About the client
Our client, GP Wales, is an online service provider that connects general practitioners (GPs) seeking placements with medical practices needing to fill locum shifts. Founded by experienced GPs and funded by NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership (NWSSP), Train Work Live and the Welsh Government, GP Wales aims to digitise the healthcare placement process in Wales.
Business challenge
Operational inefficiencies in Locum placements
The process of matching GPs with practice shifts has traditionally been a manual process, often relying on word-of-mouth recommendations and paper-based communications.
GP Wales was founded to digitise this process and to make it easy for GPs to search and apply for relevant vacancies.
The GP Wales platform has 2 aspects:
Job posting: enables practices to list available jobs, providing a platform for candidates to find and apply for relevant positions.
Locum management: allows practices to advertise available shifts for locum GPs, facilitating the entire application process for temporary positions.
The platform was initially developed by another software service provider. However, several challenges emerged that hindered its effectiveness:
- Limited support bandwidth: The original service provider did not have enough capacity to manage the support and maintenance demands of the platform.
- Availability of service provider: The original vendor was not responsive enough to meet GP Wales' needs for quick updates and fast responses.
Faced with these challenges, GP Wales reached out to GoodCore to expand and refine the Locum Hub Wales platform adding new features and providing ongoing development support.
The solution
Project goals
The project entailed the following requirements:
- Smoothly takeover the project from the previous vendor, acquiring both technical and functional knowledge of the GP Wales platform.
- Introduce new rules and criteria for data entry to the job posting feature, enhancing efficiency and streamlining processes.
- Modernise the UI/UX to make the application more intuitive and accessible, applying contemporary design principles.
- Provide regular updates and maintenance to ensure continuous platform stability, performance improvements, and timely updates.
Platform components
The platform comprises four web-based dashboards for different roles using the platform:
Practice manager:
Create and post the jobs and locum shifts. Can also edit and update practice profiles.
NWSSP user:
Review and approve the jobs posted by the practice manager before they are published.
General user:
Search available job listings and locum shifts based on various criteria and apply to jobs of interest.
Admin:
Set up practice profiles, manage practice managers and NWSSP users, create and post job listings and configure the system settings.
Product development challenges and solutions
Challenge #1: Inadequate documentation and complex codebase
The project handover was challenging due to the lack of sufficient documentation and the complexity of a large codebase. This made it difficult to fully grasp the functionality and structure of the existing system, complicating the initial stages of the transition.
Solution: Thorough analysis and collaborative client engagement
To address these issues, a comprehensive analysis of the current codebase was conducted, focusing on its structure, dependencies, and interactions with external APIs and services. Our team also assessed the technology stack in detail. We engaged in several discussions with the client to understand the business context, their expectations, and any immediate issues with the project's current state. These efforts allowed us to develop comprehensive documentation in Jira and establish processes for how we will support and enhance the project.
Challenge #2: Database migration and data integrity
One significant challenge encountered during the development was the migration of the old database MariaDB version from 10.3 to 10.6 to accommodate new data entry validations without disrupting access to previous job listings. This task required meticulous planning and execution to ensure that the platform continued to provide reliable access to old jobs while integrating new data entry rules.
Solution: Database upgrade and historical data preservation
To address this, we updated the existing database to support the new rules and criteria for data entry. This included making changes to the database structure, adding new data fields, and updating existing ones to meet the new requirements. Throughout this process, we carefully ensured that all historical data remained retrievable, allowing continued access to previous job listings.
Challenge #3: Seamless platform enhancements
One significant aspect we had to ensure was to enhance the GP Wales platform without disrupting ongoing operations or negatively impacting the service provided to users. It was crucial to implement the updates in a way that did not interfere with the daily functionalities of the platform, ensuring continuous availability for both GPs and medical practices.
Solution: Implementation of a single-phase waterfall delivery
To tackle this, the first and major phase of enhancements to the job posting feature was delivered using the Waterfall methodology. By thoroughly defining the requirements and planning ahead of the development phase, we ensured that all new functionalities were correctly integrated the first time. This approach minimised the need for subsequent revisions and enabled a smooth transition to the enhanced platform without disrupting ongoing operations.
I was most impressed by GoodCore Software’s excellent communication. They were very accessible, and we had a better experience than with other companies we had worked with in the past.
Ellis Hughes, Director
GPWales
The impact
With the enhancements and ongoing support from GoodCore, the GP Wales platform now supports all NHS Wales health boards in posting and filling healthcare professional vacancies efficiently.
- Currently, approximately 3,900 locum shifts and 75 job vacancies are posted each month through the platform.
- The platform is actively used by around 440 GP practices across Wales.
- There are about 25 NWSSP users and roughly 1,800 practitioners engaged with the platform.
- The platform's success has garnered international recognition, winning Gold in the 'Best Use of Digital' category at the International Digital Experience Awards, as well as a Silver award for 'Best Digital Response to the Crisis – SME'.
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