Digital Triage at Southend Coastal Surgeries | Anima & NHS App
Digital triage.
Two words that can make some people think:
“Oh dear. I’m going to need to understand technology now, aren’t I?”
Well, no.
If you are a patient at Southend Coastal Surgeries, whether you attend North Shoebury Surgery, Thorpe Bay Surgery or Westcliff Medical Centre, I want to reassure you that you do not have to be digitally minded to receive the same fair and appropriate care.
In fact, we still have lots of patients who don’t use our digital services at all.
And that’s absolutely fine.
Digital triage does not mean digital-only healthcare.
It is simply another way of getting your request to us.
“But I’m not very good with technology…”
I hear this one a lot.
And when I say a lot, I mean a lot.
There are people who can confidently order a new phone, transfer all their data, set up a smart watch and have Alexa controlling their heating before breakfast.
And then there are the rest of us.
The people who stare suspiciously at an app update and wonder what was wrong with the old version.
If you’re in the second group, don’t worry.
You can still call us.
You can still pop into the surgery.
And one of our Care Navigators can help you with your request.
They can talk through what you need and help you provide the information required for the triage process.
And here’s the really important bit:
The triage is exactly the same.
It doesn’t matter whether you:
- complete your request yourself using Anima
- use Anima through the NHS App
- speak to Andi, our digital receptionist
- telephone the surgery
- pop into the surgery
- or ask one of our Care Navigators to help you
Your request is still assessed according to clinical need.
There isn’t a special fast lane for people who know how to use technology.
And there definitely isn’t a slow lane for people who don’t.
You can still register with Southend Coastal Surgeries
I also want to make this really clear for anyone thinking about registering with Southend Coastal Surgeries.
Please don’t think that you need to be confident with computers, smartphones or apps to become one of our patients.
You don’t.
We know that some people love digital services and some people don’t.
Some patients have smartphones practically glued to their hands.
Others quite reasonably think that a telephone was a perfectly good invention and don’t see why everything now needs an app.
Both are welcome.
If you’re not comfortable using digital services, that should not stop you registering with us. We will still help you access the care you need.
Fancy having a go at using Anima?
Now, if you’re reading this thinking:
“Actually, I wouldn’t mind giving this digital stuff a go…”
Then brilliant!
You don’t need to be a technology expert.
Anima gives you another way to contact your GP practice about a health problem.
You can access Anima through our practice website and, where available, through the NHS App.
The NHS App provides a way to contact your GP surgery online about a health problem, without necessarily needing to telephone the practice.
And if you’re wondering how complicated it is, here’s the simple version.
How to use Anima
1. Go to Anima
You can access Anima through our practice website.
You may also be able to access online GP services through the NHS App.
2. Answer the questions
You’ll be asked some questions about your health problem and what help you need.
Don’t worry about finding the perfect medical words.
Just tell us what is happening in your own words and give us as much useful information as you can.
3. Send your request
Once you’ve completed the questions, send your request to the practice.
4. Our team reviews it
Your information comes into the practice and is reviewed as part of our triage process.
The appropriate member of the clinical team can then decide what the most suitable next step is.
And remember:
Using Anima does not mean you have to see someone digitally.
You might still be offered a face-to-face GP appointment, a telephone consultation, treatment, advice or another appropriate service.
The technology is simply helping us get the information we need to work out what happens next.
“But what if I get stuck?”
This is where I want to make life really easy.
If you fancy having a go at using Anima but you’re not sure how to set it up on your phone, come and see us.
Pop into the surgery and ask to speak to one of our Care Navigators.
They will be only too happy to help you.
They can help you get started, show you how to access the app or help you work out how to use the service on your phone.
There is absolutely no shame in asking for help.
We don’t expect everyone to automatically know how to use every new bit of technology that comes along.
After all, nobody was born knowing how to use a smartphone.
And if you decide that Anima really isn’t for you?
That’s okay too.
