Patient Story on using our new Patient Triage System

Patient Triage system at Ivy Medical Group – a positive experience

I am a 71 year old woman and I had been having repeated nose bleeds which had been difficult to stop.

On looking up my nose I discovered a strange looking ‘growth’. I was of course extremely worried and felt I needed to see my GP.

A friend had told me that our GP practice had recently started using an online system for requesting GP advice/appointments. Although somewhat sceptical of technology associated with the NHS, I went onto the practice website and completed the request forms. I expressed my worry that this growth could be cancerous and was causing me some anxiety. It was a straightforward process and really did not take very long. This was at 9.00 am on a Monday morning. In the past if I had called the surgery on a Monday morning, I would have spent ages in a phone queue and would likely not have got an appointment that day, or even for several weeks. Being able to complete a simple form online was so much easier and quicker. Within an hour I was contacted by the surgery and was given an appointment for that morning at 11.00 am.

The Clinician was very helpful and referred me online immediately on a two-week cancer pathway to QMC ENT.

I had an appointment nine days later on the following Wednesday. The Consultant reassured me that the growth was very likely nothing of concern but took a biopsy to make sure. I await the results.

To me, the whole process was an example of how the NHS can, and should operate. Rapid access to primary care and a fast referral to specialist hospital services.

I admit to being pleasantly surprised that all the technology worked as it did, so well done!