This is the electronic form we ask our patients to complete to help us decide what support might be needed for you. Below are some myth busters to help address some of the questions raised.
What is an eConsultation?
- This is an online form that allows patients to describe their problems.
- It will then ask several related questions to gather information.
- All E consultations are then triaged by the practice team.
- This will allow us to then decide what is the most appropriate and best care for you.
- Once the practice receives your E consultation, the majority are managed on the same working day although some that are less urgent will be managed the next working day.
Why do eConsults ask so many questions?
- We understand that patients can feel frustrated as they do ask a lot of questions.
- This is important to allow us to gather information and make sure we get enough detail to make a safe assessment.
- We appreciate it can take 5 to 10 minutes to fill out however we see this as part of having your problem assessed safely and correctly.
- Some of the questions may not seem directly relevant to your health condition but they are designed to rule out certain more serious conditions.
- When we receive the E consultation, it allows us to look for red flags and urgent problems to try and get you the most appropriate appointment for the condition.
- We are really grateful that patients take the time to fill these appropriately as it helps us enormously.
When can I send one?
- The service is available Monday to Friday between 8am and 6.30 pm (excluding bank holidays) for routine health problems.
- More urgent problems can be sent using the E consult system however we do have maximum capacity on the number of urgent patients we can see each day. Therefore, the urgent system may not be available later in the day.
- For equity of access and avoiding health inequalities, if the urgent system is turned off later in the day, if a patient rings or walks into the surgery, they will receive the same advice as if they sent an E consultation.
- If the practice reaches maximum capacity for urgent problems, you will be advised to contact NHS 111 or attend an urgent care centre if the problem is not able to wait until the next working day.
Why does it sometimes stop me sending one?
- The system is cleverly designed to check for any emergency type symptoms. This could include symptoms looking for:
- Heart attacks
- Strokes
- Bleeding
- Severe infections
- Other acute medical problems needing immediate attention.
- The E consultation system will signpost you to a more appropriate care pathway and this is sometimes why it stops you sending one. We encourage you not to ignore this as it could put you at risk.
- Very rarely, we must turn off the system completely, but this is usually due to an emergency within the practice such as loss of power
Can someone else send it for me?
Yes
The system allows you to say if you are sending on behalf of yourself or another person.
If you find it difficult to complete it on your own, we will strongly encourage you to get a family member or friend to help fill it in.