Dear Patients,
We appreciate that accessing appointments can sometimes feel frustrating, particularly during periods of high demand, and we would like to explain the systems currently in place to support patient access safely, fairly, and as efficiently as possible.
Why We Introduced Rapid Health
Since going live with Rapid Health on 3 February 2026, Mickleover Medical Centre has moved to a clinically triaged appointment system for all medical requests. The purpose of this system is to help ensure patients are seen by the right clinician, within the right timeframe, and in the most appropriate location according to clinical need.
Rapid Health has been designed to make requesting help as straightforward as possible. If you are comfortable using online services such as Amazon, online banking, or completing forms online, you should be able to use Rapid Health. Requests can also be submitted via the NHS App. If you are unable to use the internet, or struggle, we are happy to help fill this in for you.
The system works by asking a series of medically designed questions which are clinically triaged according to urgency and need. It is therefore extremely important that all questions are answered honestly, accurately, and with as much detail as possible so patients can be prioritised safely.
Once submitted, the system allocates appointments based on clinical urgency and availability. This means patients may not always be offered the first appointment they would personally prefer, but the system is designed to ensure that those with the greatest clinical need are prioritised appropriately.
Supporting Equity of Access
One of the key reasons for introducing this system is to improve equity of access for all patients.
General Practice continues to face significant demand and capacity pressures nationally. The traditional “first come, first served” approach does not always ensure that the patients who need urgent care most receive it first. Clinical triage allows medical need, rather than queue position, to determine priority.
This also allows patients to be directed to the most appropriate clinician for their problem. Not every condition requires a GP appointment, and many patients may be better supported by another suitably qualified healthcare professional within our wider clinical team.
Why We Encourage Online Requests
For patients who can complete the Rapid Health form online themselves, we would strongly encourage this wherever possible.
Completing the form online is usually quicker and allows patients to submit requests directly without waiting on the telephone. It also helps keep telephone lines available for patients who are elderly, vulnerable, digitally excluded, or otherwise unable to access online services independently.
Where patients cannot complete the online form themselves, our reception team are absolutely able to assist via the telephone. However, it is important to understand that staff must ask exactly the same questions contained within the online form to ensure safe clinical triage. This means telephone requests can take significantly longer per patient contact.
By using the online system where possible, patients are helping us support those who genuinely need telephone assistance.
There Is No Longer an “8am Rush”
Unlike previous systems where patients needed to contact the Practice at a specific time, Rapid Health forms remain open throughout normal working hours for routine medical requests. This means there should no longer be a need for an “8am rush” for most routine problems. We are, however, still experiencing this.
We would encourage patients, where clinically appropriate, to submit requests throughout the day rather than all at once when the system opens in the morning. Large volumes of requests submitted at the same time can create avoidable bottlenecks within the system and increase waiting times for everybody.
If a request is clinically urgent, it will still be prioritised appropriately following triage.
How Appointment Allocation Works
Where no immediate appointment is available at the point of submission, requests are transferred safely into a triage review inbox. Patients may then receive a live booking link once further appointments become available. Appointment availability can therefore change throughout the day, and patients are encouraged to check booking links regularly where provided.
Patients will receive a response within the same working day, usually via email only. It is therefore essential that patients regularly check their email inbox, including junk or spam folders, for both appointment offers and clinician communications.
The only time the team will routinely contact patients by text message is if it is an urgent appointment close to the appointment time, in order to confirm attendance.
Where appointment booking links are sent for future appointments, these links remain active. Patients are welcome to check back regularly for alternative or more convenient appointment times, as additional appointments are added throughout the day.
Please Avoid Multiple Requests
To help ensure fair access for all patients, we would also ask patients not to submit multiple requests for the same medical issue unless specifically advised to do so by the Practice.
Submitting repeated forms for the same problem, or lots of different problems on the same day, significantly increases administrative workload and means staff must review and process the same patient request multiple times. This can delay responses for other patients waiting to access care.
Please choose the main issue you need help with for that day or week. The system remains available throughout all opening hours, so there is no need to submit multiple forms at once.
