On November 12th 2024 Hilary Cottage Surgery introduced additional methods of accessing services. The service is designed to allow equal access for all of our patients by offering multiple ways of reaching us. The following questions are being asked about the new service:
How can I reach you now? We now have many ways of reaching the surgery. You can still call us on 01285 712377. You can now also ask for a clinical appointment or administrative help through the NHS app, or though our website. All requests are reviewed by a GP to ensure that patients are directed to the best person to provide specific care. This may be a paramedic or advanced practitioner – or even advising you to visit your local pharmacy. This helps everyone by ensuring the right person sees a patient for their specific needs, and that GP appointments are allocated appropriately and fairly.
Why have you changed? What is different? All requests now come to the surgery on a form – either on line, or by asking a reception team member to fill in a form on your behalf if you can’t access the internet. All forms are reviewed by a GP to ensure that patients are directed to the best person to provide specific care. This may be a paramedic or advanced practitioner – or even advising you to visit your local pharmacy. This helps everyone by ensuring the right person sees a patient for their specific needs, and that GP appointments are allocated appropriately and fairly.
Can I still ring you? YES! A receptionist can fill out a form on your behalf if you cannot access the forms on-line or in the NHS app.
Can I ask for a specific person? Yes. You can ask to see a specific clinician. The GP that reviews your form will take this into account when they decide the best course of action for you. Of course, it may be beneficial for you to see different clinician if their skills are more appropriate, or if they are not available in the timescale you need.
I don’t have internet access. What can I do? Please call us on 01285 712377
Why is this “fairer” and “equal”? So many times in the past our patients have not been able to access services because they cannot call at 8:30 – or can’t stay on hold while we processed the many calls to the surgery. By introducing additional methods of contact, and by allowing a GP to determine how a contact is managed, we are ensuring everyone has an equal chance of reaching the right member of the team, and that an appropriate clinician is assigned to the task.
Why can’t I just book myself in on-line anymore? Do I have to go through Triage? All contact requests are managed through the triage service – which means that we can allocate the right services to the right people. This means that we ensure we have appropriate appointments available for the people that need them.
How does the process work? Each day, depending on the number of clinicians available, we “allocate” a number of forms for the day. All forms are processed on the same day, and patients contacted to arrange an appropriate course of action. When all of the appointments available for that day are used up, the forms will become temporarily unavailable. We don’t know what will come into the service – sometimes there may be more admin requests than appointment requests – in which case we can allocate more forms on the day. Alternatively, if we have utilised all available appointments on a certain day, we may direct patients to 111 or Minor Injuries clinics – or 999 in an emergency.
Can I book an appointment at the front desk? In the same way as all other contact now happens at the surgery, you will be asked to fill in a form to access the services subject to the triage team’s availability on the day.
If you have any other questions about the way the service works, please let us know. The reception team will be happy to guide you through the process of completing a form. Ring the reception team on 01285 712377 for guidance.
