At Fernville Surgery, we use a total triage system for all medical appointment requests.
This means when you need help, you’ll be asked to fill in a short online form. Our duty doctor will review the information you give and make sure your request goes to the best person to help you.
You may receive advice by phone or text, be sent a booking link to see a doctor, nurse, or another healthcare professional, or be directed to a different service if that’s faster for your needs.
This system helps us offer appointments based on medical need, making it fairer and ensuring everyone gets the right care at the right time.
If you need a nursing appointment, please call us on 01442 213 919 or visit reception in person — you don’t need to complete the online form for these.
What is Total Triage?
Total triage means that every patient requiring a GP appointment is triaged (or screened) by a clinician first. You will be asked to complete an online form through our website and this will enable us to direct your query to the most appropriate person who can help you as quickly as possible. If you do not have internet access our staff will complete this form for you over the phone.
Patients needing nursing appointments can still book by calling us or visiting reception in person. There is no need to complete the online triage form for these appointments.
Why are we doing this?
Recommended by NHS England to improve access to patients, this change will bring us in line with other practices in the area.
Traditional methods of contacting your GP often meant that appointments were being allocated on a first come, first served basis, with long phone queues to get in touch with us. This meant that vulnerable patients, or those who needed care sooner were missing out.
By using an online form for all requests, we can quickly and fairly prioritise and action them, ensuring that you get the right care at the right place and at the right time. Not all clinical matters require a GP; if appropriate some queries can be directed to other healthcare professionals, allowing GPs to focus on patients who truly need their expertise most.
This system also provides us with valuable data to better understand patient demand, enabling us to plan our services and and staffing more effectively.
How will I contact my GP?
The quickest way to contact us with medical or administrative queries is by submitting an online request through our website or through the NHS App.
For step-by-step instructions on how to submit a request this way, click the button below:
How do I complete the online form?
When can I submit a request?
- Requests received BEFORE 5pm will be reviewed on the same working day. We will respond anytime by text or phone call, please keep your phone nearby.
- Requests received AFTER 5pm will be reviewed within the next working day.
- For routine care requests, such as sick notes or repeat prescription queries, we aim to respond within 3 working days.
What if I don’t have a smartphone or can’t use the internet?
- You can telephone us. The receptionist will ask you questions about your request to fill out the online form on your behalf
- You can visit us in person
- You may ask a trusted friend, relative or advocate to complete the online form on your behalf
The surgery team will then assess your request and will be back in touch with next steps.
All requests will be assessed as soon as possible and in the same way, regardless of how you contacted the surgery.
What happens once I’ve submitted my request?
We will use the information you provide to ensure that you’re given the most appropriate care. We may send you a text message containing a link to provide more information if needed.
If an appointment is required, we may send you an appointment booking link via text message, or arrange this over the phone.
If there is a faster or more appropriate route to care, you may be offered this, such as being asked to go to your local pharmacy, or being referred to another service.
Why are receptionists acting as ‘Gatekeepers’?
Through our Total Triage system, all GP appointment requests are directed to the duty doctor, who ensures you receive care from the right person at the right time. Our receptionists do not make any clinical decisions; they operate under the doctor’s guidance, despite any misconceptions you may hear on social media!
We kindly ask for your patience and understanding when interacting with our team.
What is Accurx?
Accurx is an NHS-approved software supplier. We already use Accurx to manage urgent appointments, patient requests, request additional information from you and send you messages about your care.