The system is designed to ensure that all patients are assessed fairly according to clinical need. However, repeated submissions and excessive appointment usage can unintentionally reduce appointment availability for others.
Like many NHS services, we operate within finite clinical capacity. We have unfortunately seen occasions where individual patients have received multiple appointments within a very short timeframe through automated booking processes, which can impact equitable access across the wider patient population.
We therefore ask all patients to use the service responsibly and fairly, so that appointments remain available for those most in need.
Additional Capacity Clinics
In addition to appointments within the Practice itself, we also provide further clinical capacity through our dedicated Capacity Clinic based at the Urgent Treatment Centre.
This is not the same as the walk-in Urgent Treatment Centre service.
The Capacity Clinic is a pre-booked service delivered by our Primary Care Network clinical team and allows us to provide additional appointments, consulting rooms, and clinician availability for our patients.
As a result, some appointments provided by Mickleover Medical Centre may take place at alternative locations rather than within the main Practice building. This allows us to increase the number of appointments available overall and helps ensure patients can still be seen in an appropriate timeframe by the most appropriate clinician.
Missed Appointments and Cancellations
Since we introduced this service, we have increased our clinical capacity through more efficient use of appointments. However, we are also experiencing a high number of patients failing to attend appointments.
This is currently higher than previously and may partly be because appointments can now be booked further in advance. Despite reminder systems, some patients are still not attending.
If your symptoms improve or you no longer need your appointment, please cancel it as soon as possible so that another patient can benefit from that appointment slot.
Cancelled appointments can then be offered to other patients waiting to access care and help us make the best use of limited NHS capacity.
Please Support Our Staff
We understand that patients may sometimes feel disappointed or frustrated when appointments are not immediately available in their preferred format, time, or location. However, we would respectfully ask patients to remember that our reception and administrative teams are working within systems designed to prioritise patient safety and clinical need.
Practice staff cannot override clinical triage decisions, bypass the system, or manually create appointments where no safe capacity exists. Staff are here to help patients access care as safely and efficiently as possible and are often managing very high volumes of demand throughout the day.
We kindly ask that all staff are treated with patience, understanding, and respect.
Our aim is not to restrict access, but to ensure that every patient is directed to the right care, at the right time, by the right clinician, whilst making the best possible use of limited NHS resources.
Top Tips for Using Rapid Health Effectively
- Please use the online Rapid Health form or NHS App wherever possible. This helps keep telephone lines available for patients who genuinely cannot access online services.
- There is no need to rush at 8am for routine problems. Forms remain open throughout normal working hours and requests can be submitted during the day.
- Please answer all questions honestly and fully. The information provided helps clinicians assess urgency safely and allocate the most appropriate care.
- Check your emails regularly, including junk or spam folders, as appointment offers and clinician responses are usually sent electronically. Unless your request is clinically urgent, we will not routinely contact patients by text message.
- If you receive a booking link, keep checking availability regularly. Additional appointments are added throughout the day and availability can change.
- Please only submit one request for the main problem you need help with unless advised otherwise by the Practice. Submitting multiple forms for the same issue, or several separate forms for numerous non-urgent problems at the same time, significantly increases workload and can reduce appointment availability for other patients.
- If you have several concerns, please consider which issue is the most important or clinically urgent to discuss first. Additional problems can often be addressed during the consultation where appropriate or through follow-up arrangements if needed.
- Be open to seeing the most appropriate clinician for your condition. Many healthcare professionals within our wider team are specially trained to manage specific conditions safely and effectively.
- Some appointments may take place at alternative locations as part of our additional Capacity Clinic service. This helps us provide more appointments and improve overall access for patients.
- If your condition becomes significantly worse whilst waiting for a response, please contact the Practice again or seek urgent medical advice, calling 111 or 999 where appropriate.
- Please remember that our staff are here to help and are working within systems designed to prioritise patient safety and fairness for everybody. Kindness and patience are always appreciated.
- If your symptoms improve or you no longer need your appointment, please cancel it as soon as possible. Cancelled appointments can then be offered to other patients waiting to access care and help us make the best use of limited NHS capacity.