If you are a GP or work at a GP…

[Merryoldgoat]

What is preventing you from offering the service you want to?

I’m curious because my GP is excellent but I don’t understand why the way they are isn’t standard. And whilst there are obvious geographical issues I know people in my road who use a different surgery and have a terrible time getting an appointment.

Monday I filled in a triage form online as I have a lump in my breast.

I had a call within an hour to make an appointment (was offered female doctor but wasn’t necessary for me), had an appointment yesterday morning. Called this morning to say my referral had been processed and if I’ve not heard in a week to call them.

This seems unusual given what’s in the news.

Is this unusual? Are my doctors especially good? I was able to access face to face appointments throughout Covid if necessary, have never waited more than a day for an appointment if it’s non-routine.

If your surgery can’t do this what’s stopping you?

I’m just curious as it seems to be so different even with less than a mile between surgeries.

My surgery definitely direct you to econsult but don’t ever bark at you or tell you they can’t help.

Small personal update. I’m being seen on 20th Jan, so less than two weeks from seeing doctor and it was a non-urgent referral not on the 2WW.

I think that it’s clear management makes the biggest difference.

My surgery is great, experts in loads of things, triage on reception usually a same day appointment never anyone in the waiting room so you don't catch a cold whilst you get your bloods done. Same day test results uploaded to NHS app, same day call if anything abnormal, text messages monthly to keep in touch (I'm on WLI). Facebook page and monthly newsletter updated frequently. Can't complain. Local hospital though has very poor communication.

I'd agree it is partially the surgery, but also it is the software and how it is set up.

Because I wonder what proportion of patients get told by the software after 10 minutes of answering questions to phone the surgery and don't. I suspect a significant number, if not a majority.

I'd say the software should then ask how far away from the surgery you are, then either alert the surgery to phone you, or give you an appropriate day appointment.

I think if someone has gone to use econsult for an appointment, which the system agrees they need, they should have one without having to use a different method -there may have been a very good reason they hadn't phoned in the first place.

My surgery had been transformed by its new system (about 18 months now).
You fill in a triage form after 8am, a GP reads and prioritises all the forms, and you get a text within a couple of hours, giving you a same day time range for an incoming telephone appointment, or a time for a face to face one on the same day, or the next morning.

None of my ailments have been particularly serious, yet I've still had a consult on the same day.

It also means that people have stopped whining on our local Facebook page about 'receptionists deciding' whether we're ill enough for an appointment!

What are the options for people who don't have ready access to online services or struggle with forms/English or are simply not that articulate? Can they still simply call for an appointment?

I don't agree with receptionists being expected to triage - they are not paid enough quite apart from not being qualified.

What I have seen work well is the system our practice implemented many years ago which is to have receptionists taking the calls but anyone wanting a new appointment (as opposed to a clinic appointment, forms or "knowns") went onto the triage list. The triage list was run by one of the practice doctors, occasionally a practice nurse. This was because the partners did not expect receptionists to be triage admins and in practice turned out to be a better use of everyone's time as triage accuracy was extremely good.

They have more recently made a form available through one of the providers but its for patients to use if they prefer rather than first port of call.

mine sound on a par to yours.
Generally phone appointments are more convenient for me and them, but if during a phone appointment they realise they need to see me they'll generally say to call in, how soon can I get there.
One call just over a year ago - I was unwell and grumpy, and they couldn't clearly see a rash on a photo taken with difficulty on the back of my neck. I just said "I'll be there in fifteen minutes" & put the phone down while she was faffing about taking another photo.- but generally they're fine.

I think it depends if you fall into a clear cut category then the pathways and help are great but if you have a chronic condition that not much can be done for or if you just have something niggily which might be something or might not be then it get much harder as they just don't know what to do with you a lot of the time.

Those who do not have access to the online system can still call for an appointment, and actually get their call answered promptly because the volume of calls is vastly less.

So hopefully the best of both worlds. I know the partners at my practice are hoping to expand convenience (which works for both sides) but without people thinking they must use the form so at the moment its still in pilot.