We are pleased to announce that we will be making changes to the way that our appointments are booked with GPs, ANPs and allied healthcare professionals.
Patient triage has been designed to ensure that patients who most need an appointment are able to get one.
The staff at Stopsley Village Practice, along with NHS England (NHSE), have acknowledged the increasing demand for appointments and our capacity to meet this demand. NHSE has recently published a paper (delivery plan for recovering access to primary care) outlining their similar concerns. We understand how frustrating it can be for patients to wait in phone queues or queues at the front door at 8am to get an appointment.
We have noticed that many patients are booking appointments that do not necessarily require one, and we are concerned that those who need to be seen are not getting seen at the right time.
NHSE has stated that there is good evidence that clinician triage and modern online tools make it easier to manage patient requests and involve the wider team, with higher patient satisfaction rates than with the more traditional model.
To address this issue, we are introducing a Total Triage Model of care. This means that anyone requesting an appointment or advice will have their request triaged. Our online consultation forms provide us with key information about your problem, so that we can arrange an urgent appointment if needed.
Online consults can be submitted via the NHS App or our website. If you have any issues submitting an online consult, our receptionists can assist in completing this.
We understand that change can be difficult, but we believe that this new approach will ensure that patients’ needs are met safely and efficiently. We are committed to delivering a robust service to our patients, and we believe that this new strategy will help us achieve this goal.