Launching 4th December 2023
The College Practice will shortly launch a new, additional service for patients of our GP Practice Group across Maidstone.
The service – Same Day Access – this service will run Monday to Friday, 8am to 6:30pm and provides the gateway to offer greater access to clinical assessment for patients who have more urgent needs.
Read on to learn more about the new service, how it works, and how it benefits patients and GP practices.
What is Same Day Access (SDA)?
As the name suggests, SDA is a service for registered patients who are acutely unwell or have an illness or condition that needs to be assessed the same day.
This is what we call acute illness. Something significant enough that we wouldn’t want you to wait to be assessed but not so severe that you should go to A&E or call an ambulance, this includes any
deterioration of a long-term condition. Typical examples include significant coughs, ear or skin infections, tonsilitis or urinary tract infections (UTIs), acute muscular skeletal and unwell children.
The dedicated service will be GP led and delivered by a multi-disciplinary team, which means patients can be assured they will be triaged and assessed by a highly skilled clinical team.
Why has this been introduced?
Demand for GP Services is at an all-time high. We have listened to patient feedback, reviewed the GP Survey results and considered how we better manage demand. We believe launching this new service will mean more people are assessed and managed sooner, whilst reducing the pressure on the wider NHS system; including 111 and A&E.
Our staff will work collaboratively to ensure the flexible and responsive Same Day Access team are available to help patients.
How it works
From the patients’ point of view, it starts with an eConsult – a simple, online form that will capture information about your condition to help the Practice Clinical team triage your request appropriately to provide the right care, with the right person, at the right time.
If you are unable to access or complete an eConsult, you can still contact us directly about your health issue, where one of our Care Navigators will help complete an eConsult on your behalf. Once completed, the eConsult will be triaged and one of our practice team will make contact and advise of next steps. The outcome can include advice, signposting to another appropriate service and or/ an appointment at either the Same Day Access Hub, or other Practice location.
Who are appointments with?
Our Same Day Access team includes our in-house team of GPs, Advance Nurse Practitioners, Advanced Paramedic Practitioners, Physicians Associates and Prescribing Pharmacists.
The team is highly trained, with the skills and experience to provide first-class care to patients. They can assess, diagnose, and manage various conditions or illnesses.
The team also carry out home visits for our housebound population, ensuring Same Day Access is equitable for all.
Right care, right person, right time
Additional services like this are designed to ensure people with the greatest need are seen soonest and have been co-designed to improve patient experience and staff welfare.
To do this, clinical staff use their judgement to prioritise who is seen, when and where.
You may or may not be offered a same day access appointment, however this will be based on your health need and clinical assessment.
The service is provided for registered patients of all four of The College Practice sites in Maidstone.
It is important to note:
These appointments are not available to book directly through the NHS App or online, nor is it a walk-in service. Appointments will be offered to patients based on clinical need and assessment of urgency.
This is not a service that requires you to call at 8am as eConsult can be completed anytime between 8-6pm, Monday to Friday.
To access eConsult, please visit the Practice website: www.thecollegepractice.co.uk
