Changes to how we are improving access (booking appointments) from Monday 30 September

Posted by: Michael Land - Posted on:

Introduction

The Government has introduced the Modern General Practice Access model for all GP surgeries to improve access to services. This is a contractual change and isn’t something we have control over.

The idea of this model is to stop the 8am rush and the first-come, first-served booking of appointments.

The model requires us to ask about details about why you want an appointment. This can be done through an online form or by speaking to a member of staff.

We use the information to decide the most suitable person or service to help and how urgently.

There are many services that we can directly refer you to that do not require an appointment with a GP. For example, we can refer you to a physiotherapist if you have joint or muscle pains.

This means we are making more GP appointments available for patients who need them, for example people with complex problems who need to see the same GP.

We are also able to consult in a variety of different ways: through the NHS App, video, telephone, or face to face.

What happens when you contact us for an appointment?

The easiest and quickest way to request help is through our online messaging service. You can access this through your NHS App or on our website Monday to Friday.

Whether you contact us online, over the phone, or at the front desk, our trained staff will use a special tool to ask you for more information about your problem.

This tool has been created and checked with the help of Dr Walsh, our senior GP partner, to make sure we are asking the right questions and offering the right options.

If you are asking for an appointment at reception, you will be asked the same questions as those over the phone or online. These questions may be sensitive, so we advise patients to use the phone or online wherever possible.

If necessary, one of our experienced GPs will review the request and decide which member of our team, or service, is best suited for the problem and when. The GP may contact you for more information or to deal with the problem directly.

As well as offering GP appointments, some patients will also be directed to one of the other healthcare professionals in our team:

  • Clinical Pharmacist for problems with medications and reviews.
  • Advanced Nurse Practitioners (ANPs) for many problems traditionally dealt with by GPs, such as gynaecological problems, frailty, falls, etc
  • Physician Associates (PAs), under the supervision of a GP, for many conditions such as infections, muscle and joint problems, and women’s health
  • Practice Nurses (PNs) for long-term conditions such as Diabetes and Asthma
  • Mental Health Practitioners (MHPs) for many common mental health problems such as anxiety, depression, sleep problems, etc

Depending on the problem, you might be signposted to another service who is the most appropriate for your problem. For example, this might be to a heart failure nurse, health visitor or other providers outside of King’s Medical Practice. There are other providers who we can directly refer you to, for example:

  • Community pharmacy can offer treatment and some prescription medications for common conditions
  • Physiotherapy for common muscular and joint problems which you can also refer yourself for

What are the benefits to you?

The Modern General Practice Access model set by the Department of Health and NHS England focuses on online only access to Practices.

At King’s Medical Practice, we recognise and want all of our patients who need to access us are able to do so without being restricted to online access. Therefore, we have specially developed a tool to be used by our staff with you whether this is over the phone, at reception or online.

We understand change can be difficult, but we are confident the new way of working will bring many benefits to you, for example:

Improved access to care

We have developed detailed clinical pathways and trained our staff in using these to get accurate details of your needs. We have invested in both male and female care navigators to provide our patients with choice when giving information about their problem. GP triage has been shown to reduce waiting times by ensuring patients are seen by the right person the first time.

Convenience

You can use the NHS App to send us requests and questions online. This saves you time traveling to the surgery and or waiting in a phone queue.

If you haven’t already, download the NHS App or click on the Contact us online button on our website.

Better patient experience

We are committed to providing you with the best possible care. Continuity of care for people with complex or ongoing problems is essential to better health. Without triage, this is very difficult to do. Using triage, we will be in a better position to offer continuity of care.

Leading the way

As healthcare technology improves, we are committed to staying ahead of the changes. Our plan will help us with the changes happening in the NHS and make sure you benefit from the latest advances in care.

What if I have trouble using the new system?

We will help patients get used to the new way of contacting us and to become more comfortable with this over time.
We will always help patients who are unable to use online resources.
As part of this change, you need to give our staff as much information as possible. If you find this too difficult, or you feel your problem is too personal, please use the NHS App or the online form on our website.
You will not be able to book GP appointments directly online as it does not allow us to triage patients.
If you have any further questions, concerns, or suggestions, please let us know.
If you would like to be more involved in discussing changes at King’s Medical Practice, you can join our Patient Participation Group (PPG). More information about this can be found on our website and in our waiting room.

Useful details

Get the NHS App to check, change, or cancel appointments, get test results, order prescriptions, view your records, or message us.

Use our online form (called PATCHS) on our website to contact us. www.kingsmedicalpractice.co.uk

Phone us 24/7 to use our automated system to check, change, or cancel an appointment or order a repeat prescription.

Phone us between 8am to 6pm to speak to a member of our staff.

Phone us Monday to Friday, 6pm to 9.30pm, or Saturday 9am to 5pm, or Sunday 9am to 1pm to speak to our extended hours service, staffed by GPs and ANPs.

Use the NHS 111 online service to find out what service you need and how soon 111.nhs.uk

Kings Medical Practice Contact Number: 01924 223909