Appointments

From Wednesday 3^rd December, all requests for appointments with a doctor or nurse practitioner will be triaged by a clinician before booking an appointment. This system is known as total triage.

Please use this link to submit your request to us at Mount Road Practice:  Submit an online request

The following videos will provide more information about total triage and how you can submit an online request.

What is Total Triage?

How to submit and online request form

Frequently Asked Questions

What is total triage?

Total triage means every patient request is assessed by a clinician (GP or Nurse Practitioner) before an appointment is offered.

This means you will no longer be able to call up and book an appointment with a GP or Nurse Practitioner directly.

It also means that you can send the information directly to a medically trained person, rather than passing information through reception.

Why are we doing this?

There are a number of reasons.

Firstly, to deal with what is known as the “8am rush” on the telephone.

We have had feedback over the last few months where patients felt they had to wait when they called the surgery on the phone, particularly at 8am. We have reduced this over the last 3 years significantly, however, to improve things further, we are changing the way the appointments are booked.

Secondly, we want to ensure that our patients are being seen in the right appointment, with the right person at the right time. We have listened to the feedback from our patients, and we want to direct you to the most suitable clinician for your appointment.

Thirdly, to improve continuity. You are able to say who you would prefer to see on the form. We will try and accommodate your request where possible, and that will help with continuity. We might suggest another clinician if we feel you need to be seen sooner than the next appointment with your preferred clinician, or if there is a better member of the team to deal with your problem.

How do I make an appointment then?

You can contact us by completing the online form. Many of you have been using the same form online for the last couple years to send your requests to the practice.

This is on the front page of our website – there is a green section which states ‘ Contact us online’.  If you cannot complete a form yourself, you could ask your next of kin to do it on your behalf, if that’s suitable and appropriate.

You can also contact our reception team who will do it with over the phone or in person.

What happens after you submit your request?

It will be looked at by a doctor or nurse practitioner (so a medically trained person). They will then offer you a suitable appointment, or advice based on your need.

Will I still be able to see a GP?

Yes. If a GP appointment is needed, you will be offered one. Total triage ensures you see the right clinician, who has the expertise to deal with your request.

What happens if I need an appointment that same day? How quickly will I hear back ?

We will be responding to all the online queries on the same day, often within a short time frame of a couple of hours and will be offering same day appointments where necessary.

What if I need help in an emergency?

If you believe it is an emergency, kindly call 999 or go to A&E.

What happens if I want a certain doctor or nurse practitioner?

You are able to say who you would prefer to see on the form. We will try and accommodate where possible, but we might suggest another clinician if we feel you need to be seen sooner than the next appointment with that person, or if there is a better member of the team to deal with your problem.

Do all appointments need to be booked this way?

All appointments with Doctors and Nurse Practitioners will need to be booked using the new total triage system.

Will this change how patients with long-term conditions are managed?

No. You will still be invited for regular reviews, medication monitoring and check-ups. You will be able to book appointments to get your blood test taken, appointments for smear tests and annual reviews with the nurse for chronic conditions, such as Diabetes, Asthma etc directly with the reception without using the form.

When can I complete a form?

You will be able to complete a form from 8am-6.30pm Monday to Friday. Outside these hours, kindly contact NHS 111 for your queries which cannot wait till the next working day.

Can I still request repeat prescriptions?

Yes. You can request repeats online, through the NHS App, or using the repeat prescription slip, as you are currently doing.

What services can I be directed to besides a GP?

Depending on your need, you may be given an appointment with a suitable clinician such as a pharmacist, mental health practitioner, physiotherapist or dietician. You may also be directed to the Pharmacy First service for minor ailments such as sore throats and earache.

Booking appointments at Mount Road Practice

You can choose a face-to-face or telephone consultation.

A doctor or nurse practitioner will triage all GP and Advanced Nurse Practitioner appointments. The reception team will no longer make these appointments for you.

If you do not have digital access, the reception team can help. They will complete and submit your request for you.

Patients can submit their requests online between 8 am and 6.30 pm, Monday to Friday. A clinician will only review requests within these times. Outside these hours, we will triage requests on the following working day.

• You can book all appointments with our Practice Nurses or Health Care Support Worker in the following ways:
  • Calling the surgery at 01782 777991.
  • Visiting  Reception in person
  • Submitting an medical request via the NHS App
  • Contact us about your request – Patient Portal

When you submit an online request, the surgery will pass your query to our triage team. They will reply without delay.

We try to make sure you see the doctor of your choice. If they are not available, we may ask you to see another doctor.

Routine Appointments

To request a non-urgent appointment within the next one to two weeks.

• Select the medical request section and submit your request.
• The Practice Team will review your request. We will contact you to either make an appointment or signpost you to a more suitable service.
• Our enhanced hours team may also offer you an appointment. This will be an evening or weekend appointment.
• Please do not submit urgent medical requests through the admin query option.

Same Day / Urgent Appointments

To request an urgent appointment for the same day.

