You will be able to submit an online form for admin queries 24/7. This will not be switched off if or when the medical issues form is suspended.

 

You can watch a video about how to submit your form via our website below.

 

What happens after your form is submitted?

 

We will review and respond to all online consultation forms within two working days. However, we aim to respond on the same day for all forms received before 3pm, where capacity allows.

 

Administrative tasks will be dealt with by our care coordinators and administrative team in the usual way.

 

Medical issues are screened by a GP led triage team consisting of a Doctor, Care coordinator and Pharmacist and categorised according to urgency of need.

• If an appointment is required, the triage team will contact you to book an appointment with the relevant clinician within the appropriate timeframe. E.g., same day for an urgent GP review
• It may be possible to deal with your problem directly without the need to see a clinician. Any outcomes or advice will be communicated to patients by SMS or email, or by phone (where necessary).
• You may receive advice about self-care or other services you can refer yourself to.
• We may refer or book you in with another partner service, such as a mental health nurse or a local pharmacy (for UTI’s or other minor illnesses)
• We may organise some investigations for you while you are waiting to be seen.

 

What queries should I submit an online consultation for?

 

Most patient queries can be managed through this new process and will allow us to communicate with you in a timely and efficient way.

 

Admin queries:

All admin queries will need to be submitted online. These can be for:

• Doctors letters
• Fit notes
• Requests for referral updates
• Test results
• medication requests (although we advise that you use the NHS App for this - https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-app/)
• Any other admin related request

 

Medical Issues:

All medical queries and requests for appointments must be submitted online, where possible.

You can still call the Practice to book appointments directly for:

• Routine nurse appointments such as wound care, B12 injections, Travel etc.
• Medication review with our Clinical Pharmacists
• Annual health checks for conditions such as Asthma, COPD or Diabetes
• Phlebotomy appointments
• 6–8-week Mother and baby check
• Child Immunisations
• Flu and Covid appointments
• NHS Health checks
• Coil and Implant fit or removal.

(Or you can submit an online consultation for any of the above if preferred)

 

Contact us through the website: https://florey.accurx.com/p/E82117

 

Why has The Grove Medical Centre decided to change to this system?

 

Since the pandemic, primary care has faced an unprecedented level of patient need in the context of a national recruitment crisis for both clinical and non-clinical staff.  Whilst we have worked very hard to maintain our staffing levels, it is more important than ever that the right problem is dealt with by the right person to ensure we can provide our patients with the safest and most efficient service.

We hope that by making better use of appointments we will be able to increase capacity and reduce waiting times and enable those who are more vulnerable to be able to get through on the phones.

 

Experience from other practices already using a total triage system has shown that overall patient satisfaction is generally greatly improved.

 

What if my problem is urgent?

You should still submit an online form.  Please do so as early as possible on the day to ensure your problem can be dealt with as soon as possible by our triage team. Please be aware that if demand is very high, we may be unable to deal with your request on the same day but we will review and respond to all online consultation forms within two working days.

 

If your issue is very urgent, such as signs of a heart attack/stroke, sudden confusion, severe difficulty breathing, seizures, sudden swelling of mouth/lips/throat/tongue, heavy bleeding, or a severe injury, then you should call 999 or go to A&E immediately.

 

 

FAQ’s

 

What if I do not have access to the internet or struggle to complete forms?

Please telephone reception and they will fill in an online consultation form with you on the phone.

 

Can Reception make the appointment instead?

From now on, whether you visit in person or contact by phone, Reception will no longer be able to book GP appointments. They can book appointments for the below:

• Routine nurse appointments such as wound care, B12 injections, Travel etc.
• Annual health reviews for conditions such as Asthma, COPD or Diabetes
• Phlebotomy appointments
• 6-8 week Mother and baby check
• Child Immunisations
• Flu and Covid appointments
• NHS Health checks
• Coil and Implant fit or removal.

How long will it take to fill in the form?

For medical queries, it will take you no longer than 5 minutes. For administrative or simple issues, it may be shorter.

 

How long will it take to hear from the practice?

For all medical issues, the practice will contact you within 2 working days, although our aim is to respond on the same day for all queries received before 3pm.

 

When the surgery contacts you, it will either be by text message, email or phone call. You may be offered an appointment, sent advice, or we may arrange your care from appropriate healthcare services that we work with, such as social prescriber, clinical pharmacist, nurse etc.

 

Does this mean I won’t see a GP anymore?

No, the idea is the opposite. The triage system is just a preliminary way of collecting information to ensure you are seen by the right person in the right way. This will free up more GP appointments for patients with medical issues that require a GP review.

 

Will I have to fill in the same questionnaire every time I need an appointment?

For each new contact you will be asked to fill in an online questionnaire. We are, however making changes to the way follow up appointments are arranged. Currently clinicians will often ask patients to speak to Reception to book subsequent appointments for relevant investigations such as blood tests and then, following that, book a follow up appointment with the GP. Instead, we aim to be booking these for you during your first contact avoiding the need for you to contact the surgery again.