McKenzie Group Practice: Moving to Total Triage from Wednesday 1st October

In line with NHS England guidance on establishing a remote “Total Triage” model, and current national policy to enable digitally-enabled triage and remote consulting, McKenzie Group Practice is adopting a Total Triage appointment system from Wednesday 1st October.

This means that every request for an appointment will be reviewed by a clinician before an appointment is offered. This ensures you are directed to the right care, in the right place, at the right time, in keeping with current national standards for safe, efficient access.

How to contact us

• Online (preferred & quickest): Submit your request via our online consultation form.
• By phone: You can still call reception, who will complete the same online form on your behalf if you’re unable to do it yourself. If you are able to use the online form yourself, this is faster and helps keep phone lines free for those who need extra support.
• In person: You can still come into the surgery and we will complete the same form with you. Please note that arriving at 8:00am or first thing in the morning will no longer give priority. All requests are triaged in the same way throughout the day.

Why we are making this change
We are implementing this in keeping with Government & NHS guidance on remote consultations and triage, which encourages all general practices to:
✔️ Use total triage so that every request is screened and assessed remotely where possible, to prioritise urgency and safety
✔️ Ensure patients who can’t access digital tools are still able to use telephone or in-practice options so no one is excluded
✔️ End the 8:00am “rush” – calling at 8:00 or coming down to the surgery will no longer give priority. Requests are triaged in the same way throughout the day. Depending on clinical need, you may be given a same-day appointment or a pre-bookable appointment.

What this means for you
• Appointments can no longer be booked directly. Every request will first be reviewed by a clinician
• Urgent requests will be prioritised in accordance with clinical need
• Some issues may be handled remotely (telephone), others may be face-to-face if necessary
• You may be signposted to other services if those are most appropriate (e.g., pharmacy, or self-care advice)
• Routine nurse appointments — such as dressings, smears, immunisations and blood tests — will continue to be booked as normal

We believe this change helps us meet national policy, aims to improve patient access, maintain safety, reduce unnecessary face-to-face contact, and ensure resources are used effectively.

All requests go through the same process whether submitted online, by phone, or in person.

To submit your request online please complete this form.

These are solely at the GP/ Advanced Nurse Practitioner discretion.

Please can we ask that any routine home visit requests are submitted to the practice before 11am. The practice cannot guarantee attendance to any routine home visit requests received after 11am and the visit may therefore be deferred until the following day.

When requesting a home visit please give the receptionists as much information as possible regarding the reasons for the request and ensure contact details are correct. 

The clinician will usually talk directly to the patient when a home visit is requested. 

Please do not request a home visit unless the patient is houseboune or genuinely too ill to attend surgery.

Your Responsibilities Are:

• To be in when the practitioner calls
• To ensure requests for home visits are made as early as possible
• To accept the clinicians's advice if a home visit is not considered necessary

Late evening and weekend appointments are available for patient's who may find it difficult to attend during core opening hours.

Hartlepool & Stockton Health run a 7 day Enhanced Access Services, enabling patients to access a wide range of appointments on evenings and weekends, including:

Asthma reviews
Doppler assessments
Ear Irrigation
Family planning (No coils/ implanon)
First Contact Physiotherapists (over 18 only)
GPs
Menopause Clinic
NHS Health Checks
Nurse Practitioners
Phlebotomy (over 16 years)
Smear Clinic
Treatment Room Services (Wound swabs, dressings, suture/staple removal, injections, b12, etc.).

The service runs from Chadwick Practice, One Life Hartlepool.

Appointments are available:
Monday - Friday 18:30 - 21:00
Saturday 9:00 - 17:00
Sunday 9:00 - 13:00

Further information is available here: https://www.hartlepoolandstocktonhealth.co.uk/7-day.html

Appointments with this service can be booked by contacting the surgery or 111 (when the surgery is closed).

If you cannot attend a booked appointment please let us know as soon as possible in order for us to give the slot to someone else.

To cancel your appointment:

• use your NHS account (through the NHS website or NHS App)
• using the GP online system – via the link at the top of this page
• Telephone the surgery
  
  • McKenzie House: 01429 230000
  • Throston Medical Centre: 01429 282200
  • Victoria Medical Centre: 01429 272945
  • Wynyard Road Medical Centre: 01429 223195
  • Hartfields Medical Centre: 01429 869526
• using the link in your appointment reminder text message