Reducing wait lists without increasing workload at Northamptonshire NHS Foundation Trust

Across the NHS, clinicians are spending increasing amounts oftheir time on paperwork.

Complex documentation and rising referral volumes are putting pressure on services and contributing to longer waiting times for assessments.

At Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (NHFT), demand was rising across both Children and Young People (CYP) services and Musculoskeletal (MSK) teams. 

Clinicians were working hard to keep up, but the volume of documentation was consuming hours every week.

NHFT partnered with Beam to pilot Notes, exploring whether reducing admin could give clinicians time back, improve patient interactions, and increase clinical capacity without increasing headcount. 

The challenge

Admin was taking over the working week  

Clinicians were spending 20–30 minutes after every appointment typing up notes.

This led to “admin afternoons” and reports being finished after hours. Clinicians were struggling to keep up. 

Waiting lists were growing 

Backlogs were increasing, particularly for ADHD and autism (ASD) assessments. 

One of the biggest challenges was the diagnostic long-form report. These reports require practitioners to bring together observations, clinical history, and professional judgement into a structured format. 

They were taking clinicians hours, and sometimes days, to complete, contributing to long waiting lists for assessment.

In MSK, structured initial assessments also required detailed write-ups, reducing time available for follow-ups and new patients.

Less presence in appointments

Because reports required so much detail, clinicians were often typing notes during appointments.

This created a barrier between patients and clinicians. It reduced eye contact, disrupted conversations, and made it harder for clinicians to be fully present. 

Important details were missed 

When notes were written after appointments, clinicians had to rely on memory, which made it harder to remember the detail and the full context of the conversation.

The approach

NHFT ran two 12-week pilots of Notes across CYP and MSK services.

39 clinicians across six Children and Young People (CYP) services: CAMHS, ADHD/ASD, Integrated LAC, Speech and Language Therapy (SALT), Community Paediatrics, and Continence used Notes to:

• Record assessment and therapy sessions
• Generate structured draft reports
• Capture detailed histories during ADHD and autism assessments
• Document MDT discussions and reviews

29 clinicians in the MSK team used Notes for:

• FCP assessments
• Initial assessments 
• Clinical meetings
• Referral letters 

The goal across both pilots was to move from typing while listening to active listening, with structured notes generated automatically for the EPR.

The impact 

Less time spent on admin 

Across CYP services, weekly admin time was reduced by 40%, from 16.5 hours to 10 hours per week. That’s more than 6.5 hours saved per clinician, per week, almost a full working day.

In MSK, clinicians reduced general admin by 1.12 hours per week, alongside substantial per-assessment time savings.

Faster assessment write-ups

Both pilots demonstrated strong time savings across assessments:

CYP services:

• CAMHS medical initial assessments completed 40% faster
• Letter Connect assessments completed 48% faster
• IHA reports completed up to 72% faster

MSK services:

• FCP assessments completed 37% faster
• Initial assessments completed 24% faster
• Standard follow-ups completed 36% faster

One clinician shared:

“It reduces time on admin and provides more accurate information from young people. The quality of assessments has improved. I am enjoying my job and I don’t feel as stressed about the workload piling up.”

Improved patient connection

With less note-taking during sessions, clinicians could be more present, especially during home visits and community appointments. 

77% reported an improvement in the quality of conversations. Clinicians said they could listen properly, respond in the moment, and build stronger rapport.

Reduced backlogs

Clinicians were able to complete reports on the same day or within 24 hours. This freed up time to see more patients, helping to reduce waiting times for assessments.

One clinician noted:

“Notes has increased the number of children we are able to see, and it has improved the wellbeing of staff as the workload has decreased significantly.”

Clearer notes 

Clinicians reported a 65% improvement in capturing details from conversations. Notes were easier to read and review, particularly for longer or more complex assessments. This meant decisions could be made with more confidence, supporting better outcomes for patients.

Less pressure on clinicians 

Clinicians described feeling less overwhelmed, with fewer evenings spent catching up on paperwork and more manageable working days.

In MSK, 100% of clinicians who piloted Notes said it helped them enjoy their role more, as they were able to spend more time on clinical work and supporting patients. 

Help your teams see more patients, without increasing workload

See how reducing documentation could increase capacity in your service. Book a demo to explore what 40% less admin could look like for your teams.