Appointments

What is the Total Triage System?

From 1st October 2025, all GP Practices in the UK must follow new requirements set out in the GP Contract. The Total Triage System is a new approach to managing patient GP appointment requests at the practice, designed to ensure everyone receives the care they need in a timely, efficient, and safe manner. Instead of traditional walk-in or phone booking methods, all GP appointment requests are now initially assessed—”triaged”—by our team before an appointment is scheduled. This process helps us to prioritise urgent cases, direct patients to the most appropriate healthcare professional, and make the best use of our resources.

Why are we introducing Total Triage?

Modern healthcare faces increasing demand and complexity. The Total Triage System aims to:

• Reduce Pressure on Our Team: Streamlining requests helps our reception and clinical staff focus on providing care rather than managing queues or callbacks.

• Improve Access: Ensure that every patient is assessed quickly and directed to the right care, reducing unnecessary wait times and ensuring urgent needs are addressed first.
• Increase Efficiency: By gathering more information up front, we can match patients with the right clinician or service more effectively, making better use of appointments.
• Enhance Patient Safety: Triaging allows us to identify critical cases sooner and ensures no urgent issues are missed.

How does the Total Triage system work?

The system is simple:

• Step 1: Submit Your Request

From 1st October 2025, all requests for doctor appointments must be submitted online via the NHS App or our practice website: This applies to all routine and urgent appointments.

• Step 2: Tell Us What You Need

The online form will ask you for details about your symptoms, concerns, and preferences. Please provide as much relevant information as possible. This helps us assess your needs thoroughly and quickly.

• Step 3: Assessment

Our team reviews each request and based on the information you give, your request will be prioritised according to clinical need and urgency.

• Step 4: Our Response

We will contact you as soon as possible with one of the following:

Further questions if more detail is needed to ensure the right outcome

Confirmation of an appointment (in-person, phone)

Advice and guidance for self-care or pharmacy support

Referral to another service if more appropriate (e.g., mental health, physiotherapy, dentistry).

All requests are dealt with within 24 hours.

Benefits for patients?

Greater Convenience: Submit your request anytime during opening hours —no waiting on hold or standing in line at reception.

Faster Access to the Right Care: Urgent issues can be identified and actioned more quickly, while routine matters are managed efficiently.

Personalised Service: Your information helps us direct you to the most appropriate clinician or service for your needs.

Clearer Communication: You will receive timely updates about the progress of your request and next steps.

Safe and Confidential: All data is handled securely and confidentially in line with NHS and GDPR regulations.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What if I can’t use the internet?

If you are unable to use the NHS App or our website due to a disability, language barrier, or lack of internet access, please call our reception team. We will assist you over the phone or make suitable arrangements.

Who will review my request?

All requests are assessed by trained staff, ensuring that medical decisions are made by qualified professionals.

How soon will I hear back?

We review and respond to all requests within 24 hours. Urgent cases are prioritised.

Is my data safe?

Absolutely. All information you provide is stored securely and only accessed by authorised staff for your care.

Can I still see my usual GP?

Whenever possible, we will honour requests to see a specific clinician. However, urgent cases may be seen by the first available suitable professional.

How to Submit a Request

Use the NHS App on your smartphone or tablet and follow the prompts for appointment requests.

Fill in the online form with as much detail as possible.

Submit your request and wait for our team to contact you.

If you need urgent help outside of practice hours, please contact NHS 111 or, in an emergency, call 999.

Tips for using the Total Triage system

Be Detailed: More information helps us help you faster and more accurately.

Check Your Contact Information: Make sure your phone number and email are up to date so we can reach you.

Monitor Your Messages: We may ask for additional information or provide instructions via text, email, or phone. Make sure you turn on notifications on NHS app settings.

Feedback and support

Feedback and Improving the System

We are committed to making the Total Triage System as effective and patient-friendly as possible. Your feedback is valuable—please let us know about your experience, good or bad, to help us improve.

Further Support

If you have any questions or concerns about the Total Triage System, please contact our reception team for help. We are here to support you and ensure you get the care you need, when you need it.

How to make an appointment

Appointments may be booked in several ways:

Contact us with eConsult

You can contact a doctor, nurse or other healthcare professional online using a website called eConsult.

