GP triage systems - good or bad?

[Balladenny]

Our GP surgery has announced that it will be switching to a triage system in a couple of months.

Under this system, if we have a new concern, when we ring up the surgery we will be placed on a triage list and will get a phone call the same day from a GP. The GP will decide if we need an appointment or if it’s something that can be dealt with, at least initially, over the phone.

Does anyone’s surgery currently use this system? If so, how do you find it? Can you get an appointment when you need one? I’m wondering whether we should change surgeries.

Works brilliantly at ours. They either sort it on the phone, or book you in to see the right person or clinic. You don't end up with making an appointment to see one GP only to make another appointment for something to be done, or see GP, get bloods done, see them again

I find it a pain. I spent a week in hospital a few years back and had to see the GP when I came out - had to go through the triage system despite telling the patient advisor that it was because of the hospital admission. I got my DH to handle it tbh because I just couldn't cope at the time - the GP rang my DH who explained the details (which the GP also had in the letter from the hospital) who then said to come in for an appointment that afternoon - where we went through the same things yet again. Totally pointless.

I think ours is quite good. I’ve always been given an appointment after speaking to a gp. Probably because I only call if I do actually need an appointment. I imagine (hope) its good for weeding out the time wasters otherwise the gps would stop using it.

It can be an excellent way of ensuring timely and appropriate access as the GP can speak to the pt on the phone and book them in there and then to see the appropriate health care professional be it nurse, doctor, pharmacist, physio etc.

I think it’s a great idea. DD and I both had to book a GP appointment last week and we were both referred to their blood testing nurse for today. As these are ongoing health issues for both of us I know the process and that bloods were required but we can’t get bloods booked without seeing the GP at the moment. Could have saved two appointments if they had this system. Also one DD needs to see a physio, we have private cover for this, but still needs a referral letter from a GP, I’m going to call and see if they will do a letter just based on a call but in the past I have had to book an appointment for it which seems so silly.

Love it! Always get a callback within a couple of hours and seen that day if urgent, or else if meds needed they sort a script that day

Works brilliantly

It works well at our surgery because each GP in the practice does a shift on call back every week. This means that the calls are scheduled and not just squashed in between appointments. I’ve been called in for appointments with GP or nurse as appropriate, dealt with on the phone if possible, and signposted to other services if available.

It only really works in bigger practices I think though, where there are enough GPs and nurses to properly facilitate it.

I love it.

Most of the time I just speak to a GP, and they issue the meds direct to the pharmacy. Cuts out the visiting (which I hate doing because I'm a germaphobe)

My doctors have a triage service. It seems to work well. I either get an appointment or a doctor rings me. When the doctor has rung they’ve either given me an appointment for that day or the next morning. There’s over 13,000 patients at my doctors surgery. I think it’s very well run.

Its perfect. A lot of the time I don't know whether I need GP or not, or how urgently. It makes sense for the expert to decide that.

Our surgery has just started this and there are pros and cons.

The pro was speaking to my GP, and determining there and then that I needed firstly a blood test and then a follow up appointment, and making those appointments right then. Rather than having an appointment, discussing things, and making more appointments.

The downside was the first call to the surgery when I was on hold for 10 minutes before getting to speak to a receptionist. Then the times they offered me for a call back I couldn't do (I would have been at work and I'm not discussing medical matters in an open plan office). So that all took a while. The call back from the best GP was about 40 minutes after they'd said, which meant I missed something I'd got planned.

So all a bit swings and roundabouts. Not entirely convinced but we will see.