Newsletter Spring 2025 (Issue 10)

From Monday 28th April 2025 we are making some changes to our appointments system. This is mainly around same day and acute appointments.

Routine appointments will still be available to book in the same way, via the telephone, at front desk, through the NHS App and Patient Access.

In line with national initiatives we are making a move back towards traditional General Practice and for us this means increasing the number of routine appointments available. We hope to improve continuity of care, eg if a GP wishes to follow up or see you again they are able to arrange this themselves and have slots available to do it.

In order to do this  we need to make adjustments to appointments for acute issues. We will continue to have a duty doctor on a daily basis , but we will no longer have the triage system. From 28th April 2025, if you phone with  an acute problem our Patient Services Team will need to ask you some questions about the reason for your appointment. If your ailment can be dealt with under the Pharmacy First Scheme you will be redirected to this service. This service is managed by pharmacies and you can be redirected to one of your choice. If for example you are still at work, you can be referred to a chemist near to your place of work. You can also self refer to this service and we would encourage patients to check  if they can be managed under this scheme first before contacting the surgery for an appointment.

If your ailment is outside the scope of the Pharmacy First Service you will be offered an appointment with a clinician. This may be a GP, but may also be an Advanced Clinical Practitioner or an Urgent Care Practitioner. All of these clinicians are appropriately qualified to deal with acute ailments.   

There will be a limit to the number of appointments available for same day issues and once these have been utilised patients will be signposted to alternative services. We want patients to receive appropriate care in the appropriate place and this is why we will be encouraging and educating patients regarding better and greater use of the Pharmacy First Services.

In order to try and reduce incoming telephone calls, and therefore the answer waiting time we offer a number of options for booking appointments or contacting the Practice.

NHS App and Patient Access

A number of our routine GP appointments are available to book online.  All our blood test appointment,  appointments with our Muskoskeletal Practitioner and some appointments with our Mental Health Nurse for new mental health issues are available to book online. See NHS App and Patient Access for further information.

Direct Booking Texts

We now use direct booking links to offer specific appointments to patients. These may be used for long term condition reviews, medication reviews, follow-up appointments, blood tests, and vaccination programmes such as Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), Influenza (Flu), and Coronavirus Disease (Covid-19).

eConsult

This system is accessed via our website.  You can use this system as an alternative to a routine GP appointment.  We also ask that you use this system for queries about medications, to request follow up fit notes, general queries that you may have and queries about referrals. Please see Consult with your Doctor online for further details.

Social Prescriber

We now have a Social Prescriber based at the Practice. Tracey can help with non medical issues and is available to see patients to help look at options for weight management, social isolation, navigating the health or social care system.  Ask reception or submit details via eConsult and these will be passed on for Tracey to contact you.