Our Appointments System Is Changing
The appointment system at Ellergreen Medical Centre will be changing as of Monday 4th November 2024. This is being done to more closely align the practice with NHS England's vision for “Modern General Practice” and will form the basis of future improvements in the practice.
More details of the new way you will access appointments can be found here.
NHS England want a system whereby patients have access to their GP surgery without the “8am rush” for appointments, however this does require some management of these requests to ensure care is delivered safely. This is done by a process called “triage”. Triage means that we gather information about your request either through online or discussion with our reception team, and then that information is passed on to decision makers within the wider practice team. This information is used to then direct patients to the best available service to look after their care needs. This could vary from being invited in for a face to face appointment with a GP, receiving a text about some health information or being directed to an urgent treatment centre. Regardless of the outcome, the aim is the same: to get as many patients seen by the correct people as quickly and as safely as possible.
Frequently asked questions:
How can I get an appointment if I can’t get through on the phone?
Several years ago, the practice invested in a new cloud based telephone system. This means when you call the practice, we now have the capacity to hold an infinite number of calls in a queue. Whilst at peak times the queue may be long, every call will eventually be answered and your will never hear an engaged tone.
If you are unable to wait on the phone, you can request a call back, and the surgery will call you back at the time you would have been at the front of the queue.
Why can’t I just come in and book at the font desk?
It is important that the practice functions as efficiently as possible. Our front desk team are there to assist patients booked into appointments, process samples, collections etc and look after the safety of the patients in the waiting room. Whilst they can deal with some queries, and later in the day book into some of our nurse and HCA slots, they are not able to process the extensive information required for triage in a timely and confidential manner. Therefore to ensure that all requests for appointments are dealt with fairly, we try to keep all our requests through one point of access, the phone line.
I have communication difficulties and I can’t use a telephone, what can I do?
We have a variety of options if you struggle to use the telephone. If you are not able to ask a friend or relative to speak on your behalf, we have the options of using DA Languages translators, VRS for sign language etc amongst many other options.
If you are concerned about your individual needs, you can contact the practice to discuss this further.
Why can’t we just go back to the old way where you walked in and got an appointment?
Whilst many people remember the NHS pre-covid as being much more open and available, the health service was already showing the signs of strain and was struggling to cope with demand. Following the pandemic, despite increasing appointments across all specialities (GP practices alone are delivering 20% more appointments compared to 2016) demand is still outstripping supply.
The health service has responded to this by ensuring that we use all available resources to treat problems, rather than a one size fits all of a GP appointment.
This means that GP appointments are kept for problems that need a GP, whereas if you have a problem with a sore ankle you can see a physiotherapist directly. If you are struggling with your mental health and want to see a therapist, you can be directed to them without needing to see a GP. If you have a form that needs a signature or some information from your health records, you don’t need a face-to-face GP appointment for that, there are other ways we can manage this more efficiently.
The GPs are still here if you need them, but their time is being used more efficiently.
Why are GPs saying they are so busy? Every time I come into the surgery the waiting room is empty.
The answer to this is the same as above. Triage and efficiency. When the surgery knows in advance as to why you are coming in and are prepared for what services you may require, we can book the correct appointment time, so you don’t have to sit and wait too long. Alternatively, the GP may be talking to patients on the phone who did not need to come into the surgery. The end result is that the surgery appears empty as the patients are having appointments with the GP without having to sit and wait.
I’m still not happy, I think things need to change.
We fully respect this view, but we are following guidance from NHSE who are driving these changes. Changes are happening and we have to work with NHSE or cease to exist as a practice. We do still value your input and if you want to be involved in shaping the future of Ellergreen Medical Centre then please speak to our reception team about joining our Patient Participation Group.