Appointments are made by your usual GP practice, except for pharmacist appointments which are made by contacting them.
This is a guide for practice staff making bookings for Improved Access (IA) appointments. From within SystmOne, access the remote booking option from the menu.
Appointments > Remote Booking (Ctrl+Shift+Q)
You will now be able to see available appointments by choosing date or by location and double clicking. When booking appointment we would appreciate if you could complete the Details to state the name of the booking surgery, and perhaps a couple of words to indicate the purpose of the appointment, for example
- Appointment Adam Smith
- Details HARTLAND for ECG and BP check
Booking for a blood test
Blood testing is available through HCA appointments. There is a Saturday collection taken to the hospital by Devon Freewheelers courier and Sunday bloods can be spun, refrigerated and collected on Mondays. To ensure the test results are available to the usual practice, they are required to generate an Ordercomms request otherwise there is not a suitable mechanism to return the test results to the usual practice.
Please generate an Ordercomms request, Complete a blood form and give the patient both the form and sample stickers and indicate when booking, eg appointment details: HARTLAND bloods patient given forms.
ECG, Spirometry and Smear appointments
We plan to publish a skills list so that the booking surgery can confirm the Doctor, HCA or Nurse is able to perform the requested test or investigation.
Is this patient suitable?
Please remember these appointments are not replacing urgent care provided by Devon Doctors and accessed by calling 111, or walk in services at minor injury or A&E. Indemnity cover for providing these appointments requires the following:
- Pre-booked patients (can be same-day appointments) from the local area
- Access to full GP records
- Case mix of patients in line with routine in-hours GP care
We would also request you don’t book patients with complicated mental health needs or drug seeking behaviour. These appointments are delivered outside regular working hours, there are fewer staff on site within the practice and we want to ensure safety of those delivering the service is considered. We have more detailed patient selection advice here.