10/06/2026
We want to clear up some misconceptions that have been circulating on social media about the Practice and the way we make appointments:
eConsult & Triage...
ā¢ We do not āonly do eConsultsā - we are using eConsult as a tool to gather structured information about your symptoms/query in order to match you up with the most appropriate care.
ā¢ That eConsult is not triaged by our reception staff - it goes directly to a GP who reviews it and triages it.
ā¢ The outcome of this might be an appointment, treatment, referral or, if youāve told us about something that is more appropriately treated by another service (e.g. a minor injury that should be seen by the minor injury unit) then we may signpost you to this
ā¢ This model of triage is called āModern General Practice Access (MGPA) and is NHS Englandās recommended model for GP Practices, changes to the GP contract have pushed us to change to it.
ā¢ Taking a ticket or joining a queue (in person or on the phone) might feel like the āBritishā way to do things, but is it fair for someone to get an appointment with a Doctor because they joined to queue ahead of you, or should appointments be given to those whose clinical need is greatest?
āYou just send everyone to Redcar Primary Care Hospitalā...
ā¢ We donāt tell everyone to go to Redcar Primary Care Hospital. We do signpost patients with minor injuries to the minor injuries unit and are right to do so.
ā¢ We do often hear from patients who feel they shouldnāt have to wait X days for an appointment that they will just go to Redcar instead (usually adding in a quip about us being āuselessā) but itās not fair to then say that we sent you!
Did you ask patients before making this change?..
ā¢ Prior to implementing MGPA we sought advice from our patient Participation Group and carefully reviewed feedback from patients who told us they were fed up with having to queue up from 8am (in person or on the phone) and then still miss out on an appointment as capacity was rapidly used up.
ā¢ Prior to implementing MGPA Staff were fed up with seeing how appointments were wasted for things that could have been quickly and safely treated without needing an appointment, whilst also hearing from patients about how challenging it had been to make an appointment.
ā¢ MGPA has addressed these concerns, it is safe, it allows us to match patients with the right care at the right time, every time. Our wait for a routine appointment is two weeks or less, patients arenāt bounced around several different clinicians before getting the one they need, our default appointment is face to face with a GP who knows you.
ā¢ We appreciate that it would be easier to just book an appointment without providing any information and whenever you like but this unfortunately is an unrealistic expectation in 2026.
ā¢ Writing to all 7,500 patients registered at the surgery to inform them of this change would have cost almost Ā£10,000 - we think that money is better spent on patient care and instead took time to clearly explain the changes with information displayed in the practice, on our website and social media.
ā¢ We know not all of our patients might see these and rely on those that have letting their friends/family know too, our patient Participation group also circulated this information to harder to reach groups in person.
eConsult is too long and complicated, I donāt like it...
ā¢ We chose to continue using eConsult as we moved to MGPA because patients were already using it and we didnāt want to force everyone to use a whole new online consultation system alongside the wider changes but have noted feedback about the ease of using this website.
What about Elderly people who arenāt good with technology?..
ā¢ We have very likely already recognised that your Mum/Dad/Grandma/Granddad/Elderly neighbour etc doesnāt have a mobile phone/tablet/computer/the internet or has a disability that may make it more difficult for them to use eConsult. These patients are automatically flagged to our reception staff who will fill out an eConsult on their behalf.
ā¢ If someone is being asked to fill out an eConsult then it is likely because they do have access to a suitable mobile device/email/computer, are registered for online access or have proxy access set up for someone else to manage their healthcare on their behalf. We have heard from several patients who feel they canāt complete an eConsult but are happy reviewing their notes and managing their prescriptions online. The majority of patients who have told us they canāt/wonāt fill out an eConsult have been under the age of 65ā¦
ā¢ We have a more elderly population than other practices, but also have a significantly higher proportion of patients registered for online access and the NHS app - since implementing MGPA we have received eConsults from patients in their 80s and 90s and heard lots of amazing feedback about how this has been much better than queueing (in person or on the phone) at 8am.
Itās appalling that there is no privacy in the reception area...
ā¢ GP reception areas are not private places; they never have been. We are happy to help patients who prefer to contact us in person but have repeatedly pointed out that this compromises on privacy.
ā¢ Contacting us via Telephone or by completing your eConsult online is private and is our recommendation for those who prefer their medical issues remain private.
ā¢ When our reception staff are asking you questions, these are the same questions that are on the form in front of them - they are documenting your answers and when the form is complete it is sent to the Triage GP. Our reception staff do not ādecideā who gets an appointment or not and never have done.
Summary...
We are an all-inclusive practice that want patients to enjoy all of the best things about āoldā General Practice, like continuity of care with a GP who knows you, whilst also ensuring that we offer and utilise the best of modern technology to use our available appointments efficiently and effectively.
We donāt compromise on quality of care and genuinely care about remedying things that arenāt working as they should. We openly offer to meet to discuss concerns in person if our written response hasnāt addressed these.
Unfortunately, we cannot provide a service that suits the individual preferences of absolutely every patient registered with us. We have settled for something that is safe, efficient and means that we can match patients with the care that they need at the right time, every time. We will not please everyone but think the service we provide offers far greater value than the Ā£130 per year we are given to provide it.
If you would prefer a practice that prioritises patients who took their place in the queue first, shout loudest and take more than their fair share then yes, absolutely do register elsewhere - weāve moved on from this and have absolutely no intention of going back there.
If you want to continue receiving continuity of care from a GP who knows you then please use eConsult to tell us about your symptoms/question/need and we will treat you as we would expect our friends/family/loved ones to be treated. If you need support filling one out or are struggling, please speak to one of our reception team who will be happy to help. If you donāt want to be overheard whilst doing so, please contact us by telephone. If we all do our bit we can make the best use of the precious resource that is NHS General Practiceā¦
Thank you.
GP Partners at Springwood Surgery
