Doctor’s surgery is now using AI for appointments- not working

[Cnthnfne]

my GP surgery will now text a patient a form if they want an appoint. You need to fill in the form explaining why you need an appointment, it will be reviewed by a doctor and a receptionist will phone to arrange an appointment.
it is now not possible to book an appointment with a receptionist.
sent in a form early yesterday morning and I haven’t heard back. I will now need to phone them to chase up.
would take 3 mins under the old system. Plus, no allowances for people who don’t have mobile or don’t know how to use the internet: the elderly or the most vulnerable.

Yep (not AI though). I always just put 'the easiest option that doesn't direct you to a&e. Then you get an eight hour slot to get a call, one chance only and they often call the wrong number.
If you do call and get through, it's triaged in Wales.
And the surgery is actively taking on new patients.

Our surgery does this and apart from the faff of filling the form in, it's great. They get back to you within a few hours.

Our GP surgery is bringing this in from next week. You access the form either via the NHS app or the surgery website. You are told to expect a reply within three working days. If you don't have Internet access or cannot complete the form yourself for any reason, you can still phone the surgery and, apparently, the receptionist will complete the form on your behalf. Our current system involves phoning at 8am on the dot for any chance of an appointment that day and they won't make appointments in advance, it's for that day only. My problem is that I only like to see one particular GP at the surgery and I hope I can specify that I want to see her and only her on the form, even if it means waiting a few days for an appointment. I, currently, only phone for an appointment on the days I know she is working but if it's going to take up to three days to get an appointment then do I complete the form three days in advance of the day I know she's working, because if I complete it on the day (she works Mondays and Thursdays) and they are going to take 3 days to give me an appointment, it might not be on the day she works?

My nearly 88 year old dad has given up and just goes to A&E

Ours does this and its brilliant, for ill kids usually get a link with same day booking options within about 15 mins. Adults get a call to discuss and a face to face appointment that day if needed.
Niggly things get an appointment in a couple of weeks rather than fighting the 8am queue knowing its not urgent.

Can I ask posters on this thread - if and when you do get an appointment or call from a GP, does the GP always know what they're seeing/phoning you about?

I know that sounds mad, but the last two times for me (1st time it was actually a 1:1 in the surgery, and the 2nd time a phone call) the GPs both said they didn't know why I was down for a phone call and they couldn't see the reason on their system. The 1st GP even swung the monitor round to show it to me.

Both times a 'care navigator' from the GP had rung me to invite me in the for the appointments!

I suppose I'm wondering how screwed my GP's software system now is, and whether to write to them.

When they used Econsult they never seemed to know, but they've recently moved to PATCHS and they have my form on their screen.

My surgery does this. It won't let me use it though because I don't have a passport or a driving licence. We live in a deprived area where most children don't have a passport because their families can't afford it. A lot of elderly people struggle to use it. So the people who use the surgery most, the elderly and children can't use it and the phone lines are busier than ever. Meanwhile when you are waiting in the phone queue, you keep getting this automatic message telling you to use the online form.

Another thing I wondered about, apologies if it's a stupid question, but after you've submitted the form do you get a phone call from an actual person to tell you when your appointment is or is it texted to you or emailed or something? I just think what if you can't make that day or time that they are offering you? How do you tell them if it's textd or emailed to you? Do you have to go through the whole rigmarole of filling in the form again to get another appointment, as I believe you will no longer be allowed to phone to discuss appointments as is now the case for prescriptions.

My surgery call and give me the day/time. They don't work around me and what might work for me - I need an appointment either at the beginning of the day, or the end, as it takes me and hour and a half to commute from the office to the surgery, I can't 'pop' in in the middle of the day. If I say I can't do it (assuming I've been able to answer the call in the first place) there's lots of tutting and faffing to find another time. The only thing they text for is to tell me my blood test forms are ready to be picked up

@BatshitCrazyWoman thanks for answering my query. That sounds like an absolute nightmare for you.

Our surgery uses PATCHs until it reaches a certain number of people and then it switches off. I needed to speak to someone recently and PATCHs was full and there was a message that the phones weren’t working and to use PATCHS! You couldn’t make it up.

If it's an option as well as telephone or going in person to make an appointment that's ok. If it's the only way to make an appointment that's very bad. My ex was abusive and I was told by women's aid to get injuries seen by my GP. I didn't need hospital but needed help and the GP was somewhere to get that help and also have the injuries logged.

I didn't feel able to tell the receptionist why I was making an appointment so I make something up about personal issues and said I needed an appointment that week, then told the GP the truth when I had the appointment.

I wouldn't have wanted to tell the truth on an online form. I wanted to see the GP to tell them in person but also I wouldn't have been able to wait for a call without knowing in advance when it was due. My ex could've been around when they called.

There will be lots of other people in similar situations.

There will be other reasons why people can't always do an online econsult. It's not ok to have appointments made only by internet. Not every patient can do that.

At ours you get a text telling you that the surgery has now looked at your form and that you need to log on to the app to find out the response.

When you log on, there's a message saying that a doctor will give you a phone consult on a particular day. No appointment time is given, so it could be anytime between 9am and 6pm. It's very difficult if you aren't able to have your phone with you at all times.

@weefella OMG that sounds awful!

No appointment time is given, so it could be anytime between 9am and 6pm. It's very difficult if you aren't able to have your phone with you at all times.

That's really bad. How will domestic abuse victims get help? There's often only certain times when it's safe to talk. Lots of other people also can't take calls at any time. There's all sorts of reasons.

What the fuck happened to confidentiality. I need to book an appointment but cant take a phone call at home as im on a med that DH does not know i am on. Im NOT being abused Not at all but there is stuff id rather he didnt know Surely that is my right

AI or not, we have been on their queue to get an appointment for almost a month now. Figure that one up! A waiting list to have your name put into a waiting list.

It is not just the elderly which these systems cause problems for, rural areas have awful broadband connections and more importantly no mobile signals. To receive text messages on my mobile I have to drive about 6 miles from home. Explaining that to businesses, including GP's (and banks) who constantly tell you we only advise via text message is infuriating and although I feel old some times I really am not, but am affected just as much.

Good point @schloss

Our surgery is like this but when I rang last month and the receptionist said it was all done online she said if I gave verbal consent she could fill the forms out on my behalf.

My mums surgery is also like this.

It makes sense to have a self serve option for those who are able to do so, in order to cut the call queues down for those who are unable to self serve.

That’s not AI.

The system is also only open for a very short period at 8am. If you don't get on it fast, that's it until the following day. The surgery is also now removing the option to phone them, which means that it's either the app or nothing

I suggest someone advises them that they are breaching the Equality Act in that case. The Care Quality Commission has actually produced guidance on this and makes it clear that GPs are subject to its provisions.

I love it why would you wait in the queue on a telephone for an hour, just fill in the form online and they get back to you

My surgery uses PATCHs and it works brilliantly in my experience, I've always got a response within 1-4 hrs, and often an appointment within 24hrs, mostly same day if urgent. PATCHs requests are overseen by a doctor, unless just admin requests.
It exists alongside the normal telephone triage option as well. First thing (presumably when people phone with the urgent stuff) this is run by a nurse who will decide the best option with each caller, later the phone is answered by reception, while they also respond to in-person requests.
I think any problems with this kind of system relates to the size of the demand placed upon it, and in a GP's case how under pressure the surgery is from the catchment area it serves.
I think my surgery gets it right by having 3 options; online, phone and in-person. However, any surgery would struggle if the demand on the surgery from the amount of people it serves is too great, regardless of what system/s it uses.