BIG NEWS: TOTAL TRIAGE IS COMING
BIG NEWS: TOTAL TRIAGE IS COMING
From 1 September 2026
Getting help from your GP practice is changing.
At Castleton Health Centre, we're introducing Total Triage to make sure you receive the right care, from the right person, at the right time.
Total triage
We are moving to Total Triage on 1st September.
What is Total Triage?
Total triage is where every patient contacting the practice first provides some information on the reasons for contact and is triaged before an appointment is made or neccessary.
All patient requests will be triaged to decide what the best course of action is.
How does it work?
All patients will be asked to submit a request via Accurx, however we appreciate that this may not be possible for some patients. If you are unable to use or access the practice online form then please contact the surgery in the usual way and we will complete the request for you and add you to the triage list, if necessary, to be reviewed.
After we have reviewed your request you will either receive a call or a message to be offered a same day appointment, an advanced appointment, you might receive a message with advice from the GP, or signposted to another more appropriate service.
Please note that in order for us to triage your request in a timely manner it is very important to provide detailed and accurate information about your symptoms when you contact us in the first place. For example, if a patient has a cough, it would be much easier to triage the request with the following information: ‘I had a cough for 10 days. I have already used over the counter medicine, but it is not helping and in the last couple of days my cough has been worsening and it feels chestier. I also have a high temperature.’
How does this benefit you?
We know that change can be difficult sometimes, but we are confident that Total Triage will bring many benefits to our patients – for example:
reduce waiting times and it enables us to attend to your medical needs more promptly.
Using digital communication will mean that you can engage with us from the comfort of your home or workplace.
Triage ensures that limited healthcare resources are allocated to patients who need them most urgently.
Total Triage will address the increasing demand for appointments and reduce the frustration of having to call and be in a long queue at 8am.
Reduce waiting times on the phone for those who need to call for other reasons.
