Earlier this week, Richard had a very useful online catch-up with the senior team at Ivel Medical Centre.
Speaking afterwards, he said:
Notwithstanding the occasional hiccup, I believe Ivel have made significant improvements over the past 12 months or so and this was certainly borne out by my recent request for feedback on primary healthcare provision in and around Biggleswade.
One of the main areas of discussion was on 'Total Triage' and the not widely known mandate from NHS England for all GP practices to move to an online Total Triage model by 1st April 2025. Total triage is designed to alleviate the purgatory of the 8am phone call lottery by allowing patients to provide information on the online system which allows the practice to decide what treatment, including what kind of appointment is most appropriate.
On the 10th of March 2025 Ivel Medical Centre went live with SystmConnect—their new online Total Triage platform. Prior to launch, their most vulnerable patients were invited to a session at the practice to help them understand the new system. Text messages briefly explaining the change were also issued. Using technology for healthcare can feel overwhelming so for patients still having difficulty accessing the website or submitting a request online, support is available.
A Receptionist is available to guide patients over the phone with basic queries, such as where to find the correct link. For more in-depth, one-to-one digital support, Ivel's Social Prescriber is available every Wednesday and can offer up to 30 minutes of guidance.
A step-by-step guide has been published on Ivel's website which includes a summary of frequently asked questions.: https://ivelmedicalcentre.co.uk/appointments/
Ivel have sought feedback from patients on the new system and so far the response has been generally very positive although there has inevitably been some concerns raised by those who are not regular technology users and the practice continues to take steps to assist in these circumstances.
Moving forward, Ivel can now review Total Triage data to more accurately assess day to day demand and better predict patient activity. Over the coming weeks, they plan to use this information to continue to improve the service, with a view to striving to meet the priority needs of their registered population and offering a more pleasant patient experience.
I appreciate that it is still relatively early days with this new system but I am encouraged by what I've seen and heard and believe such an approach is the only way to effectively manage the provision of GP services in the 21st century. I would be interested in the feedback of patients who have used the system, in particular in the coming few weeks as patients and staff get used to total triage and hopefully start to fully experience the benefits.
