Changes to the Appointment System
Telephone Triage Explained
Telephone triage is a process by which the appointment system is managed by the GP Surgery clinicians. It
is a method by which a clinician telephones the patient and discusses whether the patient’s medical
problem can be managed, particularly whether there is a need for a face to face appointment. A face to
face appointment may not be required when patients wish to discuss blood results, hospital letters or
x ray/scan results. However if the patient needs to come in then an appointment will be made with the
appropriate health care professional be it a GP, Advanced Nurse Practitioner, Practice Nurse or Healthcare
Assistant.
Frequently asked questions
Is this to stop me getting an appointment?
No not at all – it is to ensure that all patients that need to be seen are seen by the appropriate healthcare
professional. It is also a tool for which a telephone consultation can be used to appropriately manage
patients concerns even if an appointment is not required.
How does it work?
Any patient who requests a GP appointment will receive a phone call usually within 2 hours from one of the
practice clinicians. The clinician discusses the reason for the request for a GP appointment and will book an
appointment if appropriate either the same day or another day. However the problem may also be dealt
with appropriately in another way. (e.g. blood tests arranged, referral completed, appointment with
Practice Nurse arranged or prescription query discussed). This system has been used successfully for
several years now in many GP surgeries.
It has been shown that this process significantly improves access.
Why is the Practice doing it?
Benefits to Patients
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Speak to a clinician sooner
Improve access to GP of choice when appropriate
Save time by avoiding unnecessary appointments
Improve continuity of care
Benefits to the Practice
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Manage caseload efficiently
Improve utilisation of other Health Care Professionals
Improve continuity of care
Hopefully reduce the number of patients who fail to attend their appointment
Our aim is to provide
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The most appropriate appointment with a GP, Advanced Nurse, Nurse, Minor Illness Nurse,
Practice Nurse or Health Care Assistant.
More convenient access
More efficient use of time for our GPs and Patients.
To ensure that appointments remain available for patients with chronic complex needs
Telephone triage will operate from 8.30 – 11.00 am for all requests for a GP appointment.
Out telephone lines are extremely busy between 8.30 – 9.00 am please avoid calling at this time if at all
possible.
With an ever developing clinical team less complicated clinical conditions can be dealt with by members of
the healthcare team other than a GP
We will regularly audit this process to ensure that it is achieving the goals and expectations that we set in
conjunction with our Patient Participation Group. This process is only one of the processes put in place to
help us improve access and reduce risk. We will continue to work with our patient group to identify and
improve areas of the practice. This practice is committed to listening to feedback and working with patients
to improve and develop our service.