Deerness Park Patient Newsletter – February- March 2025
DEERNESS PARK PATIENT NEWSLETTER- February-March 2025
Welcome to our fourth edition of our patient newsletter.
As always please see below a recap on our appointment booking system.
APPOINTMENTS-ECONSULT
In February 2023 we introduced a “clinical triage” system (econsult) for appointments to comply with the government’s requirement to improve patient access. This new system means that however you contact the practice, be that by telephone or using the online econsult, all requests are reviewed by a GP who decides which member of the practice team is the most appropriate to respond to your situation.
This may mean for example you are offered an appointment with one of the wider team of clinical specialists at the practice which could be a GP, Advanced Nurse Practitioner or Health Care Assistant based upon the GP’s assessment of the information you have provided.
Just a reminder of how the appointment/econsult system works: –
There are several ways you can access the practice for medical help (please use econsult as your first choice when contacting us if you can)
1. Via econsult online, on the app or via our practice website between the hours of 07:00am and 12:00pm. You do not need to register to use econsult, just click the get started button.
2. If you are unable to use the econsult in this way, then you should phone the practice between the hours of 08:00am and 12:00pm…. you should find a much smaller call queue these days due to the online facility.
3. Ask us when you are next in to send the econsult link to you via text- then you have it handy for whenever you may need it.
* If you are unable to use the online service, and you call the practice you will still be asked to provide details of your symptoms to a member of the reception team. This is to ensure the GP reviewing your request has all the information they need to make sure you are seen by the right member of the team.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT
There is a GP on duty from 08:00am to 18:00pm who is responsible for reviewing all the requests for medical help that day. This is usually one of our GP Partners- Dr Kisler, Dr Lucas, Dr Samy or Dr Winchester. The GP uses the information provided in the econsult to determine what happens next, at times they may request additional information. They then work with the team to arrange appropriate care.
IN EVERY CASE THE GP MAKES THE DECISION ON THE OUTCOME AND APPOINTMENT. This could be a same day appointment- telephone or face to face with a GP, an advanced nurse practitioner or sometimes they may ask for further investigation from one of the nursing or Healthcare Assistant team ahead of an appointment with the GP or nurse practitioner. It may be that the appropriate appointment is a little further away- but will always be within 2 weeks.
In some instances, the GP may respond via text or may advise a referral into the local pharmacy.
Whatever the next step the GP decides, a member of the team will contact you and inform you of this.
RECENT UPDATES
1. You will now hear an extra option on the phone line, which enables you to confirm and cancel any upcoming appointments without waiting in a queue.
2. Since the call back function on the prescription line has proved a success, we have now added this function to the appointment line and lowered the threshold…no more hanging on the line. We will call you back.
3. NHS England have printed a national blueprint on the total triage system adopted here at Deerness Park. Thank you all for your support in adapting to this change with us.
4. You may have recently been invited for an NHS Health Check if eligible and will meet two of our new faces who have been appointed to work on these checks and target our patients who we do not see for long periods of time. We are already seeing some huge success from this. If you do receive a text please book in, these checks are key to prevention and management of any risk of long-term chronic disease such as diabetes.
MEET THE TEAM
Jacqueline Tunney
Jacqui is one of our Health Check Coordinators. As a newly recognised deep end practice, we have been provided funding for a year to make a difference to the health inequalities in our practice population. If you are eligible for one of the NHS Health Checks, likelihood is you will meet Jacqui. Jacqui has an extensive background in care, having worked in hospitals overseas and here in the UK. Jacqui is an army veteran.
Allassandra Richardson
Sandy is one of our Health Check Coordinators. As a newly recognised deep end practice, we have been provided funding for a year to make a difference to the health inequalities in our practice population. If you are eligible for one of the NHS Health Checks, likelihood is you will meet Sandy.
Sandy has a great level of experience in all things healthy lifestyle having worked as a podiatrist and as a lifestyle instructor, running fitness classes with everyone active.
Deborah Surtees
Deb is our IT lead in practice. As our digital champion, Deb will lead on any digital initiatives, most recently total triage, NHS App and Healthier Together. Should you have any queries about your access on the App, how to get the most out of it, then please ask to speak to Deb in practice who is more than happy to assist. Deb is one of our longest serving team members, having worked at the practice for 22 years.
PPG
We recently had our first PCN PPG across the East of the city attended by 7 practice managers and their patient participation groups; to discuss the future of General Practice and where collectively we can make a difference. You may have seen our recent social media posts or reception materials regarding the level of funding coming into practices, and how this is significantly lower than previous years. Practices for the first time are working more closely together and applying the right level of pressure to governing bodies about the appropriateness of the work been asked vs the funding
provided. We will be doing more of this over the next few months, so watch this space for any help we may need from you as our patients.
Our net practice PPG will be held on 19th March so if you have any thoughts/concerns you would like addressed please drop an email over to dpark@nhs.net an we can add this to the agenda.
Thank you, Kirsty and the Deerness Park Team.