From 3rd June 2024 the way in which patients can book appointments is changing.
The triage system is still being used; however, it should be relevant to appointments that can be booked across a 5 working day span (non-urgent). The triage for medical appointments will now open at 12:30. This supports the request of having multiple times to access booking an appointment. Please be aware this will close once capacity has been met. Triage will remain open all day for admin queries or medication requests/queries.
All on-the-day appointments will be released at 8am to the phone lines. Our care navigators (receptionists) will ask patients specific questions to understand the reason for your appointment to ensure they navigate your care and your need is booked with the appropriate clinician. Please bear in mind should there be a more relevant service to your need than primary care, you will be signposted. Our care navigators are undergoing training to understand what alternative services are available within the area to ensure all appointments within the practice are efficiently booked.
Patients will also be able to book at the reception desk. Though this is not the preferable booking option to avoid heavy footfall or queuing, we ask this is only used by those patients who are unable to access our service any other way.
We have also opened up online appointments bookable via SystmOnline account. You will now be able to book with GPs, MDT members, and the Nursing/HCA team. These bookings are monitored and should you book with an inappropriate clinician, your appointment will be moved and you will be notified. If you are unsure of who to book with, please see the information table below.
We have a number of pre-bookable appointments with GPs and members of our MDT team; however, the majority of our rotas are for on-the-day booking.
For patients who have been advised to book an appointment regarding their test results or asked to book an appointment regarding a letter we have received, we will be holding bi-weekly results clinics, which are a telephone appointment on a Thursday. Should you be booking regarding your results, you will be booked into these clinics unless your results warrant a face-to-face consultation.
Once all on-the-day appointments are booked, you will be signposted to an alternative service to seek medical attention such as 111/urgent care or advised to call back the next working day.
We hope these changes improve access and the efficiency of the service we provide you with. We are continuing to make improvements and ask you support us in our transition to a better practice.
Who Does What? Who to Book With?
| Role | Responsibilities |
|---|---|
| Doctor | Chronic Illness, Complex conditions, secondary care investigation requests, Long term presenting complaints. |
| MDT Member (Paramedic, Prescribing Nurse, Advanced Nurse Practitioners, Emergency Care Practitioners, Advanced Care Practitioners) | Minor Illness, Minor Injury, Acute presentations, Short term pain relief. |
| Practice Nurse | Cervical Smears, Adult/Child immunisations, Asthma Reviews, Diabetic Reviews, Dopplers, Complex Dressings. |
| HCA | Blood Tests, Dressings, ECG’s, BP checks, B12 vaccinations. |
| Phlebotomist | Blood Tests. |
| Pharmacist | Medication Review. |
| First Contact Physiotherapist | Presentations of Aches/Pains or results from injury. |
| GPA | Long term condition reviews, Health checks, Blood tests, Minor dressings. |