Patient Newsletter: Issue 10

Welcome to our summer newsletter. 

This newsletter will focus on introducing you to an exciting change to our GP appointment booking system launching in October, Rapid Health.

We will talk about our upcoming winter flu campaign, vaccinations, carers support and practice statistics for July.

What is Rapid Health?

Rapid health is a triage tool approved as a medical device by the NHS. It allows the patient to either make an administrative request, book an appointment, or receive self-help information.  The new 10 year plan for the NHS contains a very clear message of “Digital First”.

From 1st October, when you click on the Rapid Health button on our website, it will offer the following options:

• Medical Request
• Admin Request
• Self-help information

Clicking on the Medical Request button will take you to a detailed questionnaire to complete. This is then triaged, following which a suitable appointment will be offered for you to book directly.

When can I use Rapid Health?

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

What if I do not have access to the internet?

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.

Why do I need to complete an online questionnaire?

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.

My problem is personal and I only want to tell a GP.

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.

What do I do if I want to see a specific GP?

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

I have come to the Front Desk in person to book a GP appointment – why will Reception not just give me an appointment like they used too?

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.

Who will book follow up appointments?

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

What about under 16 year olds?

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. 

How are other types of appointments booked?

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

Will I always be offered an appointment? 

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.

I require an interpreter/assistance for my appointment, what should I do? 

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.

Do I need to do anything now? 

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.

Your feedback

If you have any further questions, please get in touch with the Practice Manager.

This system will be new to us as well, but we will do our best to answer your queries and to make the new system work for everyone.

Flu Eligibility

• everyone aged 65 years and over
• everyone under 65 years of age who has a long term medical condition (see below), including children and babies over 6 months of age
• all pregnant women, at any stage of pregnancy
• all children aged 2 and 3 years (provided they were aged 2 or 3 years on 31 August before flu vaccinations starts in the autumn)
• all children in primary school
• some secondary school-aged children (Years 7 to 11)
• everyone living in a residential or nursing home
• everyone who receives a carer’s allowance, or are the main carer for an older or disabled person
• all those living with someone who has lowered immunity due to disease or treatment
• all frontline health and social care workers

Long term medical conditions 

Flu can affect anyone but if you have a long-term health condition, the effects of flu can make it worse even if the condition is well managed and you normally feel well.

You should have the free flu vaccine if you are pregnant, seriously overweight (BMI of 40 and above) or have a long-term condition, such as:

• a heart problem
• a chest complaint or serious breathing difficulties, including bronchitis, emphysema or some people with asthma (needing a steroid inhaler or tablets)
• a kidney disease
• lowered immunity due to disease or treatment (such as steroid medication or cancer treatment)
• liver disease
• had a stroke or a transient ischaemic attack (TIA)
• diabetes
• some neurological condition, such as multiple sclerosis (MS) or cerebral palsy
• a learning disability
• a problem with your spleen, such as sickle cell disease, or you have had your spleen removed.

Booking an appointment

The practice has begun contacting patients who are eligible for the flu vaccination either via text message or a letter. If you are eligible you should receive information from us shortly.

Shingles & Pneumonia

Whilst attending the surgery for your flu vaccination it may be possible to have your shingles or pneumonia vaccination at the same time if eligible or the nurse will ask you to contact the surgery to book an appointment. 

• Shingles is a common condition that causes a painful rash. It can sometimes lead to serious problems such as long-lasting pain, hearing loss or blindness. You’re more likely to get shingles, and it’s more likely to cause serious problems, as you get older or if you have a severely weakened immune system.

The shingles vaccine helps protect against shingles. It's available on the NHS for all adults turning 65, those aged 70 to 79 and those aged 50 and over with a severely weakened immune system.

• The pneumococcal vaccine helps protect against some types of bacterial infections that can cause serious illnesses like meningitis, sepsis and pneumonia. It can also help protect against other illnesses such as sinusitis and ear infection. It’s recommended for people at higher risk of these illnesses, such as babies and all adults aged 65 and over.

Covid Vaccinations Winter 2025

If you are eligible for a Covid boost this winter the NHS will be in contact with you in due course. The vaccination programme will run from 1st October 2025 to 31st January 2026. Bookings will open on 1st September for 1st October. We will not be offering this vaccination at the surgery but we will direct you to contact 119 or use the online booking service;

Book, change or cancel a COVID-19 vaccination appointment - NHS

We also recommend contacting Carers Support West Sussex as an excellent source of additional information and support. They really do recognise that caring can be both wonderful and tough. It can also often become a full time job, leaving carers with little or no time for themselves. They provide unpaid carers with information and guidance along with practical and emotional support and aim to support you no matter what your caring situation. Please contact them to work with one of their wellbeing team to establish which services are most suitable for you. To give you an idea of what is on offer, please see below or visit their website.

• Carer contingency planning
• Emotional Support
• Carer discount card
• Access to counselling
• Carer assessments
• Carer wellbeing fund
• Practical guidance (including wellbeing grants, information and funding for equipment)
• Information relevant to your caring situation
• Carer groups
• Support with hospital admission and discharge

For more information about Carers Support West Sussex, visit the Carers Support website or telephone 0300 028 8888.

Ideas for our next newsletter

If you have any ideas for a future newsletter that you feel would improve patient understanding of the NHS, please do let us know by contacting us online.

Published: Sep 11, 2025