We are asking all our patients to use an online form to contact the surgery. This will apply to anything you would normally call the surgery about; to book a routine or urgent appointment, request a prescription, and let us know about changes to your treatment or medication, to follow up results and all other administrative and clinical queries.
Whilst our phone lines will still be open, if you do call the surgery we will politely request you complete an online form. If your personal circumstances mean that it is impossible for you to do this, or for someone you know to complete the form on your behalf, our patient support team will assist you with this.
The form is brief, and will ask you the following questions:
- What your query is about
- What action you would like
- Your preference for who or when you would like to deal with your problem.
- You will be invited to submit photos if relevant.
You will be able to submit a form between 8am- 3.30pm (Monday to Friday)
All forms will be screened by a GP on the same day.
You can watch a video about how to submit your form here: https://youtu.be/7zMLbE8CiKg
What happens after my form is submitted?
- Administrative tasks will be dealt with by our patient support team in the usual way.
- Clinical queries are screened by the doctor and categorised according to urgency of need (red, amber, green). We have appointments available within different time frames, including on the same day. Our patient support team will contact you to arrange an appointment.
- We may organise some investigations for you while you are waiting to be seen.
- It may be possible to deal with your problem directly without the need to see a clinician. Alternatively, you receive advice about self care or other services you can refer yourself to.
Why has Holmes Chapel Health Centre decided to change to this system?
Since the pandemic, primary care has faced an unprecedented level of patient need in the context of a national recruitment crisis for both clinical and non-clinical staff. Whilst we have worked very hard to maintain our staffing levels, it is more important than ever that the right problem is dealt with by the right person to ensure we can provide our patients with the safest and most efficient service.
We hope that by making better use of appointments we will be able to increase capacity and reduce waiting times.
We also hope that it will be easier for vulnerable patients who really need to get through on the phone.
Experience from other practices already using a total triage system has shown that overall patient satisfaction is generally greatly improved.
What if my problem is urgent?
You should still submit an online form. Please do so as early as possible on the day to ensure your problem can be dealt with by our duty team.
Can I request a prescription using the online form?
Yes, though for simple repeat prescriptions please use the usual prescription email hchcscripts@nhs.net
What if a patient does not speak English?
We understand that it can be difficult for non-English speaking patients to access care, and we have no wish to make this harder. If possible, please ask a friend or family member to complete the form, or consider using an online translation tool such as google translate. If these options are not possible our patient support team will assist you with an interpreter if necessary.
What if a patient is housebound, elderly, or not able to use online systems?
We will work hard to recognise vulnerable patients who cannot be expected to use the online form (though we would still encourage family members and carers to use the form on the patient’s behalf as it is a very useful way of communicating with the surgery). These patients will still be able to speak to our patient support team who will complete a form on their behalf.