• Select the medical request section and submit your request.
• The Practice team will review your request. We will contact you to either make an appointment or signpost you to a more suitable service.
• Our enhanced hours team may also offer you an appointment. This will be an evening or weekend appointment.
• Please do not submit urgent medical requests through the admin query option.

Your Appointment

We will offer you the most appropriate type of appointment, dependent on your request. This may be:

• By phone
• Face to face at the surgery.
• On a video call.
• By text or email.

While patients may prefer a certain type of consultation, this may not always be suitable.

Please give us as much information as possible when submitting your request. This allows us to triage your request and book the correct appointment. The information that you submit on your request form will be saved into your medical records.

NB: Please can we remind all our patients that you should arrive on time for your appointment. If you’re more than 10 minutes late, we can’t guarantee that the clinician will see you. You may need to rebook your appointment. We understand it can be frustrating to wait when you’re running late to see the doctor, but sometimes this is beyond our control. Arriving late causes delays all day. This means appointments won’t run on time. Please call 01782 777991 if you are going to be late, so we can notify the clinician. The clinician can then advise if you need to rearrange or cancel.

Home Visits

If you’re too ill to visit the surgery, please choose the medical request section. Then, submit your request before 10 am for a home visit. Home visits take more time for doctors. If you can move around, please come to the surgery for your appointment.

You might get a home visit from the Primary Care Network paramedic. They work with the practice and will talk to the doctor on call about your care.

Family Pets – Home Visit Policy

To ensure the safety of our staff, we kindly ask that all family pets are secured and not present in the same area during home visits.

While we understand that most pets are normally friendly, a home visit—especially when someone is unwell—can be a stressful situation. Pets may react unpredictably to unfamiliar people, medical examinations, or emergency care.

For the safety of both staff and patients, it is our policy that healthcare professionals will not enter a home if a pet is loose or present in the room. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation.

Enhanced & Extended Access Appointments

We are committed to making healthcare more accessible for all our patients. To support this, we offer both Enhanced Access and Extended Access appointment options, including evenings and weekends.

Enhanced Access Appointments

We offer evening and weekend appointments from Basford House, designed to provide flexibility for patients who may struggle to attend during normal surgery hours.

• These appointments are pre-bookable via our reception team
• Available to all registered patients

Extended Access Appointments

As part of the Newcastle North Primary Care Network, we also offer extended access appointments on Saturdays, shared on a rotating basis across the following five practices:

• Mount Road Practice
• Heathcote Street Surgery
• Dr Harbidge and Partners
• Audley Health Centre
• Talke Clinic

This service helps working patients access appointments without needing to take time off work.

Important:
If your appointment is at a different practice, the clinician may ask for your consent to view your medical records via the EMIS clinical system.
Without this consent, they will not be able to see you.

Chaperones

We understand that you may wish for a chaperone to be present during your consultation.

Please ask one of the receptionists before your appointment. Our clinicians may also need a chaperone to be present in certain situations.

Changing an appointment or cancelling.

If you can’t make it to an appointment, please let us know right away. This way, we can offer the slot to someone else.

You can cancel your appointment in various ways:

• Through the Log in – NHS App Online
• Via the link in your appointment reminder text message.
• Contact the surgery on 01782 777991

Non-Urgent Admin Request

• Select the admin query section and submit your request.

You can request the following:

• Letters from the GP
• A continuation/extension of your current fit note or sick note.
• An update on your referral.
• A repeat prescription/medication information.
• Get information on test results.
• Have a non-urgent medical request.
• Have a query about something else

Commonly asked questions

Why have you changed the appointment system?

This online system is a quick, easy, and flexible way to reach the practice for medical or admin questions. Patients are already using the service for non-urgent admin enquiries. We can sort these requests. This way, the right team at Mount Road Practice can handle them. Online consulting gives you flexibility. You don’t have to wait in a queue at 8am. Filling it out is easy, but if you run into trouble, call the practice. We can help you complete it if needed.

We know this is a big change, but it’s necessary. It helps us give you the best and safest healthcare possible.

We get how frustrating it is to book an appointment with a clinician and how long it takes to reach the practice. We have listened to your feedback and have decided to move in a direction that is total triage.

Total Triage is now available in GP practices across the country. Patients are sharing positive feedback.

This changes how we book appointments. Instead of calling the practice at 8am, when our lines are busiest, you will have a new way to secure your spot.

What are the benefits for patients?

• Flexible
• Convenient
• The right person for the right problem.
• No more waiting time in telephone queues.
• Appointment with your preferred clinician.
• Signposted to the appropriate service – Clinical, ARRS staff, Pharmacy, etc.

How does the online booking system work at Mount Road Practice?

Our online consultation system opens at 08:00 a.m.

You can contact us using the admin request option at any time during any working day. This is for non-urgent requests only.

What if I do not have access to the internet, or I am not well versed in how to get online?

If you can’t do this due to your personal situation, our Reception team can submit your request for you.

Patients can contact the surgery by phone or walk in, and a member of the team will support them with their request.

For those who are vulnerable or housebound, and unable to get to the surgery, we can offer home visits. Your GP will come to your home if your condition needs it and you cannot get to the surgery.

Please watch the video on how to use Total Triage