Care Navigation helps people to find the most appropriate source of help.
This means that our specially trained reception staff may ask questions about why appointments are required.
You are not obliged to answer the questions they ask, however by doing so we can make sure that those people who really need to see a GP can see them as soon as possible.
Virtually everyone who calls to make an appointment asks to see a GP, but very often help will be available more quickly from other highly skilled medical professionals such as nurses or pharmacists, or from other services, including the voluntary sector, they can support people with a wide range of social, emotional or practical needs.
Our trained reception staff will be able to offer you the most appropriate help using the range of information they have access to.
Please don’t be offended if they ask what the problem is when you call to make an appointment.
The Medical Receptionist might suggest other professionals that could help you better such as:
- Acute Eye Pathway
- Pharmacist First. Common Ailment Services
- Pharmacy First. Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) and Impetigo
- Practice Nurse
- Nurse Practitioner
- Health Care Support Worker
- Midwife
- Family Services
- Support. Voluntary and Community Sector Hub (VCS): anxiety, depression, bereavement, isolation, home issues, debt problems etc
- Dental Care
- Haywood Walk in Centre
- Healthy Mind Psychological Services
Why is Care Navigation helpful
- Giving patients the choice
- Increasing patient control
- Making sure the patient gets the appropriate service straight away
- Saving patients time
What Care Navigation is NOT
- Your Medical Receptionist does NOT make clinical decisions about your health
If the service you have been provided does not meet your needs, we would ask that you get back in touch.