WEARDALE PRACTICE CHANGES APPOINTMENT SYSTEM
THE Weardale Practice has listed the following on its website:
We have exciting news. We are changing our appointment system and are in the process of
moving to a new way of working. You may have noticed that the online forms are slightly different
and you may have already been asked to complete an online form.
On Wednesday 5 March we will have moved to a Total Triage appointment system
using SystemConnect . It will help us manage the demand for doctor appointments better and it
will improve how we deliver care to all our patients.
In response to the pressures faced by the NHS and our patient needs, the Practice is moving to a
total triage appointment booking model. Patients will be asked to complete a form online or
admin\reception will fill in the form on behalf of the patient.
Following completion of a form to collect the relevant information, a doctor will conduct triage
from your form and a doctor will then ensure you see the right clinician in a timely manner.
It will ensure we offer appointments based on medical urgency, not demand or availability. This will
give our patients a smoother, more efficient experience.
Many patients are booking unnecessary doctor appointments and we are concerned that those
who need to be seen are not getting timely care. Total Triage will address this issue.
NHSE has stated that there is good evidence that clinician triage and online tools (such
as SystemConnect) make it easier to manage patient requests and involve the wider team, with
higher patient satisfaction rates than with the more traditional, current model.
Important: We are now asking patients who need to book a ‘routine’, non-urgent appointment
with a doctor, to use the new forms. You will be encouraged to do this when you call or you can
visit our website to do this. If you do not have online access or not confident in completing the
form yourself, then the admin/reception team will complete the form on your behalf while you are
on the phone. The forms are available online until 4pm
PLEASE DO NOT USE THE FORMS FOR URGENT APPOINTMENTS UNTIL 5 MARCH 2025
The forms are not available on the NHS App.
Forms must be accessed and completed via our website- click here.
We have additional doctor appointments to help us move to the new model and have
appointments for patients already waiting for a doctor appointment and for those using the forms.
Our admin/reception team will no longer book routine appointments when a patient calls and from
5 March, urgent/same-day appointments will follow the same process.
Further details regarding the new process will be available on our website and in practice
waiting rooms on a regular basis.
www.theweardalepractice.nhs.uk
