What is Rapid Health Smart Triage and how does it work?
We use a system from Rapid Health, called Smart Triage to help manage our appointments and messages.
When you access the system, you will be given the choice of requesting help for a medical problem, or asking for support with an administrative query. If you require medical help, the system will ask you some simple questions to help get you to the right appointment, and will then usually allow you to book into that appointment directly. Where an appointment is not available, or your request needs further review before booking, this will be passed to our clinical team for further action. We will contact you back asap with next steps.
Why we need an email address
Rapid Health will always email you to say they received your request and passed it on to us. This reply says we got your request, what to expect and what to do if you are not well. Something is wrong if you don’t get a reply, so check your spam/junk folder if you don’t see one. Send another request or call us if you don’t get a reply within 15 minutes of sending your request.
If you have an email address on your record, we can offer you self-booking, using the email address you put on your request (if a self-booking appointment is available).
We allow patients without an email address on their record to send requests using Rapid Health but for your safety and security, these requests can’t be offered appointment self-booking, as we need to check the patient identity first. Please contact us to add an email address to your record if required.
Using a different email address
If you use a different email address for a request from the one on your patient record, we’ll send replies to the email address you used for the request, but will also send a security email to the email address on your record. Security emails say only that we got a request for you (or that an appointment was booked/changed/cancelled for you) and if this wasn’t you, to contact the practice.
If a different email address is used for a request for a child from what is on their record, a security email is sent to the email address on their record.
Shared email addresses and devices
If you want to keep your requests private from someone you share an email address with, it’s best to change your email address on your record. You can send us an Update personal details request via Rapid Health. Our reply will just say we got a request from you – it will not say that you asked to change your details.
Our email replies
We send our reply and any appointment links to the email address you put on the Request. Our standard automated emails never repeat what you said in a request but if someone at the Practice replies personally to your request, their reply may reflect information in your request. This reply will go to the email address you gave on your request.
The reply we send to the email address on a child’s record (if there is one and it is different from an email address you use for a child request) just says we got a request for them and if this is a mistake to let us know – it does not say what kind of request has been made.
Why do you ask for Sex at Birth?
We ask this for your safety, so you can be asked the right medical questions.
Booking appointments online with us
There may be times when we send you a link to self-book an appointment with us, or you might book an appointment such as for a vaccination.
Why do I need to provide information for these appointments?
When we send you a link to book into an appointment, we have ‘pre-qualified’ you for that appointment, so we only ask for some personal details before you book it. Where you come to the website to book a type of appointment such as a vaccination or cervical smear test, we ask questions to check the appointment is right and safe for you. If you want an appointment because you have a medical need, we ask questions to help us understand how soon to see you, or if we need to suggest A&E for your safety.