When you submit an online triage request, you are asked to describe your medical concern honestly and accurately. This information is used by our clinical team to assess urgency, allocate the right appointment type, and ensure other patients can also access timely care.
We have identified a pattern of patients submitting triage requests that misrepresent their actual concern in order to obtain a GP appointment, including urgent GP appointments, when the matter raised is unrelated to the stated medical reason, could have been managed by another member of our clinical team, or would have been more appropriately directed to a pharmacy (Pharmacy First) or another service.
This is not acceptable. Submitting misleading triage information:
- Occupies GP appointments that could have been directed to another clinician or service
- Delays access for patients with a genuine clinical need requiring a GP appointment
- Places unnecessary demand on our GP team who could otherwise be attending to patients with clinical conditions who can’t be treated by other clinician or service.
Our response: Patients found to be submitting inaccurate or misleading triage requests will receive a formal written warning. If the behaviour continues, the practice may initiate removal from the patient list on the grounds of breakdown of the GP-patient relationship, in accordance with NHS England guidance.
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