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 GP or Advanced Clinical Practitioner appointments,

request for clinical advice or admin request.

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By expanding the services Community Pharmacies offer, the NHS is aiming to help free up GP appointments and give people more choice in how and where they access care. ​

Don’t wait for minor health concerns to get worse – think pharmacy first and get seen by your local pharmacy team.​

For more information, visit nhs.uk/thinkpharmacyfirst 

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From Monday 15th July 2024 we are operating a total triage system, where every request for a GP or Advanced Clinical Practitioner appointment or clinical advice is triaged by a GP.

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To request a doctor’s or Advanced Clinical Practitioner appointment or for clinical advice & administrative requests, we are asking all our patients to use the online Patient Triage form where possible. 

 

Our phone lines will still be open for routine enquires and to make a Nurse or Blood test appointment

 

• No need to join the morning rush at 8am to contact your GP

• No need to wait on hold or outside the Practice

• Quick and easy ways to get in touch and receive the care you need- see below

• No need to register for this service

• However you contact us a healthcare professional will assess your request

      in the same way as soon as possible

• Our aim is to give everyone fair and equal access to appropriate care

• If you haven’t already, please download the NHS App or make your requests online by filling in an Accurx Patient triage - Click submit a new request below.​​​

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Please see Patient Triage: Patient guide | Accurx Help Centre for detailed information on how Patient Triage works if you wish more information. 

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If you find it difficult to use a computer or a smartphone, you can telephone our reception on 01482 652652 or attend in person and our receptionists will fill out the form on your behalf.  Our reception staff are not able to book an appointment with a GP or Advanced Clinical Practitioner directly and no one way of contacting us is any quicker than another.

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Whilst our phone lines will still be open for routine enquires and to make a Nurse or Blood test appointment, if you do call the surgery to request advice from a GP or Advanced Clinical Practitioner, we will politely request that you complete an online form. If your personal circumstances mean that it is impossible for you to do this, or for someone you know to complete the form on your behalf, Reception team will be happy to assist you with this.

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The form is brief, and will ask you the following questions: What your query is about? What action you would like? Your preference for who or when you would like to deal with your problem. You will be invited to submit photos if the GP requests them.

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You will be able to submit a Patient triage form between 8am – 4pm (Monday to Friday). All forms will be screened by a GP. 

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How Does This Benefit You? 

We understand that change can sometimes be difficult, but we are confident that Total Triage will bring many benefits to you, our patients – for example: 

• Improved Access to Care: Total Triage has been shown to reduce waiting times and it enables us to attend to your medical needs more promptly. By using remote consultations, where appropriate, we can free up face to face appointments for those patients that need them.  

• Convenience: Using digital communication will mean that you can engage with us from the comfort of your home or workplace. If you haven’t already, please download the NHS App or make your requests online by filling in an Accurx Patient triage.

• Enhanced Patient Experience: We are committed to providing you with the best possible care at Willerby & Swanland Practice. Total Triage improves communication and ensures that you see the person best able to help you, in a timely way. 

• Embracing Innovation: As healthcare technology advances, we are committed to staying at the forefront of these innovations. Total Triage will enable us to adapt and evolve with the changing healthcare landscape and ensure that you benefit from the latest advances in medical care. 

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What if I have more than one medical issue that I need help with?

Please only submit one medical issue per AccuRx Patient triage form, so that you can add sufficient detail for each problem. This will allow our GP’s to appropriately deal with your request.

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What happens after my form is submitted?

Clinical queries are screened by the doctor and categorised according to urgency of need.  We have appointments available within different time frames, including on the same day.  You will be contacted to make the appropriate appointment via a self-book link, phone call or be given further advice.  Please ensure that your phone number is correct and keep us updated if you change numbers.

It may be possible to deal with your problem directly without the need to see a clinician.  Alternatively, you may receive advice about self-care or other services you can refer yourself to.  Administrative tasks will be dealt with by our reception team in the usual way.

 

Why has this practice decided to change to this system?

