Dear Maples patients,
We wish to share some news about a significant change to our appointment system that will improve the way our surgery delivers care to all of our patients.
GP practices across Herts and West Essex have been moving to a ‘Modern General Practice’ model to make access to care and treatment easier for patients and help improve patient satisfaction. This is part of the GP contract changes mandated by NHS England.
From 29th September 2025 we will be moving to a Total Triage model. Please be patient with our team as they will also be adjusting to this new way of working.
What is Total Triage?
We are asking all our patients to use an online form to contact the surgery. This will apply to anything you would normally call the surgery about: to book a routine or urgent appointment, request a prescription, to let us know about changes to your treatment or medication, to follow up results and all other administrative and clinical queries.
Whilst our phone lines will still be open, if you do call the surgery we will politely request that you complete an online form. Our phone system is able to send this direct to the mobile you are calling from via selecting option 1(unavailable with landlines). Our patient care services team are fully trained to support anyone who may not have the ability or confidence to complete the online form.
Total triage is a General Practice workflow where every patient contacting a practice first provides some information on the reasons for contact and is triaged by one of our experienced Clinicians before offering an appointment. The form is brief, and will include the following questions:
- What your query is about
- What action you would like
- The opportunity to submit photos if relevant.
You will be able to submit a form between 8am- 6:30pm (Monday – Friday), capacity allowing.
You could be given a face to face or telephone appointment within the next few days, have a reply from the Clinician with self-care advice, or you could be signposted to a more appropriate service. Clinicians may also request additional information to help prioritise those patients who need more urgent care.
You can watch a video about how to submit your form here: Patient Flash Demo: How to submit a medical request in Patient Triage – YouTube
The main purpose of the Total Triage model is to:
- enhance the quality of care our patients receive
- ensure they are given the most appropriate appointment or advice to meet their needs
- communicate with patients in a timely way
How does it work?
Patients can submit their request via the surgery’s website by clicking the “Get help online” box on our website. Administration and Medical requests have separate tabs to select on this page.
Ideally, patients will submit their own request however we appreciate that this may not be possible for some patients. If you are unable to use or access the online form then please contact the surgery in the usual way and our team will complete the request for you, which will be added to the triage list to be reviewed by the Clinician.
After the clinician will review your request you will either receive a call to be offered an appointment, receive a self-book link or you might receive a message with advice from the Clinician.
Please note that in order for the Clinician to triage your request in a timely manner it is very important to provide detailed and accurate information about your symptoms.
For example, if a patient has a cough, it would be much easier for the Clinician to triage the request with the following information: ‘I had a cough for 10 days. I have already used over the counter medicine, but it is not helping and in the last couple of days my cough has been worsening and it feels more chesty. I also have a high temperature.’
If the information given is less detailed, such as ‘I had a cough for 10 days’, it makes it harder for the Clinician to triage and we will need more information.
The Total Triage service will be open Monday to Friday. During the weekend or bank holidays please continue to use the 111 service or call 999 for life threatening emergencies.
Please note that at times we may temporarily suspend the online triage form to help manage the demand. In these circumstances you will see the following:
- a message to advise that the Patient Triage is temporarily unavailable and information on when the link will be active again and how to contact the practice another way
- a message prompting patients to use NHS 111 online, to find a local pharmacy or attend the Urgent Treatment Centre
How does this benefit you?
We know that change can be difficult sometimes, but we are confident that Total Triage will bring many benefits to our patients – for example:
- Total Triage has been shown to reduce waiting times and it enables us to attend to your medical needs more promptly.
- Using digital communication will mean that you can engage with us from the comfort of your home or workplace.
- Triage ensures that limited healthcare resources are allocated to patients who need them most urgently.
- Total Triage will address the increasing demand for appointments and reduce the frustration of having to call and be in a long queue at 8am.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens after my form is submitted?
- Administrative tasks will be dealt with by our patient support team in the usual way.
- Clinical queries are screened by the Clinician. We have appointments available within different time frames, including on the same day. Our patient support team will contact you to arrange an appointment, or you could be sent a self booking link.
- We may organise some investigations for you while you are waiting to be seen.
- It may be possible to deal with your problem directly without the need to see a clinician. Alternatively, you receive advice about self care or other services you can refer yourself to.
Why has The Maples decided to change to this system?
Experience of using this system in other practices has shown us that patients receive a much more efficient service and feedback from patients has been excellent.
They have also been able to significantly reduce waiting times to see a clinician by more effective use of appointments.
The modern general practice team is increasingly multidisciplinary and it is more important than ever that the right problem is seen by the right person. Having a doctor screening triaging the forms allows us to do this more accurately, safely and efficiently.
How has The Maples consulted with patients about the change?
We called an extraordinary meeting of the Patient Participation Group on Wednesday, 3rd September 2025 to discuss the Total Triage System. You can read the minutes of the meeting here.
All registered patients have received a text message informing them of the change.
What if my problem is urgent?
You should still submit an online form. Please do so as early as possible on the day to ensure your problem can be dealt with by our duty team.
Can I request a prescription using the online form?
Yes, this is on the same page as the medical request, under “I have an admin request”
What if I don’t have access to the internet?
We have a tablet available in reception with free Wi-Fi. You are also welcome to use our Wi-Fi with your own device. We also have paper forms in reception that we will then input for you.
What if a patient does not speak English?
We understand that it can be difficult for non-English speaking patients to access care, and we have no wish to make this harder. If possible, please ask a friend or family member to complete the form, or consider using an online translation tool such as google translate. If these options are not possible our patient support team will assist you with an interpreter if necessary.
What if a patient is housebound, elderly, or not able to use online systems?
We work hard to recognise vulnerable patients who cannot be expected to use the online form (though we would still encourage family members and carers to use the form on the patient’s behalf as it is a very useful way of communicating with the surgery). These patients will still be able to speak to our patient support team who will complete a form on their behalf.
If you have any questions or concerns our team is here to guide and support you.
Thank you for supporting us with this new project, and your patience with our team whilst they also adjust to this new way of working.
The Maples Team