What is Total Triage?
Total triage is a General Practice workflow where every patient contacting a practice first provides some information on their reason for contact and is then triaged by a clinician before an appointment, if needed, is made. It has been designed to facilitate equity of access to care and to ensure that those patients who most need an appointment are able to get one, at the right time, with the right person.How will it work?When you visit our website to complete an appointment request, you will be asked a few questions so we can get an idea of what you need. You will also be asked how you would like to be contacted by us when responding to your request. In order for your request to be triaged in a timely manner it is very important that you provide detailed and accurate responses to the questions asked. Our online system is accessible to everyone, with no need to download an app or log in. All you need is access to the internet and you can access the system from any device, including your smartphone or tablet. Simply visit: https://www.theavenuesurgerybrighton.co.uk/
An appointment request can then be submitted from 20th April 2026 by:-
• Clicking on the Appointments tab at the top of our Homepage
• Selecting the ‘Contact Us Online’ link
• Selecting ‘Health review’
• Check the emergency symptoms before selecting “Continue, I have none of these”
• Complete “Health Review – Health Problem” form
• Selecting “Next “
• Complete “Your details” and select “Submit Request”
If you do not have access to the internet or a smartphone, please phone us or come into the surgery and a receptionist will complete the form on your behalf. If when visiting the surgery you would prefer to write your answers down rather than speaking at reception, we will enable you to do this. All patient requests will then be reviewed by a GP led triage team, who will decide what the best course of action is and get back to you the same day. Possible outcomes could include:
• A same day face to face or telephone appointment with a member of our clinical team
• A pre-bookable (within 7 days or more than 7 days) face to face or telephone appointment with a member of our clinical team. A booking link for a Practice Nurse, Healthcare Assistant, Phlebotomist or First Contact Practitioner appointment
• A reply from the triage team with self-care advice
• Signposting or referral to a more appropriate service, for example a local pharmacy
It has been shown to reduce waiting times and it will enable us to attend to our patients’ medical needs more promptly and based on clinical need and urgency• Using digital communication will mean that you can engage with us from the comfort of your home or workplace• It will address the increasing demand for appointments and reduce the frustration of having to call and be in a long queue at 8am. Please work with us to establish this new way of working. This new approach is fairer and ensures you are directed to the right service for your needs, without unnecessary delay. We are committed to supporting patients and their families/carers to get used to this new way of contacting the practice and to becoming comfortable with this over time. If you have any questions or concerns our team is here to guide and support you and we will, of course, provide additional support to those patients who are struggling to use our online system.
Thank you for supporting us with this new project.
