A routine appointment system is run at Borough Green Medical Practice.

Please use the online triage form below for non-urgent requests or telephone 01732 883161 for more urgent appointments during normal working hours.

You will be offered the next available appointment with your own doctor. Most appointments at present are on the telephone but there are a small number of pre-bookable face to face consultations available.

If you are unable to wait until the next appointment we have urgent on the day telephone slots available but we ask that you do not take an urgent slot unless it is something that you would otherwise have to attend A&E or speak to 111 about.

The receptionist will ask you the purpose of your call so that they can note this for the doctor who will then be able to deal with the most urgent calls first.

What is Accurx Patient Triage?

Patient Triage enables NHS based GP practices to offer online consultations to their patients. This allows patients to submit their symptoms or requests to their own GP practice electronically, and offers around the clock NHS self-help information, signposting to services, and a symptom checker. The practice would like patients to use this for non-urgent medical advice and for administrative requests e.g. repeat prescriptions, fit notes or general administrative questions etc. For acute medical conditions that you feel requires a same day response, please call the practice and speak to the reception team. Please do not submit an online consultation for such conditions.

For medical/clinical queries (non-urgent), the online forms can be submitted between 8am to 6:30pm Monday to Friday (excluding Bank Holidays). However in the event we reach a safe working capacity, the clinical submissions will be switched off for that day.

For administrative enquiries the form is available 7 days a week, please note that forms submitted out of hours will not be looked at until the next working day.

Please don't worry if you do not have access to the internet or have difficulty with IT, you can pop into or call the surgery and a member of our Reception Team will be happy to help with your enquiry. Once your submission has been reviewed by the Triage Team, we will contact you with the outcome.

Please click on the link that relates to your main query:

Medical Request - https://accurx.nhs.uk/patient-initiated/G82120/flow/medical-request

Doctor's letter - please note that doctor's letters are a private service and may incur a charge - https://accurx.nhs.uk/patient-initiated/G82120/flow/doctors-letter

Fit (Sick) Note request - https://accurx.nhs.uk/patient-initiated/G82120/flow/fit-note

Repeat Prescription Request - the quickest, easiest way to do this would be to download the NHS App for free - https://accurx.nhs.uk/patient-initiated/G82120/flow/repeat-prescription

Test Results - Download the NHS App for free

Something else - https://accurx.nhs.uk/patient-initiated/G82120/flow/something-else

How does Patient Triage work?

Patient Triage is easy for patients and practices

Patient Triage lets you consult with your NHS GP practice online by completing a quick form that is sent and reviewed by the practice. You can also be directed to patient self-help, pharmacy advice and local self-referral services.

Benefits

You'll wonder how you did without it

• Patients may not need a trip to the surgery and their query may be resolved with a phone call
• There is no need to change surgery to get digital first access. Patients complete an online GP consultation with their own practice when they need to
• Patients will get a response from their own NHS GP practice within 2 working days for clinical submissions and 5 working days for administrative submissions
• Patients can request sick notes and test results without the need for an appointment saving patient and practice time

If possible, please try to telephone reception on 01732 883161 between 08:00 and 10:00 if you require a home visit.

A doctor or nurse may phone you back as it may be that your problem can be dealt with by telephone advice, or that it would be more appropriate to send a nurse, or indeed arrange a hospital attendance.

House visits are only available for patients who are housebound because of illness or disability.

Please remember that several patients can be seen in the practice in the time that it takes to make one home visit. There are also better facilities for examining and treating patients at the Practice.

On the 1st October 2018 Improved Access was launched nationwide and you can now see a GP or other healthcare professional during:

• weekday evenings between 18:30 and 20:00
• Saturdays and Sundays
• These appointments offered could be:
• at your registered practice
• another local GP practices
• another local NHS service - such as a General Practice Hub

What type of appointments will be available?

Evening appointments between 18:30 – 20:00 Monday to Friday will be offered by a practice in your area. We are currently offering appointments on Mondays and Thursdays at our Practice. We also have early appointments on a Tuesday morning between 7am and 8 am. These appointments will be offered by a range of clinical professionals.

Patients registered with the practice are also able to access appointments with a GP at two designated sites from 09:00am to 17:00pm on a Saturday.

These can be booked either via the reception team or by calling NHS111

 Who can book these appointments?

Improved Access appointments are available for all patients registered with a west Kent practice. However, it will be unlikely that you will be seen by your normal GP and it is likely that you will have to go to a different surgery to your registered practice for these appointments.

 How can I book an appointment? 

In order to book these appointments, you contact your surgery reception staff as normal. You will not be able to phone the reception staff on Saturdays, Sundays / Bank Holidays or between 18:30 to 20:00 Monday to Friday.

You can only attend these appointments if you have pre-booked.  If you do not have an appointment and require medical attention when the surgery is closed please call 111.

It is important that you inform the reception staff if you are unable to attend your appointment, this will allow that appointment to be offered to another patient. If you fail to notify the Practice that you are unable to attend, you will be sent a letter informing you that you have defaulted from your appointment. Persistent defaulters maybe removed from the Practice list.

We have a texting service which allows you to receive confirmation and reminders about your appointments.To have this service you will need to register by completing a consent form.

Please remember to update your contact details with us when you change address, telephone numbers and email address.