Integrated system & automated workflows saves podiatrist 20 hours a week

At a glance

Outcome

Solution

Challenge

20 hours saved on admin per week

3400% growth in patient numbers over two years.

87% less no-shows

More time with patients in consultations.

More time for personal wellbeing.

A comprehensive, scaleable platform that keeps all workflows to one system.

Automated workflows that reduce the need for manual intervention and save time. 

Automatic appointment reminders that eliminate no-shows.

Hours wasted manually completing admin affecting both professional and personal life. 

Struggling to keep on top of patient numbers as a solo practitioner working alone.

Manual processes mean practice not performing at its peak. 

Liam Stapleton is a Consultant Podiatrist specialising in podiatric sports medicine. He works primarily in private hospitals across Kent and London. He has been using Semble for two years.

The challenge: Hours of manual admin putting strain on working day

Before using Semble, Liam’s workflows were spread out across different systems, and a lack of automation meant he was doing a lot of work manually himself.

Letters were written in Word, then printed and posted, with invoices following a similar process. A post-consultation email with a link to leave a Doctify review was sent to individual patients after hours by Liam. Payments needed to be tracked and reconciled by hand.

“Between Semble and my staff, I’m saving about 20 hours a week. I can see more patients now – it gives me the brain space as well as the time."

Liam Stapleton, Consultant Podiatrist

“It was really messy – I was struggling. Communication was hard. Before we started using Healthcode to bill the insurer, I'd be up until 11pm every night doing it all. That was every night, and I was half as busy as I am now.”

As Liam’s practice continued to grow, this manual workload became too overwhelming and started to affect his life both inside and outside of work.

“I was a one-man band running at full capacity. I did that until I was at my breaking point – I physically couldn’t carry on doing that. I couldn’t grow – there wasn’t the brain space. I was starting to crack under the stress of it all.”

The solution: An comprehensive system that automates workflows & saves time

Since starting with Semble two years ago, Liam’s patient numbers have grown by around 3400% - and the workload at his thriving practice is now far more manageable.

Using Semble's automated features, along with hiring a small admin team to help with the workload, Liam has saved a huge amount of time on the admin work that used to take over his day. This means he’s able to prioritise more time for his patients – and himself.

“Between Semble and my staff, I’m saving about 20 hours a week. I can see more patients now – it gives me the brain space as well as the time. I’m not up working until 11pm each night anymore. There’s more time for me – I can go to the gym in the evening!”

“We used to get six to eight no-shows a month. Now I get one a month, sometimes none at all.”

- Liam Stapleton

All of Liam’s communications with patients are now sent out through Semble, including his Doctify email, which automatically sends an hour post-consultation. Automated appointment reminders have also significantly reduced the number of no-shows they see in the clinic.

“Before, it was done in a physical diary, and we’d get around six to eight no-shows a month. Now, I get one a month, sometimes none at all. The automatic text or e-mail that goes out 24 hours before their appointment picks up those who would normally no-show, and they tend to rearrange.”

The simplicity of email communication also means it’s become easier for Liam to stay connected to the healthcare ecosystem around him.

“The whole GP network is available, and an encrypted email just goes straight from Semble. I no longer have to hand-write a letter to a GP, print it, post it. Now it takes 30 seconds, not an hour.

“I’m pleased someone recommended I start using Semble – it ticked all my boxes.”