Previously patients have had to call us about their issue that they want to be seen that same day, they then go onto our triage list and a GP or nurse then calls back later that day to find out about the issue and then possibly invites them in for a consultation. With up to 150 calls per day, it is extremely difficult to provide the level of access, prioritise urgent issues and maintain the high standard of care we want to provide our patients with … so we have been looking at how we can improve this.
For the last 6 months we have been trialling a system called eConsult on our website for patients to contact us with their Same Day/Urgent issues. eConsult is current used in 1081 practices across the UK, with more practices starting to use it each week.
Due to the success of this trial we have now adopted eConsult as the main method for patients to contact us for Same Day/Urgent issues. If you call us with an Urgent/Same Day Access issue you will now be directed to use eConsult. Don’t worry, if you genuinely don’t have access to a computer or smart phone then our Patient Services is still there to help you as normal.
Below is a list of Frequently Asked Questions, which we hope answers all of your immediate questions, but please see our website for more information or pick-up a leaflet from the Practice.
We very much hope that our patients will actively use eConsult so that we can continue to deliver the high level of access and high standards of care we want our patient to have.
eCONSULT – FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is eConsult?
eConsult is on online tool that asks you some questions about your condition; these are then sent securely to the Practice. The questions are the same to what your GP or Nurse would ask you at the beginning of a consultation. Our GPs/Nurses review your answers, where they can easily identify key issues raised and focus on these, and respond back to you within a couple of hours during our normal working day with either advice by email or text, or speak to you further on the phone, or invite you in for a follow-up consultation that day as appropriate.
Did you know on average only about 25% of patients contacting their practice with a Same Day/Urgent issue need to be seen by a clinician?
What are the advantages for me?
- eConsult can be used 24/7 – no need to wait until we are open.
- You don’t need to phone the Practice.
- You can add notes about your condition that you may feel uncomfortable about when talking face to face.
- You can add photos – really helps if you have a rash/skin condition etc.
- We can respond to your medical problems more quickly, meaning a quicker diagnosis for you.
- We can manage the demand better, meaning we can treat more patients and treat the highest priority first.
Who can use it?
If you are 16 years or over you can use eConsult for yourself – so a parent/guardian would need to use it on behalf of someone under 16 years of age.
What if I can’t use a computer, smart phone or tablet?
44 % of patients over 75 years and 80% of patients over 65 years regularly use the internet. Practices that are already using eConsult see patients in their 90s use it regularly.
But don’t worry, our Patient Services team to take you through the eConsult questions should you need to call us instead.
If you can submit the eConsult yourself, it will be quicker and more convenient for you. It also then allows more time for our team to help those who genuinely can’t access eConsult.
What other options does it give me?
eConsult also gives you lots of information so you can self-care or visit your Community Pharmacist for treatment. Details are also provided to allow you to self-refer to services for treatments such as physiotherapy, counselling, weight loss etc.
Should eConsult identify a significant problem that a GP needs to know about quickly, it will tell you to call us directly.
Can I see what it is like before using it for real?
Yes. Just go to our Website (www.montgomeryhousesurgery.co.uk) and click on the eConsult Banner at the top. Select a medical problem and go through some of the questions – Just don’t submit it to us at the end.
Why not add our website to your Browser favourites.
