New Appointment Booking System

With the ever-growing demand within the NHS, we are continuously looking at ways we can improve the booking process and increase capacity. In particular, we want to reduce the waiting time for routine GP appointments and have listened to patient feedback about increasing your ability to book online. To achieve this, and ensure patients are receiving the best possible care, we have opted to use the Rapid Health triage tool which will allow us to maximise availability, and ensure patients are seeing the right clinician in the appropriate time frame.

The Rapid Health system will be available from midnight – 5.30 pm each working day (Monday to Friday except on bank holidays).

Preparing and Implementing the New System

In preparation for the switch over to this new system we are having to limit the pre-booking of appointments. We are aware that this is frustrating, and we are working to try and increase the number of appointments available to clear the backlog.

For those patients that are requiring follow ups, you will be asked by your clinician to contact us around the day you require your follow up to book in or, if an appointment is required after 1st October, to contact us once our new system has gone live.

We understand however, that not everyone can manage to do this online. If this is the case, please ring Reception and one of our team will take you through the questionnaire and submit it on your behalf. You will then be offered an appointment in exactly the same way as anyone filling it out online.

Please be aware if you choose the option for a receptionist to fill the template in for you it will take longer than you doing it online yourself and your queue time on the phone may be longer. We wouldn’t recommend completing the form with a receptionist in person at the surgery as some of the questions can be sensitive and we don’t have the facility to offer a private space to complete this.

Reception can also send you a text message with the web link.

All patients will be asked to answer questions using the online form or via the Reception Team when booking their appointment. Your answers help the system find the right appointment for you. This also means the clinician will have the relevant information prior to your appointment, enabling them to have more time to provide quality care to you.

Simply complete the Rapid Health questionnaire online and only the Clinicians will see it. If you require support to complete the form please call Reception and they walk you through the questions.

Every employee at Langley House Surgery adheres to our confidentially policy.

When booking an appointment, the GPs with available appointments will be shown.

Due to confidentiality, you will be asked to complete the Rapid Health form online or use a tablet in the waiting room. Reception will assist any patients who are unsure what to do.

The Clinicians will send you a link which will allow you to book a follow up appointment if required.

Parents will be able to submit their request on the child behalf, please use your own email address. The on duty clinician will manually triage the request and send you a link to book an appropriate appointment.

We will not be using the Rapid Health System for the following appointments which can still be booked by contacting Reception.

• Practice Nurse appointments (e.g cervical screening, vaccinations and injections)
• Annual reviews with a Nurse (e.g. Diabetes, Respiratory)
• Medication reviews with a Clinical Pharmacist
• 6-week new baby checks
• NHS Health Checks
• Home visits
• Extended access appointments offered on a Saturday

Once you have completed the triage questionnaire, the system will either offer you an appointment within a suitable timeframe or refer your request back to our team for review. This could be for a number of reasons e.g. no suitable appointments are showing as available within the system, you need to attend another service etc. Where a clinical assessment is required, this will be done by our duty doctor and a member of our team will be in contact with you within 48 hours.

If you need any additional support for your appointment, such as an interpreter, please do not use Rapid Health. Contact us directly and we will make the necessary arrangements.

Please make sure that we have your up to date email address as this is required to use the new system. You can do this by: • Updating your contact details in the NHS App • Replying to a text message we may send you • Asking any member of our Patient Services Team to check and update your record.