The modern general practice team is increasingly multidisciplinary and it is more important than ever that the right problem is seen by the right person. Having a doctor triaging the forms allows us to do this more accurately, safely, and efficiently. Ensuring that patients are seen by the appropriate clinician in the right place and at the right time, supports good patient care and experience, reduces pressure on GP practices and allows GPs to spend their time where it is needed the most. 

 

Please click on the British Medical Association for more information 

https://www.bma.org.uk/advice-and-support/gp-practices/managing-workload/care-navigation-and-triage-in-general-practice

 

What if my problem is urgent? AccuRx should never be used in an emergency.

Complete the request as early as possible on the day to ensure your problem can be dealt with by our GP Triage team, unless you have RED FLAG symptoms as detailed on the request form home page before you complete the form. Patients are reminded that online consultations are only for non-emergencies and advised that the Practice may take up to 2 working days to respond. Patients must declare that they have no ‘red flag’ medical symptoms before they can continue.

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What is a self- book link sent to my phone from the Practice following a submission of a Patient Triage form.

Our team may send you a text message with a self book link inviting you to book your own appointment depending on the outcome from the GP.

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Can I request a prescription using the online form?

No, for simple repeat prescriptions please use the usual ordering method on your NHS app or drop the repeat prescription request slip into reception.

For items out of stock at your Pharmacy or complicated queries then please use the online form.

 

What if a patient is housebound, elderly, or not able to use online systems?

We will work hard to recognise vulnerable patients who cannot be expected to use the online form (though we would still encourage family members and Carer's to use the form on the patient’s behalf as it is a very useful way of communicating with the surgery). These patients will still be able to speak to our reception team who will complete a form on their behalf.

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Click on the link for a video demonstration on how easy it is to complete the form:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOTMVlTlYzA​​

                               
As a team, please can we remind you that we do, and always will, follow NHS and governmental guidance to ensure that the very best service will be given. We are here to help and want to continue to do so. Please be kind to us as we are working under extremely difficult conditions to deliver as much as possible, as quickly as possible. Your help will be very gratefully received.
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Booking an Appointment with the Nurse or Phlebotomist/Healthcare

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These are normally bookable up to 4-6 weeks in advance (subject to availability).  

Nurse/Phlebotomist appointments are currently not bookable on-line due to the complex nature of the appointment times for specific procedures.  We need to ensure you have the correct time and Nurse allocated. 

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Surgery Opening Times:

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Normal Opening Hours:

 

We are open from 8.00am to 6.00pm Monday to Friday, excluding Public Holidays
Morning appointments are generally between 8.10am to 11.30am and afternoon appointments are between 2.00pm to 5.20pm.​​​

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Extended Opening Hours:

 

We have early morning doctor appointments on four mornings each week - Monday to Friday from 07.30am. These are pre-booked only and you can book via reception or online.

Please be aware the surgery is closed for all other purposes until 8.00am

These appointments are intended for patients who work or who find it difficult to attend

during the day. 

Please also refer to the Home Screen of the website as we have the Improving Access Service on behalf of the Primary Care Network, for which this Practice is associated.  The have appointments available on a weekend and after hours.

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Home Visits requests when you are too ill to attend 

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Requests for home visits to patients who are too ill to attend surgery should be made as early as possible and before 10.00am. Visits are undertaken after morning surgery (after 12.00 noon) by the duty doctor of that day. 

 

Homes visits are not offered for social or convenience reasons. It is always preferable to see patients at the surgery where access to clinical notes, diagnostics, prescriptions etc makes this safer. 

Please be aware that you cannot request a particular doctor to attend a home visit - these are undertaken by the Duty Doctor for that day

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Cancelled Appointments

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It is important that you inform the reception staff if you are unable to attend your appointment, this will allow that appointment to be offered to another patient. If you fail to notify the Practice that you are unable to attend, you may be sent a letter informing you that you have defaulted from your appointment. Persistent defaulters maybe removed from the list.

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If you are Late

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Please attend your appointment on time. Although the doctor/nurse may be running late due to another patients' medical need, if you attend late for your appointment and the surgery is running to time you may not be seen. Please get in touch as soon as possible if you think you will not be able to attend on time.

