With a big increase in patient demand for advice or wanting to be seen the same day for acute problems, the Practice has introduced an online system called eConsult.
The patient answers some questions about their medical problem and submits the online form securely. Photos can also be sent. This is reviewed by the GP and we can then respond within a couple of hours.
We have been trialing this over the last few months and have shown that it:
- Provides quicker access to medical care for the patient.
- Allows the GP to quickly see where the key issues are and to focus on these.
- Allows the Practice to see more patients.
- Provides a safety net to direct patients to contact the emergency service or the Practice should the problem be viewed as an emergency.
Therefore from September we will be rolling out eConsult as the primary means by which patients request advice or access to a clinician for ALL same day requests.
Patients phoning the Practice will be directed to use eConsult.
To find out more about eConsult, please see here.
From September
