From 2nd October 2023 Schopwick Surgery is introducing a new appointment system called PATCHS, that is designed to improve access to appointments for those who need them.
All appointment requests will be reviewed by a senior GP-led team to determine the most appropriate member of our team or local service for you to consult with.
Introduction
At Schopwick Surgery we recognise how frustrating it can be to have to wait in a long queue to book an appointment or contact your GP practice. Our team have noticed a sustained increase in demand for appointments and advice. However, we have also noticed that many patients that are booking appointments do not necessarily need one or could have their query addressed better by a different member of our multidisciplinary team.
What is PATCHS?
In order to boost our capacity to see more patients and manage patient requests more effectively, we are introducing an online tool called PATCHS. This is a quick-response system through which all appointment, advice and administrative requests can be placed. Each request will be promptly assessed by a senior member of our GP-led team, and we will respond to you the same day.
Some of you may already have used PATCHS on our website for our online consultation service. We have received excellent feedback from our patients who have used it so far. At Schopwick Surgery, we strongly believe that this change will provide a safe and effective service to our patients, and allow us to increase our capacity to meet their needs.
How to register on PATCHS
To get the best use out of PATCHS, and avoid having to fill out your personal details with each request, we recommend registering with PATCHS first. Go to the PATCHS homepage and follow the registration steps oulined in the step by step guide.
How to submit a request
You can submit requests via the PATCHS website, the NHS app, or PATCHS app. Go to the PATCHS homepage to begin then follow the steps in the PATCHS guide.
What happens after I have submitted a request?
You can expect a same day response from our senior GP-led team. They might ask you for more information, photographs or documents to assist you effectively.
Appointment details including time and location (Elstree or Bushey) will be sent to you via text message. We will do our best to accommodate preferences for individual clinicians and location, however we cannot guarantee this. We will always strive to give you an appointment with the most appropriate clinician to help you with your issue.
If you cannot make an appointment that we send you, you can call the surgery to discuss rearranging this, however we cannot guarantee you another appointment with the same clinician.
It is really important that when submitting any appointment request on PATCHS, that you give as much clear information as possible on when you are able to attend the surgery for appointments, or receive a telephone call.
What if I am unable to use PATCHS?
If you are unable to use PATCHS, simply call the practice and one of our practice coordinators will complete the request for you over the phone. You will still be contacted with the outcome of your request the same day by telephone.
Rest assured, there is no need to visit the practice to book appointments anymore, however if you do so, you will be shown how to use PATCHS and contacted the same day. All appointment requests will be processed in the same way by our senior GP-led team, irrespective of the manner in which they are received.
We hope that the upcoming changes to our appointment system will improve access to appointments for those who need them and allow us to provide you with the best possible care. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us.