Total Triage at Saltdean Surgery & Frequently Asked Questions
From Monday 30th June 2025, Saltdean and Rottingdean Medical Practice will move to a new ‘Total Triage’ appointment system, part of a nationwide NHS initiative called Modern General Practice.
What Is Total Triage?
Under this system, all patient requests will be reviewed by our clinical team before an appointment is offered
How It Works
For all clinical and admin queries (e.g. appointment requests, prescriptions, test results, fit notes), please use our online form, available:
Mon–Fri, 8am–5pm. Please contact 111 when the surgery is closed
Accessible via our website or NHS App
For urgent help or home visits, call the surgery as early as possible (ideally before 10am). For emergencies call 999
Our triage team will review queries within 24 hours. For clinical queries you may:
1. Be offered an appointment
2. Be directed to another service
3. Receive advice and treatment without needing an appointment
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are we making the change?
We understand our current system is not fit for purpose, and there are many reasons we are looking to improve the appointment system and increasing appointment capacity:
- You may not always need to see a GP! Sometimes your ailment may be more appropriate for another clinician or service. i.e Advanced Nurse Practitioner or Physiotherapist
- Rather than a first come first serve system, your request will be dealt with more fairly and prioritised by clinical need
- If your query or request can be dealt with without speaking to a clinician, it would free up appointments
- Been seeing a regular GP that knows you best? We will try to keep this in mind when booking you in to increase continuity of care
- To improve patient and staff wellbeing. Fed up of calling at 8:15 to be told to call back another day? So are we!
What if I cannot fill out the online form or have internet access?
- Reception team will be happy to help you in your usual way of contacting the Surgery via telephone call or at the front desk
Need a Home visit
- Please contact us as early as possible (ideally before 10am) via telephone to ensure the Triaging GP can review this and assign appropriate visiting clinician if needed
Can I still request my prescriptions the same way?
- You can still request your medications by dropping these into the box at the Surgery, or online via the NHS App or via our Online Services
What if my Symptom is Urgent?
- If you have an urgent concern, please contact the Surgery directly on 01273 305723
- IF your problem is medically urgent i.e chest pain or breathing difficulties you MUST contact 999 or visit A&E, the GP Surgery is not the appropriate service to assist for these time sensitive issues and any delays could be fatal
What if I need a Nurse Appointment or Blood Test?
- Please contact the Surgery as usual, these appointments have not been changed with triage
Why is this form not available 24/7
- Currently we are trialling this change with the form being available between 8am – 5pm
- Due to patient safety we will try to review all requests within 24 hours
- If we were to open the form outside of our opening times it could cause delays, and emergency issues may not be reviewed within an appropriate time frame
- This is planned to be reviewed further down the line
