The GP 8am rush avalanche and a system at breaking point
Before EMMA arrived, Conisbrough Group Practice faced a daily crisis that epitomises the access challenges confronting NHS primary care. The GP 8am rush created a reception environment characterised by what Practice Manager Bex Cottey describes as "palpable stress" with a telephone system physically unable to meet patient demand.
The numbers reveal the scale of the problem. In August alone, the system recorded 50 separate "engaged tone" events where the queue was so overwhelmed it could not accept additional calls. Out of 3,488 calls that month, 1,523 went completely unanswered. Patients faced average wait times of 18 minutes, and Mondays required three dedicated staff members on phones simply to manage the queue.
The knock-on effects extended beyond the telephone lines. Because patients could not get through on the phone, the surgery faced constant queues out the door as frustrated patients arrived in person for requests that should have been handled remotely.
"It was stressful for both staff and patients and we always felt like we were chasing ourselves... it was this palpable sense of stress in the reception room."
Bex Cottey, Practice Manager
Burnout, verbal abuse, and recruitment failure
The telephone chaos triggered a destructive cycle that threatened the surgery's ability to operate effectively. Staff turnover became critical, with the practice losing four reception team members in the twelve months before EMMA was implemented.
The daily reality for reception staff was relentless pressure combined with regular verbal abuse from patients who had waited too long or failed to get through at all. This toxic environment made recruitment nearly impossible, with applicants frequently failing to attend interviews once they understood the working conditions.
The practice found itself trapped in a downward spiral: understaffing led to worse phone performance, which increased patient frustration, which drove more abuse, which accelerated staff departures, which worsened understaffing further.
"We'd get verbal abuse daily… and staff were going home stressed about what patients had said or the pressure because they can't answer the phone fast enough."
Bex Cottey, Practice Manager
From chaos to calm in just three weeks
Implementation of EMMA was rapid and straightforward. The entire process from contract signing to go-live took approximately three weeks, including telephony configuration and a dedicated week of testing to ensure seamless integration with existing workflows.
The practice chose to route all telephone requests through Accurx, creating a unified triage stream that combines phone-based and digital requests in one manageable workflow. This integration means clinical and administrative staff work from a single queue rather than juggling multiple systems.
EMMA now performs 9.5 hours of continuous call processing daily at Conisbrough, handling a workload that exceeds a standard full-time reception shift. The AI receptionist answers every call instantly, captures patient details and request information, and routes each case appropriately without human intervention.
Phone staffing requirements on the busiest day dropped from three dedicated team members to just one person who now multi-tasks across other administrative duties while monitoring the streamlined workflow.
Measurable transformation across every metric
The impact at Conisbrough Group Practice has been comprehensive and immediate. The before-and-after comparison demonstrates the scale of change that EMMA delivers for NHS primary care.
Call Volume and Handling: Total monthly call volume actually increased from 3,488 in August to 4,394 in September, demonstrating improved patient access. However, daily calls requiring staff handling collapsed from approximately 530 to just 25 to 30.
Patient Experience: Average wait times dropped from 18 minutes to approximately 10 seconds. Daily abandoned calls fell from around 77 to Zero. Patients now trust the callback system, with most receiving responses within the hour.
Staff Impact: Total team phone time dropped from seven hours daily to under one hour. Verbal abuse incidents fell from multiple daily occurrences to just two or three per week. Most significantly, staff turnover has stopped entirely since implementation, with zero leavers compared to four departures in the previous twelve months.
System Reliability: The 50 monthly "engaged tone" events where the system could not accept calls have been completely eliminated. Every call is now answered, every patient is heard, and every request is captured accurately.
Better data quality and protected vulnerable access
The benefits of EMMA extend beyond simple call handling metrics. The practice has implemented thoughtful safeguards while discovering unexpected advantages in clinical data quality.
The VIP Safeguard: Conisbrough maintains a VIP list ensuring elderly patients, those with speech impairments, and hearing loop users receive immediate routing to human staff. EMMA recognises these patients and prioritises their need for direct personal contact, protecting the most vulnerable from any potential friction with automated systems.
Enhanced Information Quality: Because EMMA consistently asks the right questions in the right order, the information captured is of higher quality than when rushed staff were racing to clear queues. Clinical teams now receive structured, complete request information rather than abbreviated notes taken under pressure.
Pharmacy First Integration: December data showed 64 calls, representing 1.8 percent of volume, were successfully redirected to Pharmacy First and other appropriate services. This appropriate redirection supports system-wide NHS efficiency while ensuring patients reach the right care pathway.
"People feel more in control… the information we're getting is of better quality because EMMA asks the questions... it's just been a game changer. Don't take EMMA off us."
Bex Cottey, Practice Manager
Proof that the access crisis has a solution
Conisbrough Group Practice demonstrates what becomes possible when GP surgeries adopt AI telephony that genuinely delivers. The practice serves as evidence that even large patient lists with severe GP 8am rush problems can be transformed rapidly and sustainably.
The key achievements at Conisbrough are now being replicated across QuantumLoopAI's expanding network of NHS practices. For practice managers, GP partners, PCN clinical directors, and ICB commissioners seeking to address the access crisis in primary care, this case study shows what can be achieved within weeks of deployment.
The surgery has moved from crisis to control, from chaos to calm, and from constant firefighting to proactive patient care. Staff who were considering leaving are now committed to staying. Patients who could not get through now receive responses within the hour. A practice that was drowning is now thriving.
