Together First transition to relaible and seamless communication between patients, NHS, urgent treatment centres, and GP partners
Company Overview
Together First CIC is a GP Federation that operates distinctly from a traditional NHS Trust. Since 2014, it has supported all 31 GP practices across Barking & Dagenham, delivering inclusive, community-based NHS services to over 250,000 residents.
The Challenge
As a dynamic and evolving GP Federation, Together First adapts to meet the changing needs of the healthcare landscape. Facilitating more than 100,000 appointments annually, they needed a trusted communication partner and phone system that was reliable and responsive, but also capable of scaling.
The Solution
Together First began working with Croft in 2022 to modernise its telephony and support systems. They started with 2 users to support their “Hubs” which enable seamless communication between patients, NHS 111, urgent treatment centres, and GP partners. Over the last three years, Croft has supported 36 users across four sites.
One of the key areas of transformation has been its communications infrastructure. The organisation began transitioning to Horizon, a cloud-based Voice over IP (VoIP) solution, to streamline operations and reduce reliance on outdated analogue or ISDN lines, ahead of the ISDN Switch-off. This shift was essential not only for cost efficiency but also for ensuring flexibility and scalability in service delivery.
Due to specialised reporting for the NHS Ombudsman, Together First has also added Akixi, a cloud-based call reporting and analytics software that adds simplicity to understanding their outbound calls.
“Fantastic customer service. The account manager, Leah, and her support team respond to service tickets within 24 to 48 hours. I can’t fault them for anything, which is rare for a third-party partnership with the NHS.”
— Craig Moore, Site Manager, Together First CIC
The Result
A prime example of Croft’s agility and commitment was in the 2024 global outage that affected millions of systems worldwide. Together First was among the many healthcare providers at risk of operational paralysis. Within hours of the outage, Croft worked closely with Together First to get their phone lines working. Without this rapid intervention, the federation would have been unable to book GP appointments, severely affecting patient care and service delivery.
Thanks to Croft’s agility and commitment, Together First remained operational during one of the most significant IT crises in recent history. As Together First continues to evolve, Croft is a trusted partner, supporting its mission to deliver accessible, high-quality healthcare to the community.
