Map the scheduling rules
Agree the information needed for each appointment type, including referral requirements and location options. Identify questions that must go to a clinical or specialist scheduling team.
Connecting patients to the right appointment
How a centralized scheduling team can help patients navigate locations, appointment requirements and follow-up with fewer transfers.
Client profileMulti-location health network
Service scopeNon-clinical scheduling support
Delivery modelManaged patient access ↗
The challenge
Finding an appointment takes too many calls.
A health network offers outpatient services across several locations. Patients may reach a central number, a local office or an online request form, each with a different view of appointment availability and booking requirements.
Incomplete referrals or unclear service descriptions send patients between teams. The network needs a consistent administrative route to the right scheduling decision.
The managed-service approach
Clarify the request. Coordinate the next step.
Prepare a dedicated team
Train coordinators on client-approved tools, identity checks and booking procedures. Practise incomplete referrals and unavailable slots. Use a maintained service guide so staff explain requirements consistently.
Own the follow-up
Book within delegated authority or route the request with its supporting information. Confirm the appointment details or explain what is still required. Track pending callbacks and incomplete referrals until the next team accepts them.
How the model operates
Scheduling support with clear boundaries.
Gatestone manages
Administrative intake, appointment coordination, callbacks and service-quality reviews. The service lead monitors pending requests and handoffs between locations.
The client retains
Clinical triage, appointment eligibility, referral acceptance and changes to clinical schedules. Clinical questions follow the network's designated escalation process.
Patients receive the next practical step. The team does not make clinical judgments or promise appointments that have not been confirmed.
Intended outcomes
Fewer transfers. Better preparation.
Review scheduling requests from first contact to confirmed booking or an accepted specialist handoff.
01Complete booking requests
Track missing information that prevents an appointment from being considered.
02Reliable follow-up
Monitor overdue callbacks and requests awaiting an accepted handoff.
03Clear appointment details
Review corrections and repeat calls caused by unclear location or preparation information.
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