Improved appointment system from 1 December 2017
Improvements to Our Appointment Booking System
The way in which we allocate appointments for face-to-face consultations with our doctors is changing to better suit the medical needs of our patients
Change is Afoot…
It has come to our attention that the current way of booking appointments at the surgery could be improved to enhance the services we are able to offer to our patients.
It is clear that the current system is also unable to cater to the needs of all of our patients to the extent that we would like. The feedback we receive from our patients has also demonstrated this.
What Does This Mean for Me
We hope that these improvements will allow you to access the medical care that you require, at a time that is suitable for you.
The changes will also make the new system more convenient for you to seek help and advice from the staff at the surgery.
Lastly we hope that the changes will also mean that your queries will also be dealt with quickly and effectively by the correct person. Reducing the amount of time you should have to wait for your query to be dealt with.
How Will the New System Work
The reviewed system will see the current way of booking appointments become more streamlined for both the patient and the practice. Non-appointment requests will be dealt with over the phone by the receptionist answering the call in the best way possible. All appointment requests will be booked as telephone appointments on the patients preferred doctors list for a call the very same day
Patients walking into the surgery can wait in the waiting room and speak to one of the doctors over the phone from one of the surgeries telephones
The doctor will start to work their way through these telephone calls assessing the need for medical attention and the severity of any symptoms reported by the patient
If necessary the doctor will arrange for the patient to come in and see them. This allows for patients who are in need of medical attention to get the help that they need.
If the doctor determines that the patient does not need to be seen face-to-face then they will deal with their problems over the phone in the best way possible
When Will These Changes Be Put In Place
We are hoping to make these exciting changes on the 1st December 2017. This will mean that the practice will be better equipped to manage the health care needs of its patients over the busy Christmas period.
Benefits You Can Expect
There are a number of benefits of this system. Some of these include:
An increased access to medical advice and treatment where necessary
A reduction in waste within the practice making our processes quicker and more effective at dealing with your requests and needs
The ability to arrange appointments quickly (e.g. not having to ring back at a specific time)
Being able to arrange appointments 3 days in advance
We welcome your feedback:
We would be happy to receive feedback – positive or otherwise so that we can continue to improve the system to provide services for you.
If you can think of any way in which we could improve this system, our reception staff would be more than happy to know about it. Whether its negative criticism or positive viewpoint’s we would love to know what you think. Any comments you make can be taken on board and used to improved and adjust the system in the future.