IMPORTANT UPDATE: NEW APPOINTMENT SYSTEM
HOUGHTON REGIS MEDICAL CENTRE
Dear Patient,
We hope this message finds you well.
In recent months, we have seen a significant increase in the demand for appointments, and it continues to be greater than the number of appointments we are able to offer daily. To better manage this demand and ensure fair and equal access to our services, we are introducing a new system called “total triage.”
Starting from Thursday 18th September 2025 all patients requiring an appointment will need to contact the surgery through our website, the NHS App, or NHS.uk to complete a simple online form. If you do not have access to a computer or smartphone, please come into the practice or call us, and a member of our staff will help you fill out the form on your behalf. The system will be available from 8 am, for completing the form. The form completed as early as possible will help ensure your request is received and handled promptly.
We have a range of appointments available with various healthcare professionals, including GPs, physiotherapists, nursing associates, and paramedics. Through the total triage system, all patient requests will be reviewed and triaged by a doctor, ensuring that those who need an appointment with a GP will get one. Our data shows that around 40% of requests require a doctor, while the remaining can be appropriately managed by other healthcare staff or are administrative needs. We will also be offering appointments within our Enhanced Access service at Houghton Regis Medical Centre.
This new system aims to provide more streamlined access to the right care, reduce waiting times, and avoid the need for queues on the telephone system. It will help us allocate our resources more effectively, ensuring that patients are seen quickly and managed appropriately by the right clinician, which will not always be a GP. Our GP’s will then have more time to deal with more complex issues.
Any Practice Nurse or HCA appointments, you can still call the surgery and a staff member will be able to book this for you via the phone.
We understand that this change may take some getting used to, and we appreciate your patience and support as we implement this new process. We believe it will significantly improve the experience for all our patients. We will be seeking your feedback after the first month to ensure that the system is working well and to hear any suggestions you may have for improvement.Thank you for your understanding and cooperation as we make these important changes to better serve you.
Kind regards,
Houghton Regis Medical Centre.
Dr Joy Jinmi, Dr Syed Mumtaz, Dr SaiKiran Alva, Dr Harsha Vemuru and Dr Manchula Thiyagarajah