Patient Triage – Non Urgent

Online access to your GP

Our online consultation tool is open from Monday 8.00am until Friday 6.30pm, excluding bank holidays and training afternoons.

Patients can submit requests for repeat prescriptions, fit (sick) notes, routine care appointments, test results, referral follow-up, doctor’s letters and other admin using the “I have an admin or routine care request”. This is not for urgent requests and requests received will be read and responded to during our core hours.

From 8.00am to 4.00pm we have online access where patients can contact a GP about a new or ongoing problem.  Online consultations are intended for non-urgent appointment requests, medication queries and admin requests, not for urgent requests.

You will be taken to a set of questions you need to complete. It’s fast, secure and your request is delivered straight to our team.

By completing the online request you will:

• Avoid queues
• A healthcare professional will assess your request as soon as possible
• Be given fair and equal access to care

All requests will be reviewed by a GP or senior clinician.  If they feel an appointment is needed you will be offered the most appropriate appointment – this may be with a GP or another healthcare professional.

If the clinician reviewing your request feels you need to be seen on the same day, you will be offered a same-day appointment. The clinician may also assess your request and decide that a pre-bookable appointment is more appropriate.

If you require an interpreter, please make this clear when you complete the form so additional time can be allocated.

Please note – urgent clinical requests should be made in person or telephone to avoid urgent clinical requests being submitted online.

Nurse appointments

Nurses based in our practice treat patients for a wide range of common conditions.

You can expect to see a nurse within one working day and all of them are qualified to prescribe from a range of medicines. You can book up to a month ahead for clinics – please see the ‘services and clinics’ section.

Home visits

Whilst we encourage our patients to come to the surgery, where we have the proper equipment and facilities available, we do appreciate this is not always possible. In this respect, if you do need a home visit, you can help us by calling reception on 01788 578800 before 10:00am. This service is not available at weekends.

You may only request a home visit if you are housebound or are too ill to visit the Practice. You may be visited by a GP or a Practice Paramedic. Please ensure we have up-to-date information about how to access the property.

Cancelling or changing an appointment

Contact the surgery on 01788 578800 between 8.00am-6.30pm if you need to reschedule appointment.

Cancel your appointment using our Online Triage Form

Appointments can also be cancelled via text message when you receive your appointment reminder.

Please try to cancel appointments in advance where possible so the appointment can be reallocated.

When we are closed

If you need medical help now, use NHS 111 online (111.nhs.uk) or call 111.

111 online is for people aged 5 and over. Call 111 if you need help for a child under 5.

Call 999 in a medical or mental health emergency. This is when someone is seriously ill or injured and their life is at risk.

Visit your Local Pharmacist for Minor Ailments

We run a Community ECG Service on Tuesdays & Fridays. We fit 24/48 hour ECG’s and Event Recorders upon referral from any GP Surgery in Rugby.

Services outside of the NHS Contract

The National Health Service provides most healthcare to the majority of people free of charge, but there are exceptions. GPs are self-employed and are contracted to provide NHS general medical services for their patients.

Sometimes, GPs are asked to provide additional services which fall outside their contract and in these circumstances, they are entitled to make a reasonable charge for providing them.

Your questions answered.

Isn’t the NHS supposed to be free?

The National Health Service provides most healthcare to the majority people free of charge, but there are exceptions: for example, medical reports for insurance companies.

Surely the Doctor is being paid anyway?

It is important to understand that GPs are not employed by the NHS, they are self-employed and they have to cover their costs – staff, buildings, heating, lighting, etc – in the same way as any small business. The NHS covers these costs for NHS work, but for non-NHS work the fee has to cover the Doctor’s costs.

In recent years, more and more organisations have been involving Doctors in a whole range of non-medical work. Sometimes the only reason that GPs are asked to do non-medical work is because they are in a position of trust in the community, or because an insurance company or employer wants to be sure that information provided is true and accurate.

Examples of non-NHS services for which GPs can charge their NHS patients are:

• accident/sickness insurance certificates
• certain travel vaccinations
• private medical insurance reports
• statements of fact relating to general health e.g. for children’s dance classes
• Letters requested by, or on behalf of, the patient
• Holiday cancellation claim forms
• Referral for private care forms

Examples of non-NHS services for which GPs can charge other institutions are:

• medical reports for an insurance company
• some reports for the DSS/Benefits Agency
• examinations of occupational health

Why does it sometimes take my GP a long time to complete my form?

Time spent completing forms and preparing reports takes the GP away from the medical care of his or her patients. Most GPs have a very heavy workload – the majority work up to 70 hours a week – and paperwork takes up an increasing amount of their time, so many GPs find they have to take some paperwork home at night and weekends.

I only need the Doctor’s signature – what is the problem?

When a Doctor signs a certificate or completes a report, it is a condition of remaining on the Medical Register that they only sign what they know to be true. In order to complete even the simplest of forms, therefore, the Doctor might have to check the patient’s entire medical record. Carelessness or an inaccurate report can have serious consequences for the Doctor with the General Medical Council or even the Police.

What can I do to help?

If you have several forms requiring completion, present them all at once.

Do not expect your GP to process forms overnight

Examples of Non-NHS Services include the following:

• Medicals for pre-employment, sports and driving requirements (HGV, PSV etc.)
• Insurance Claim Forms
• Prescriptions for taking medication abroad
• Private Sick Notes
• Vaccination Certificates

The fees charged are based on the British Medical Association (BMA) suggested scales and Practice Reception Staff will be happy to advise you about them along with appointment availability.

Please contact reception or complete an online triage request.