Brunel Medical Practice in Torquay is introducing a new system to help reduce phone waiting times and make it more convenient for patients to book appointments.
Patients can either complete an online form or call the practice and fill out the form with a member of staff.
The practice will also provide tablet devices in the waiting room for patients who normally come into the practice to book an appointment or who do not have internet access.
This digital triage system (PATCHS), which went live on September 2nd, will also capture information to help the practice make decisions based on clinical need.
Speaking on behalf of Brunel medical Practice GP, Dr Andy Vian, said: “Many patients believe that the key to getting an appointment is to call first thing in the morning as this gets you to the top of the queue.
“But in reality, all this achieves is an influx of calls at the same time causing long waits on the phone for patients. And it doesn’t mean you’ll get an appointment or be seen any quicker.
“The system we are implementing addresses this issue by releasing appointment times at different points in the day,meaning there is no advantage to calling first thing in the morning.
“It also means calls to the practice can be made at times that suit patients – for example, during their lunch hour or after school if a child has come home unwell.”
The practice hopes as many patients as possible will use the online booking system to contact the practice which captures information key to informing the next steps about patient care which could be offering an appointment or self-care advice.
Patients will also be encouraged to set up an account, which will allow them to see a history of their interactions with the practice. However, if they do not wish to do this, they will be able to use the system by simply providing their name and date of birth.
Patients who do not feel comfortable using the online system,or don’t have access to the internet, can still call the practice and get support to fill out the form from a member of staff.
Calls relating to home visits, care homes or appointments with the nurse team will not change.
Practice Manager Rachael Lankshear said: “Improving patient access to our services and providing the best possible patient care is a key priority for us.
“This system gives us a huge amount of flexibility to adapt how we offer appointments based on patients’ lifestyles and needs. We also want to break away from the common misconception that the way for patients to get what they need is to be first in the phone queue on a Monday morning.
“Feedback from patients will be paramount in how we develop and adapt the system to provide the best possible service. Therefore, we encourage patients to let us know what they think of the new system.”
More than 600 patients attended drop– in sessions held by the practice last week to help patients to use the new system.
Rachael Lankshear added: “It was great to see so many patients actively embracing this change and attending the drop-in sessions last week. We hope many more of our patients realise the benefits of this new system and get on board with it in the coming weeks and months.”
Any queries relating to the new appointment booking system should be directed to
d-icb.brunelpatientfeedback@nhs.net
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