Important – Please read before continuing
Online requests are not for emergencies. If you are experiencing any of the following, do not use this form:

Signs of a heart attack – chest pain/pressure, pain spreading to arm, neck or jaw

Signs of a stroke – face drooping, difficulty speaking, weakness on one side

Severe difficulty breathing – gasping, choking, lips turning blue

Heavy bleeding that won’t stop

Severe injuries (e.g. after a serious accident)

Poisoning – swallowed medicines, batteries, or chemicals

Seizure (fit) – someone jerking, shaking, or unconscious and can’t be woken

Sudden rapid swelling – eyes, lips, mouth, throat, or tongue

If you have any of these symptoms, call 999 immediately or go to your nearest A&E.

For urgent problems that are not life-threatening, please call the practice directly or use NHS 111 (online at 111.nhs.uk or by dialling 111).

By phone

Patients can book an appointment by calling reception on 020 3836 5030.

In person

Patients can visit the surgery and book an appointment.

Advance booking

Bookable up to 1 month ahead, these provide choice and flexibility as to when and by whom you are seen. If these appointments are filled on a particular day the receptionist will look for an acceptable alternative. A number of theses appointments are available to book online.

On the day (urgent only)

Every day at 8am a limited number of telephone appointments become available, enabling you to speak to our doctors quickly if that is needed. During the consultation, the GP will make a decision whether yours is an issue that could be dealt with over the phone or if you need to be seen in our practice. If the latter is the case, they will book an appointment for you to be seen either by themselves at our practice or GP at one of the hubs.

At such short notice there is much less flexibility over the time of the appointment and choice of clinician.

Telephone consultations

You can book telephone appointments with our GPs in for various issues such as ongoing medical problems, sick notes, medication changes, blood test results, investigation results and many other things to save time and your journey.

Access Plan 25-26 Practice Statement

In partnership with the Federation and Primary Care Networks (PCNs), we have developed a comprehensive, scalable, and effective plan to deliver high-quality care to our Practice and PCN population.

The proposed plan aims to improve patient access to healthcare services by addressing key issues related to appointment scheduling, communication, and the overall patient experience. The initiative strives to implement:

• Same-day and next-day telephone and face-to-face appointments with a range of clinicians for urgent and routine needs.  
• Pre-bookable appointments for follow-up care.
• Clinical “Triage and Treat” clinics across the PCN.
• Automated switchboard support via telephone in thirteen languages for patients (weekdays).
• “Real Time” clinical team support for patients via telephone (weekdays).

GP hub appointments

If your GP is fully booked, there are several GP hubs that also provide care for our patients.

All are open in the evenings on weekdays and on weekends. Please ask reception to refer you to the hub to avoid waiting in A&E/UCC or walk-in centre.

Missed appointments and DNA’s

Do you feel frustrated when you cannot get an appointment?

Every year wasted appointments cost NHS £162 million. This can cause serious delays in treatment for other patients. On average approximately 150 patients each month Did Not Attend (DNA) their appointment. This means the patient did not turn up for the appointment and did not contact the surgery in advance to cancel or change the appointment. This currently results in approximately 40 hours of wasted clinical time each month.

Please call ahead if you think you might be late or no longer want your appointment.

Cancelling or changing an appointment

To cancel your appointment:

• use your NHS account (through the NHS website or NHS App)
• using the GP online system: Patient Access
• phone us on 020 3836 5030 during opening times
• reply CANCEL to your appointment reminder text message

If you need help when we are closed

If you need medical help now, use NHS 111 online or call 111.

NHS 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.

If you need help with your appointment

Please tell us:

• if there’s a specific doctor, nurse or other health professional you would prefer to respond
• if you would prefer to consult with the doctor or nurse by phone or face-to-face
• if you need an interpreter
• if you have any other access or communication needs

Home visits

Home visits are for those patients who are housebound or undergoing end-of-life care and therefore cannot get to the Practice. In the time taken for the doctor to do one home visit, he could see 5 to 6 patients at the surgery. For this reason it is in the doctor’s and the patient’s best interests that, whenever possible, an effort is made to get down to the surgery. This does sometimes mean patients having to wait a while, but efforts are made to see people as soon as they arrive if their condition so dictates.

Request for a home visit should be made before 10am, and the receptionist will need to be given a brief outline of the problem. Please ensure you give the receptionist your name, address and phone number. It is very important to inform the receptionist if you are not staying at your home.

The GP may phone you first to discuss your home visit request and from the information provided the doctor will then decide what action to take next.

Related information

Sick notes

Test results

Health A to Z