We had a Practice 'Away- day' afternoon yetserday to look at means of reducing
our workload, and one thing that we discussed at length was increased use of
nurse triage for incoming telephone calls for appointment requests. Can anyone
offer any help of how they have doine this if indeed they have, and whether it
reduced inapropriate appointments - i.e. - not required, in the wrong surgery,
or with the wrong partner.
Additionally further points were raised:-
Wqe discussed well-women appointments, and the thorny issue of breast checks -
50% now believed that they were routinely outlawed for 'All' patients, whereas
the other 50% thought that they were forbidden with the young women on the
'pill' etc. What is the present guidance, and what is the guidance for the
Pelvic examination when carrying out routine cytology - should we be doing
them, or not along the same lines as the argument goes for breast checks.
Further point re our well-women clinics, we presently do 6 month checks for
HRT and for the COC. Is there any reason why those who are stable cannot be
moved to 12 month checks??
Fianl - sick certification - any golden nuggets for saving appointment time
here?? What is the legal stance for us, rather than the myth that is handed
down from one partner to the next? What is the role of the Med5 - i.e. what is
the maximum time that you can give on one of these, and is the number limited.
Paul
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