From Monday 3rd July we are introducing a new appointment system.
We are aware that with increasing demand, waiting times for an appointment have become unacceptable to patients and staff alike, and it is harder than ever to get through to us on the phone. We have considered all options and have decided to implement a Total Triage System.
This is a significant yet exciting change for Whinfield, but we believe this will improve safety, communication, access to the right clinician at the right time, and reduce waiting times for appointments. Something needs to change and we are hoping this will improve our accessibility and patient care.
All appointment requests, both for urgent and routine problems will be assessed in the same way. Using a link from our website, or text message, you will submit an electronic request for an appointment. This will then be assessed in a “hub” with clinicians and admin staff to determine the appropriate service, person, and timescale in which you need to be seen. You will have confidence that every appointment request has been triaged by a clinician and that the plan is safe and appropriate, without an excessive wait on the phone.
We will ensure that vulnerable people, and those without internet access are supported by our staff, who can fill out this link on their behalf to ensure fairness of access with a single route for appointments and advice.
Telephone Appointments
In the current climate we are doing a lot of work over the telephone. If you have a telephone appointment booked then please try and keep you phone free and switched on, a lot of time can be wasted if we have to call you on more than one occasion. As we are aware though it is not always possible to answer your phone all the time, so we will try up to three times to contact you. If this is still not possible we may ask you to rebook the telephone appointment. Please be aware that the call number may be withheld.