Important Information

Byhowbeck

Important Information

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, all GP practices in England have implemented a ‘total triage’ model using telephone and online consultation tools. 

This means that patients will be reviewed over the phone in the first instance as many health issues can be dealt with quite safely over the phone, and we are also gradually introducing video consultations where patients have a smartphone enabled. This reduces the need for patients to attend surgery and allows us to implement social distancing more easily.

Telephone and video consultations will extend to not only GP appointments but also medication reviews with our clinical pharmacist, some annual reviews of certain long term conditions with our nursing team, and support from our social prescriber.

However this doesn’t mean that face-to-face appointments will not be available. They certainly will, and in some circumstances are absolutely necessary. However these requests will still need to be triaged before an appointment is made. So please do not be offended if our Reception team ask that you have a telephone appointment in the first instance as this is our new procedure.