Our Appointment System is changing to Total Triage
About Total Triage
From 13th June 2023, we are making changes to the way our patients access appointments with our GP’s, nurses, health care assistants, physiotherapists, advanced nurse practitioners, paramedics, and other specialist clinicians.
Total Triage has been designed to ensure that patients are booked at the most appropriate clinic and at the right time according to their clinical needs.
Why are we making the change?
All of us at Vine House Health Centre, along with NHS England (NHSE), acknowledge the increasing demand for appointments and our limited capacity to meet this demand. We understand how frustrating it can be for patients to wait in telephone queues or queues at the front door at 8 am to get an appointment. In order to address increasing demand for appointments and reduce frustration for our patients, we are changing our appointment system to Total Triage (also known as Patient Triage)
What is Total Triage
It is a new appointment system that involves a GP triaging all appointment requests before an appointment is given. This means that anyone requesting an appointment or advice will have to make their request by completing an online consult form. Our online consultation forms provide us with key information about your problem and enable our clinician and care navigator to either book you at the appropriate clinic or signpost you to the right service.
Online consult form can be submitted via our website. If you have any issues submitting an online consult, our Patient Care Navigators 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.
Online Consult System
To make Patient Triage more efficient, we will be expanding the use of our existing online consult system. Our online consult system is accessible to everyone, with no need to download an app or log in.
With a short and simple set of questions, your completed form will be sent to us, meaning that your appointment request will be triaged promptly, and you will receive a response from your GP in a timely manner.
What Happens Next?
The online consultation form will be reviewed against a triage protocol. The more information you provide us with, the better we can ensure that you are triaged to the most appropriate pathway. You may receive a text with the date and time of the appointment or ask for more information or photographs; you may receive a phone call from a clinician; you may be sent a text with a link to self-book an appointment in the coming days or receive a phone call to book an appointment. If you have a preferred clinician, please let us know.
Patient Care Navigator Assistance
We understand that a small number of patients may be unable to complete the online consultation form. If you are one of these patients, we ask that you call the practice, and a Patient Care Navigator will complete it for you.
Summary
Our new appointment system, Patient Triage, will ensure that those who most need an appointment are able to get one. Our Online Consult system is quick, accessible, and easy to use, and it allows us to provide you with the best possible care.