Dear patients, relatives and carers,
All medical and administration requests should now be submitted using our online triage platform, AccuRx (https://florey.accurx.com/p/H85101). Using AccuRx to submit a request allows you to access our service easily without having to wait on the phones for an appointment. The request form can be accessed via our website for both medical and/or administrative issues (during normal surgery operating hours). The form is only a few short questions and ensures we can more easily prioritise requests based on clinical urgency. If your issue is medically urgent (e.g. feeling very unwell) you will get a response from the surgery the same day, otherwise we will aim to respond to all forms within 2 working days. Please note we are facing unprecedented demand and need to prioritise unwell patients above routine enquires.
Online booking via patient access will no longer be available for most appointment slots. There may be limited availability for non-doctor appointments.
Why are we using AccuRx – online triage platform?
Using AccuRx to submit medical and administrative requests will ensure that requests are seen by the most appropriate member of staff and dealt with in an appropriate timeframe. Appointments will be prioritised according to need, rather than who reaches the practice first. The benefits of using online consultations include:
- Easy to access – it should only take a couple of minutes to fill out your information
- No waiting on hold on the phone
- Your request will be seen by the right person
- Convenience – send your request over whenever you need it, rather than when you can get through on the phone
- Frees up our telephone lines for people that cannot get online
- Ensures we can more easily prioritise requests based on clinical urgency
- Provides clinicians with all the information they need to process a patient request
- You can submit requests on behalf of someone you care for, such as a relative or a child
- Your GP will be able to help more quickly and easily, for example with a phone call, or by referring you directly to the service you need, such as physiotherapy
What should I use the AccuRx form for?
You can use the AccuRx form for anything you would usually contact the surgery for such as medical issues you want to discuss with a doctor or nurse, or administration issues like getting a sick (fit) note or test results. If your issue is so urgent and you cannot wait a few hours for the practice to contact you, please attend an emergency service such as urgent care centre or Accident and Emergency.
Please note that the submitted forms will only be read during opening hours (8am to 6pm). The forms will not be read on the weekends (Saturdays and Sundays) or on bank holidays. If you need urgent help out of hours, please contact 111 or 999 if this is an emergency.
What questions will I be asked?
If you have a medical query, you’ll be asked to describe it, how long it’s been going on for, and what you’re worried about. For administration queries, you can ask about test results, fit/sick notes, referrals, a doctor’s letter, or something else.
What details do I need to be able to fill in the form?
You’ll be asked for your name, date of birth, postcode, gender, and your contact number. If you have your mobile phone to hand, then you can choose to receive a code via text message to enter into the website. This allows the staff at the practice to locate your record faster.
How long will the form take to complete?
The form should only take a few minutes to complete. If you have any issues or can’t fill the form out, please contact the surgery and we will be able to help you complete your request.
How do I book an appointment?
Appointment requests (routine and urgent) will be made by completing the medical form on AccuRx. For same day emergency appointments, you will be contacted by a member of our medical team (usually via telephone). As we face significant demand, it can take a few hours to be contacted. If you feel too unwell to wait, please contact an emergency healthcare service such as 111/Accident and Emergency.
For less urgent appointment requests, you will be contacted by one of our administrative staff or we will send you a self-booking link. A self-booking link allows you to book your own appointment for a time that suits you. If you have requested to be seen by a particular GP, then we will aim to give you a link to book an appointment directly with that GP. If you don’t specify a GP, the reception staff will decide based on your previous consultations. Sometimes it can be quicker to see any GP as your own GP may be fully booked. If after having received a self-booking link, you feel you need to be seen earlier than the availability, please call reception to discuss alternative availability.
Will my data be safe?
Yes. The NHS and government set standards to ensure all organisations using health data keep this data safe and use it ethically. The online form is provided by accuRx, which is an NHS Digital approved supplier. All the data collected is encrypted when stored and sent. The only people who can access your data are you and your health professionals.
Will my request be saved to my record?
Any request you submit about a medical issue will be saved to your record so that whoever calls you or sees you about your problem has the information needed to manage your request. If you send us a question about an administrative issue, we will only save this information to your record if we think it would be helpful to do so (or if you ask us to).
What if I don’t have a mobile phone?
You can still use the contact form if you don’t have a mobile phone, you just need to have internet access on a computer or tablet device. You will need to provide a contact number but this could be a landline if you do not have a mobile phone.
Will this disadvantage me or my elderly or vulnerable relative?
For those with access to a mobile phone or internet, the new online form is a more convenient way to contact the practice, which should free up our phone lines for those who really need it – especially those who cannot access the internet. If you or your relative cannot use the AccuRx form, please contact us on the phone as you normally would, and we can deal with your query.
Can I request an appointment on behalf of someone else?
Yes, you can submit the form for someone else (although please write on the form that you are doing so). The contact number that you input should either be contact number for the patient or their representative on. Please note that due to patient confidentiality we cannot discuss anything about one of our patients unless they have explicitly given permission for us to do so.
I have submitted a request and I haven’t been contacted yet. Do I need to do anything?
No, please wait to be contacted. Monitor your email inbox/online triage platform account and phone calls, as we will be in contact with you through one of these channels.
What happens to a request that I send overnight, at the weekend or on a bank holiday?
The form is available during working hours only (8am to 6pm). The form is not available during evenings and weekends for patient safety. You can still call the surgery from 6pm to 6.30pm.
