A GP practice triage system is used to assess and prioritise patients based on the urgency of their symptoms or requests.
The possible outcomes from our triage system include:
1. Emergency Signposting
- Outcome: Patient is advised to call 999 or go to A&E.
- Reason: Symptoms suggest life-threatening or urgent medical issues (e.g. chest pain, stroke symptoms, suicidal intentions).
2. Urgent Signposting
- Outcome: Patient is advised to attend the Urgent Care Centre or call NHS 111
- Reason: Symptoms suggest urgent same-day assistance or advice at a time that we have reached safe capacity levels.
3. Urgent Same-Day GP Appointment
- Outcome: Patient is booked in for a same-day face-to-face or telephone appointment.
- Reason: Symptoms require prompt clinical attention but not emergency-level (e.g. high fever in a child, worsening asthma).
4. Routine GP Appointment
- Outcome: Appointment scheduled within a few days or weeks.
- Reason: Non-urgent medical issues (e.g. chronic or longstanding condition management).
5. Telephone GP Appointment
- Outcome: Clinician calls patient to consult over the phone.
- Reason: Issue can be assessed remotely (e.g. follow-ups, minor ailments, mental health checks).
6. Advice or Self-Care Guidance
- Outcome: Patient is given self-care instructions or directed to NHS advice (e.g., NHS 111, website).
- Reason: Symptoms are mild or self-limiting (e.g. cold, sore throat without red flags).
7. First Contact Practitioner (FCP) Appointment
- Outcome: Patient is booked a face-to-face appointment with an FCP
- Reason: Musculoskeletal issue specialists e.g. back pain, foot pain, shoulder pain. FCP’s can refer on for physiotherapy, imaging and liaise with the GP for pain relief.
8. Advanced Nurse Practitioner (ANP) Appointment
- Outcome: Patient is booked a face-to-face appointment with a prescribing nurse.
- Reason: Patient presents with worsening symptoms that are not responding to pharmacy treatment (e.g. conjunctivitis, cold/cough, fever, rashes, diarrhoea, vomiting).
9. In-house Pharmacist Appointment
- Outcome: Patient is booked a telephone consultation with one of our pharmacists
- Reason: Medication related issues (e.g. Medication review, side effects, prescription synchronization, repeat dispensing).
10. Signposting to Other Services
- Outcome: Patient is referred to:
- Pharmacy First Scheme (e.g. for minor ailments, UTI, medication queries)
- Community Urgent Eye Service (for urgent eye symptoms)
- Mental health services (for mental health crisis)
- iCaSH Milton Keynes – Sexual health clinic
- Reason: Other services are more appropriate for the concern.
11. Administrative Resolution
- Outcome: Request is handled without clinician input.
- Examples:
- Sick note requests
- Repeat prescriptions
- Existing referrals
12. Further Triage or Follow-Up Needed
- Outcome: Patient is contacted for more information.
- Reason: Symptoms unclear or not enough information initially provided.