To ensure that patients with the greatest need are seen first and to help keep our most vulnerable patients safe, our team triages all requests to see a GP or Advanced Nurse Practitioner (ANP) within our Triage Hub. Our Triage Hub is a clinician-led team  who review all submitted requests fairly and consistently. Based on clinical need, they will determine the most appropriate next step — whether that’s arranging an appointment with a GP or another healthcare professional, offering advice or guidance, or directing you to a more suitable service.

Therefore if you would like a consultation with a GP or ANP, you will need to complete either an online PATCHS consultation or a PATCHS Telephone Assistant consultation before an appointment can be allocated. Completing a PATCHS consultation online is usually much quicker and more efficient than calling the surgery.

For those who find online services difficult to use, the PATCHS Telephone Assistant offers an alternative way to contact the practice. Simply speak to the Telephone Assistant, who will record the details of your request. Your message is then automatically transcribed and sent to our Triage hub—just like a standard PATCHS online consultation. If you experience any difficulties using PATCHS online or the PATCHS Telephone Assistant – you can phone the practice as our reception team will be happy to help.

We hope this system will reduce the need to phone the surgery for appointments, improving access for all patients.