How we respond to you is changing
Following the new contract imposed on General Practice, which will take effect from May/June 2023, Primary Care providers (GPs) are now required to take steps to provide patients with an appropriate response each time they contact the practice.
This does not mean that all contacts will result in an appointment. Based on the information provided to our reception team you will be offered a response to meet your need at the point of contact.
The outcome of your contact may be:
- Advice / signposting regarding self-care
- Advice to speak to a Community Pharmacy
- Advice to self-refer to available services
- Asked to complete an online consultation form (or have one completed for you by the receptionist)
- Offered an appointment with an appropriate clinician either on the day or pre-booked (where available), based on our signposting protocol
- Advice to contact 111 / visit a Walk-In Centre
- Advice to attend A&E
It is important to note that these new contract requirements are not supported by any additional resources to help us provide more appointment capacity and there remains a maximum safe daily capacity for all clinicians.
We ask that you provide information on the reason for your call to the reception team when you call so that you can be directed accordingly.
To ensure that all patients are dealt with fairly we will follow the same processes regardless of how, or when, you contact us, i.e:
- Visiting the practice between 8.00am and 6.30pm
- Telephoning the practice between 8.00am and 6.30pm
- Using the online consultation system available on our website / NHS App between 8.00am and 6.30pm
- Sending an email to the practice between 8.00am and 6.30pm
Any online consultations or emails received after 6.30pm (Mon-Fri) or during weekends / Bank Holidays will be reviewed the next working day between 8.00am and 6.30pm