Please note appointment times may vary during illness and holidays.

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Failure to Attend (DNA)

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A 'DNA' occurs when a patient did not attend a booked appointment and failed to contact the Surgery in advance to cancel - or where the cancellation is so late as to make it impossible to offer that time for another patient who needs treatment.

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The Surgery will code this DNA and this will prompt a retrospective check on the number of DNA's recorded against that person. Whilst we are primarily concerned with our own appointment observance, consideration may also be given to any hospital appointments where we have been notified that a patient has failed to attend.

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Where this is the first occasion, we may send a letter detailing the appointment that was missed and requesting the patient a) contact us with a reason and b) take care to avoid a re-occurrence.

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If this is the second occasion, a letter will be sent to advise of the missed appointment and also advise that, if a further appointment is DNA'd then the patient will be at risk of de-registration.

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If a third DNA has occurred the Surgery may write to the patient - and advise NHS East Riding at the same time - that the patient is to be de-registered without further notice.

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Avoid becoming a 'DNA'

If you cannot attend - or no longer need - an appointment please ring us beforehand.

Mistakes happen and the Surgery knows appointments can be forgotten - in which case when the patient responds to a letter (or sooner) we will be able to note the reasons.

Preference, of course, is for us to know in advance so we can offer the appointment(s) to others.

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Interpreter

 

If you require an interpreter with you when you see your Doctor please notify the receptionist and will arrange for the GP/Nurse to be aware of this.  We now use a telephone interpreting service which should mean it is quicker and easier to arrange an appointment and this also means there will not be someone else in the consultation with the GP or nurse.

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Private Medical Examinations

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Medical examinations for special purposes such as pre-employment, fitness to travel, elderly drivers, fitness to undertake sports etc, require longer time than a routine appointment - and they do not form part of NHS Services; you will be charged for any such examination. Please check the fee chargeable when you require to arrange any such examination.

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Request for GP Letters/Completion of Forms

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If your Doctor has agreed to write a letter for you in connection with your employment, acting as a referee, or for some other specific area, you will be charged for this letter.

Please allow at least five working days before collecting your letter; if you require this letter urgently please inform your Doctor during your consultation.

If you wish your Doctor to complete a form/report for you, there will also be a charge for this, please allow at least 48 hours from handing in the form before.

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The secretary will be able to advise you of any applicable charges.

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Choice of Doctor

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We will always do our best to arrange for you to see the doctor or nurse of your choice. This may not always be possible on the day of request - in which case you may need to wait until that doctor has available appointments if the Triage GP deems this appropriate. 

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However if that results in an unacceptable wait for you, we will try to offer an appointment with another of the clinicians.

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In exercising your choice to see a named doctor it is on the understanding that the surgery cannot guarantee an appointment in any given timeframe. Where a patient wants to see a named doctor and that doctor is fully booked on that day or even for the following day or days we cannot undo that situation.

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Named Doctor

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From March 2016 we have allocated every patient a named accountable GP and patients can ask to be informed who that allocated GP is. 

We allocate every patients to one of the GP partners when registered on an equal shares basis - and if a patient wants to know who that doctor is we are happy to advise them on request.

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It makes no practical difference as to who you see for treatment - nor does it mean you will only be see by that allocated doctor. 

This named doctor will, where needed, oversee the co-ordination of all appropriate services required under the NHS contract and ensure they are delivered to each patient where required (based on the clinical judgement of that named doctor)

The named doctor will not take on vicarious liability for the work of other doctors or health professionals.

Nor will the named GP take on 24 hour responsibility for a patient or make a change to their working hours. The requirement does not imply personal availability - and the named doctor cannot be the only GP to care for that patient

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This allocation of a named doctor - required by contract - does not remove a patients' choice of who to see.

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We are an Armed Forces Veteran Friendly accredited Practice. 

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If you are ex-forces please let your GP know to help ensure that you are getting the best possible care. 

 

This means that as part of the health commitments of the Armed Forces Covenant, we have a dedicated clinician who has specialist knowledge of military related health conditions and veteran specific health services.  This is important in helping ex-forces to get the best care and treatment. 

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