We have decided to change our opening hours for online enquiries via klinik.

Since August 2020 we have been operating a total triage appointment system utilising klinik.

This means all appointment requests are triaged by our duty team of clinicians and an appropriate response either on the basis of the information given via klinik or following an initial telephone consultation with the duty team is arranged. Following triage the duty team can resolve the issue with a message back, book into same day telephone and face to face appointments or pre-bookable telephone and face to face appointments up to a few weeks ahead.

We note that the most recent amendments to the GP contract are encouraging this model and we are pleased that we have been ahead of the game in getting rid of the 8am scramble for appointments and are allocating appointments on the basis of medical need not want.

Traditionally in the middle of the day between morning and afternoon surgery GPs would conduct home visits for the truly housebound or terminally ill, review and sign repeat prescriptions, write referral letters, read and review incoming letters from the hospital and other professionals, review incoming pathology and x-ray results, speak to and liaise with other professionals eg community nurses, consultants and social workers regarding complex cases and take part in team meetings and clinical supervision of GP trainees and other members of the team. The clinical navigation team make outgoing calls to arrange appointments and perform other admin tasks during the times the incoming phone lines are off.

The time to perform all these vital unseen tasks is being squeezed out by the klinik system being switched on throughout the day and we do not want to risk missing an urgent enquiry due to a build up of cases.

We have decided it would be safer to match the klinik opening times more closely to the routine appointment phone lines. Going forwards klinik will be available from 8am – 12:00pm and 2pm – 5pm. The routine appointment phone line for those unable to use klinik is available 9:30am – 12:00pm and 2:30pm – 5pm as before.

We hope this change will reduce the need to temporarily switch off klinik which is sometimes necessary if we have an unsafe and overwhelming number of enquiries to process. We have received feedback that klinik being switched off in an unpredictable way is not helpful from a patient’s point of view.

We have always had an urgent telephone line available from 8am – 6:30pm all through core hours and this will remain. The trained clinical navigators can flag urgent matters to the duty team at any time between 8am – 6:30pm.