Appointments

Online Triage System

An online triage system is a method designed to ensure that every patient gets the right care, at the right time, by the right healthcare professional. Every medical enquiry that comes into the practice will be looked at by the whole practice team who will decide whether you:

• need to be seen by a GP on the same day
• should be seen by a GP urgently or routinely
• can be seen by another medical specialist at the practice, e.g. physiotherapist, mental health practitioner or a clinical pharmacist, etc.
• can be seen more quickly by a service outside of the practice e.g. local pharmacy team

How does it work?

Contact us: simply complete the new online form via our website, the NHS app or clicking on this link https://accurx.nhs.uk/patient-initiated/P81197  (if you don’t have internet access, please call the surgery and a care navigator will complete the form on your behalf).

Doctor Assessment (also known as Triage): No matter whether you complete the form, or reception does it on your behalf, your information will be looked at by a clinician who will decide upon the next best steps.

Please add as much detailed accurate information as you can to the form, this is really important and makes it easier for the triaging GP, e.g. – I have had a chesty cough for a week, I have been to the pharmacy and tried over-the-counter cough medications and have a high temperature.  If the clinician needs more information before they can decide how best to help, a member of the team will contact you either by text message or by a phone call. You may be sent a link to answer a questionnaire depending on your medical issue.

Next Steps: You will be advised by one of the team members what the doctor has suggested. This could be advice on self-care, a prescription sent directly to your pharmacy, or an invitation to book a face-to-face or telephone appointment with a GP or other appropriate medical professional, or you may need an on-the-day appointment. You will be informed of this by text or phone call.

Appointment: If the doctor has decided you need a face-to-face appointment on the same day, we will call you to arrange this. If you need an appointment less urgently, you will be sent a text message with a link to book a suitable appointment.

Why is this changing?

Traditional ways to contact your GP often meant that appointments were being allocated on a first come, first served basis, with long phone queues to get in touch with your surgery. This meant that vulnerable patients, or those who needed care sooner were missing out.

You can avoid the queues by submitting a request online, making it easier to reach out to your surgery.

By registering all requests through an online form, your surgery can prioritise and action requests quickly and fairly, ensuring that you get the right level of care at the right place and the right time.

Please ensure you provide as much information as possible on the form

When will I receive a response?

Appointment requests will receive a response within one working day. If you need to be seen on the same day, you will receive a call from the practice. If you need to book a routine appointment, you will receive a text message with a link for you to book or a text with a routine appointment booked for you.

Administrative requests will be acknowledged within two working days.

Please don’t re-submit the same form. If you haven’t received a response within the relevant timeframes mentioned above, please call the practice directly.

Will I receive a quicker response if I attend or call the surgery?

No, if you visit or call the surgery, you will still need to fill out the same triage form, so that you can be assessed in the same way, the process is the same for all patients. The receptionist or call handler will need to go through the form with you to capture all the required details.

If you/the patient cannot fill the form in for whatever reason, calling the practice would be the best option as it avoids an unnecessary visit to the practice.

Medical request forms can be submitted from 8 am Monday to Friday.