Over the last 5 months we have all seen changes to our daily lives and wanted to update you on how we are working at Capelfield Surgery.
We are currently operating a total triage system allowing all online and telephone enquiries to be reviewed and directed to the most appropriate clinician. Telephone appointments can be booked online via patient access, requested via our new website or by calling reception on 01372 462501.
We understand some people’s frustration at not being able to book a face to face appointment directly or book in advance, as we could pre-COVID. However, there are many positives – for patients and GPs alike – of this new system. These include:
- Reduced waiting times for appointments both routine and urgent
- Not needing to leave the house to speak to a GP; reduced need to take time off work or find childcare
- Prevention of COVID spreading amongst our patients
- Online enquiries can be made at any time of the day without having to wait on the phone line
- Our waiting rooms are safer with fewer patients in them and we have adequate time to put on (and safely remove PPE) and clean equipment and rooms afterward
- Appointments are booked with the most appropriate clinician e.g. GP, nurse, visiting paramedic, community matron, district nurse, GP with interest, increasing the efficiency of the process
- 111 can book patients in directly with the GP for follow up
- All enquiries can now be directed online ensuring telephone lines are more accessible for those that depend on them
- GPs can focus more time on dealing with the complex problems that patients present with
Most GP surgeries around the country are now seeing the clear advantages of telephone consultations, supplemented by photo, video, or face to face contact where this is deemed necessary by the clinician. For this reason, Capelfield Surgery will continue to work in this new way for the foreseeable future and will not return to the old appointment models. We at Capelfield Surgery remain flexible and able to adapt quickly to whatever the next few months bring.
We are so very grateful to have a wonderful community of patients that respect and support what we do. The comments we’ve received via various channels, including our friends and family testing and our previous posts, have been heart-warming.
We thank you and promise to work as hard as ever to serve our community.