’s core industries – which ranged from shipbuilding to fishing - has affected its citizens, driving long-term health issues which have placed further demand on the practice’s team of nine doctors and four secretaries across two sites. “From our doctors to our secretaries, we needed to be more efficient in order to cope with the rising patient numbers and the extra pressure on the team here” explained Practice Manager Chris Watson. A particular problem he outlined related to secretarial cover. “With a team of four secretaries, referral letters could be turned around in

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