Update 1st July 2026
New Appointment system is now LIVE Submit an online form here
Update 15th June
eConsult for Ashdown Forest Patients will be suspended until the new system comes in.
This notice is for Ashdown Forest Health Centre patients only
New Appointment system starting 1st July 2026
We wish to share some exciting news about a significant change to our appointment system that will improve the way our surgery delivers care to all our patients.
From Wednesday 1st July 2026 we will move away from a “first come, first served” approach to an online Total Triage model, based on clinical need and urgency. This means that all appointment requests will be assessed by a GP led triage team before any appointments are booked, ensuring that everyone receives the right care, at the right time, from the right person.
This is an online system, so we would strongly encourage all patients to submit their own appointment request via the surgery’s website
We appreciate that this may not be possible for some patients, so if you do not have access to the internet or a smartphone, you can phone us, or come into the surgery, and a receptionist will complete the form on your behalf. However, the process we will ask you to follow to request an appointment will be the same whether you contact us via our website, by phone or face to face.
Appointments with our Practice Nurses, Healthcare Assistants, Phlebotomists and Pharmacists are not affected by this change and will continue to be booked in the usual way.
Why is Ashdown Forest Health Centre Medical Group changing its appointment system?
Along with NHS England (NHSE), we acknowledge the increasing demand for appointments and we understand how frustrating it can be for patients to wait in a phone queue to get an appointment. We have also noticed that some patients who book appointments, do not necessarily require one, and we are concerned that those who need to be seen are not getting seen at the right time.
Our priority is to ensure that those patients who need to see a GP, get an appointment. While it is often a difficult message to communicate and to receive, what a patient ‘wants’ is not always the same as what they ‘need’. Many conditions can be managed by non-GP clinicians. To ensure we are able to meet this priority, we are introducing a Total Triage model of care, meaning that anyone requesting an appointment or advice will have their request triaged first.
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 or the NHS App 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 or the NHS App and you can access the system from any device, including your smartphone or tablet.
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 aim to respond 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 14 days) face to face or telephone appointment with a member of our clinical team
- A reply from the triage team with self-care advice
- Signposting or referral to a more appropriate service, for example a local pharmacy
The Total Triage service will be open Monday to Friday. During the weekend or on bank holidays please continue to use the NHS 111 service or call 999 for life threatening emergencies.
Please note, primary care has never been an emergency service - if a patient needs immediate medical attention, you should ring NHS 111 or go direct to A&E.
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.
Download Total Triage Frequently Asked Questions (DOCX, 27KB)
Thank you for supporting us with this new project.