Dear Patient,
Nationally and locally, GP services have seen an exponential growth in demand in the last 12 months due to Covid, an ageing population, an increase in mental health conditions and increased waiting times for specialist reviews.
We want to ensure that our patients at Staunton and Corse Surgery are managed in the safest and most effective way possible, and we need your help with this.
Evidence suggests that patient outcomes are improved by continuity of care, meaning that follow-up reviews should be with the same GP initially consulted with.
We believe this is a vitally important element of general practice, particularly for patients with complex medical conditions or who are becoming frailer. It allows a relationship to develop between an individual and their GP over time, enabling a comprehensive understanding of an individual’s health history, helping to ensure that their needs are managed more effectively. We recommend that these patients notify our Reception Team of their preferred GP so medical notes can be updated accordingly.
Our Reception Team will ask some questions to explore your presenting concern, and this will enable patients to be offered an appointment with the most suitable clinician within a reasonable timeframe.
First presentation
We aim to offer all patients an appointment within 2 weeks with the most appropriate clinician.
Follow up presentations
All patients will be offered an appointment with the clinician who has previously consulted with them. We will aim to offer this appointment within 4 weeks. We ask that when you have seen a clinician for a particular problem you have any follow up appointments with the same clinician, even if it means you may wait slightly longer.
Conditions with an acute presentation
An acute presentation is a new condition that has developed over the past two weeks that requires urgent review to prevent deterioration. Patients will be offered same day appointments this may be in person or over the telephone as necessary.
Acute injuries
Acute injuries are managed by Minor Injury Units. Patients will be directed to the Minor Injury triage line. This line allows access to local Minor Injury Units according to capacity. You can self-refer to this service on 0300 421 7777.
Please note
There are some conditions that can be managed by other services for example Community Pharmacy, Minor Injuries, Podiatry, Healthy Lifestyles, Talking therapies and Physiotherapy Services. These can usually be contacted without the need to see a GP. The details of these services are available on our website or via our Reception Team.
Secondary care (hospital appointments)
The long delays in secondary care provision have resulted in an increasing number of patient enquiries about their hospital appointments and investigation results. The time that this involves for our administration team and clinical team negatively impacts on our service provision. We are unable to investigate appointments in secondary care or results of investigations ordered by secondary care. Patients will be requested to follow these up directly with the hospital involved; we will be happy to provide any contact numbers/email addresses that we have to help our patients do this.
Private appointments
We understand that patients can choose to be seen privately. Where patients are seen privately, the responsibility for arranging and providing any investigations or prescribing new medication lies with the private provider. Once a patient has had all their investigations performed within the private setting and have been reviewed following any new medication changes, we may be able to prescribe the medication and offer further follow-up where those conditions lie within the remit of General practice.
Yours sincerely,
Drs Chambers and Fisher
Staunton & Corse Surgery