Hartshill Medical Centre Total Triage
As from 4/3/24, a new way to book your appointment.
Appointments to see a GP have always been booked by calling reception and asking for an appointment on a ‘first-come first-served’ basis. While this used to work in the past, we are aware that it can be frustrating and difficult for people to get appointments at times. We need to do something about the ‘8am rush’, which is why we introduced our new phone call back feature, but we also intend to bring in a new system altogether.
The new system is called Total Triage. This means that instead of phoning first thing in the morning most people will fill in an online form (accessed from the homepage on the practice website at www.hartshillmedicalcentre.co.uk) that is then reviewed by a GP to determine the urgency of the appointment and the right place for you to be seen and by whom. This might not always be by seeing a GP, as there is now a wider NHS team including social prescribers, mental health workers and the Pharmacy First service.
Requests should be submitted before 1.00pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Fridays and before 10.30am on Thursdays.
To submit a request for an appointment, please click on this link
Appointments with the Nurse or Health Care Assistant will be booked in the normal way, by phoning reception.
What are the advantages of Total Triage? 1. Reduced ‘8am rush’ with much less time waiting on the phone; 2. Appointments based on need rather than first-come, first-served; 3. Appointments targeted to the right person or service to manage your problem. |
Are all appointments going to be remote (e.g. by telephone)? |
In many cases face to face appointments are far better, both for the patient and the clinician. We will still offer a mix of telephone and face-to-face appointments based on the clinical need and patient preference. |
I can’t use the internet. Are you trying to make it harder for me to get an appointment? |
If anything, we are trying to make it easier for people! This is because most people will request an appointment using the online form, so those who are requesting by phone will hopefully find it much easier to get through. The aim is to try to get rid of the 8am rush, so far as that is possible. When you call reception, they will take some information about your problem and fill in the online form for you. |
I can’t use the internet, and I also have difficulty using the telephone. Are you trying to make it harder for me to get an appointment? |
In this case we would ask you or a representative to come into reception to speak to the team. They will either ask you to fill in a paper form, or will fill it in for you. We have a quiet room that we can use for this to ensue your privacy. |
How can I request a home visit? |
This is done in the normal way, by phoning reception. We would ask for you to call before 10am as this makes it much easier to plan our capacity to visit. We would ask you to remember that home visits are only for people who are genuinely housebound or who are too unwell to visit the surgery. |