Meet Andi — our digital receptionist
If you’ve read my earlier blog, A Day in the Life of a GP Care Navigator/Receptionist, you’ll already know about Andi.
For those who haven’t met him yet, Andi is our digital receptionist.
He’s there to help patients who are happy to use a digital route to contact us.
And if you’d rather use Andi than wait for a Care Navigator to help you, you can.
But once again, Andi doesn’t decide how urgently you need care.
He doesn’t replace the clinical team.
And he certainly doesn’t sit there with a tiny doctor’s bag making diagnoses.
The information you provide still goes through the same triage process.
Don’t want to wait? Request a call back
We know that sometimes our telephone lines can be busy.
Our Care Navigators are dealing with telephone calls, patients at the reception desk, clinical queries, prescriptions, appointments and approximately 47 other things that weren’t on their list five minutes ago.
So, if you don’t want to wait on the telephone for a Care Navigator to become available, you can request a call back.
When our telephone lines quieten down, one of our team will call you back.
You can then speak to a Care Navigator who can help you with your request.
Or, of course, you can pop into the surgery.
We know that sometimes speaking to a real person is simply easier.
And we don’t want anyone to feel that choosing that option means they’re doing healthcare “wrong”.
The triage is still the same
This is probably the most important message in this whole blog.
Digital triage doesn’t mean digital care.
Whether your request comes through Anima, the NHS App, Andi , the telephone or via a Care Navigator at the reception desk, the clinical triage process remains the same.
Your symptoms and circumstances are considered.
The appropriate questions are asked.
The information is reviewed.
And the decision about what happens next is based on clinical need.
Not whether you managed to download an app.
Not whether you can type quickly.
Not whether you know what “two-factor authentication” means.
And definitely not whether your phone battery is currently sitting at 3%.
“So what happens after I’ve been triaged?”
Once a decision has been made about your care, you shouldn’t be left wondering what happens next.
If you would like to know when your care or appointment will be arranged, you can request for one of our Care Coordinators to call you back.
They can let you know what the next step is and when you can expect to be contacted or seen, depending on the outcome of your triage.
Sometimes that may be an appointment.
Sometimes it may be a telephone consultation.
Sometimes another healthcare professional or service may be more appropriate.
And sometimes you may simply need advice or treatment.
The important thing is that the decision is based on what you need, not on how you contacted us.
We still have lots of patients who don’t use digital services
And that’s okay.
Honestly.
We are not expecting every patient at North Shoebury Surgery, Thorpe Bay Surgery and Westcliff Medical Centre to suddenly become an expert in digital healthcare overnight.
We know our patients are different.
Some people will love Anima.
Some will happily chat to Andi.
Some will use the NHS App for everything.
And some will continue to pick up the telephone or walk through the front door.
All of those people matter to us.
Our aim with digital triage isn’t to make life more difficult for people who aren’t digitally confident.
It’s about giving people more ways to contact us and helping us make sure that requests reach the right person and are prioritised according to clinical need.
Thinking about registering with us?
Please don’t think:
“I’m not good with computers, so Southend Coastal Surgeries probably isn’t for me.”
It is.
If you’re eligible to register with us, we’d much rather you register and have access to the care you need than decide against it because you’re worried about using digital services.
And if, once you’re registered, you decide you’d quite like to give Anima a try?
We’ll help you.
Come in.
Ask one of our Care Navigators.
We’ll help you get it set up on your phone, show you where to go and help you get started.
You might even surprise yourself.
And if it all goes horribly wrong?
Don’t worry.
We’re still here.
Because behind all the technology, the apps, the forms and even Andi…
there are still people.
People who listen.
People who help.
People who navigate.
People who coordinate.
And people who make sure you get to the right care at the right time.
Digital triage is another door into the surgery.
It isn’t the only door.
And you are very much still welcome through all the others.
http://www.southendcoastalsurgeries.co.uk
Home
behindtheclinicdoorbusiness 