What is Anima Online Triage?-
Anima seamlessly and confidentially integrates with your medical record bringing improvements to how you access care and appointments and how our staff assess your condition.
While you are still able to call the surgery, the online triage form through Anima will ask you the same questions, streamlining the process.
This is another option for our patients to use to contact us about a medical problem, admin request or ask a simple question.
Why is EMG switching to Anima?-
The NHS will soon require all GP practices to have a ‘digital front door’ like Anima.
We feel now is the time for EMG to make this transition so that we can move away from relying on telephone communications and the problems associated with it.
One such problem is the ‘8AM rush’ where our phone lines would open to long queues of people trying to contact us, resulting in long wait times and frustration for patients and we are now seeing our phone lines becoming consistently busy across the whole day.
Anima allows you to contact us without such queues and frustrations.
Anima gives us more information about what you need from us so that we can manage requests in order of urgency and clinical need (a process called ‘triage’) rather than ‘first come, first served’ which is not always equitable or clinically appropriate.
What if I do not have internet access/cannot use the software?-
Our phone lines will always remain open and you can call like you do now.
We would however strongly urge people to use Anima online.
If you call, you are more likely to be waiting in a queue and when you get through to a patient advisor they will take you through the same questions that Anima would have asked you online.
Calling or attending the surgery will not enable you to bypass Anima or get your request reviewed quicker.
Why do you stop accepting requests after a certain time or when you have reached the practices safe working limit?-
We have finite capacity for consulting with patients in a safe way.
We cannot continue accepting requests beyond this as it would jeopardise the delivery of safe care to you and our other patients.
We cannot accept requests when the surgery is not open (e.g. weekends, bank holidays and nights).
For matters that cannot wait, the NHS provides services such as 111, Minor Injuries Units, PharmacyFirst and A&E.
The ONLY exceptions to our limits are URGENT health matters regarding a child under 16 or a palliative care (end of life) patient.
In these cases, we would ask you to call the surgery even when online requests are closed.
I have an urgent health matter regarding a child (under 16) or a patient who is receiving palliative (end of life) care but the practice has reached the daily request limit – what do I do?-
We will always accept urgent requests regarding patients in these groups for triage even when our limits have been reached.
Please call the surgery and your request will be handled by one of our patient advisors.
I want to request a home visit – should I use Anima?
All home visit requests should continue to be made via a phone call.
Please note that we only offer home visits for genuinely housebound patients. They are not offered for other reasons such as convenience or a transportation problem (e.g. the cost of public transport).
If a home visit is to be considered for that same day we need to have received your request by 10:00.
Is my personal information secure with Anima?
Anima is NHS-approved.
They meet all data protection requirements of the NHS.
What should I be using the NHS app for?
Anima is a way for you to communicate with us and vice versa, it does not store your medical record, test results etc.
The NHS app is still what you should use to check results and view your clinical record. It is also the quickest way to request your routine repeat medications.
Will I get a GP appointment if I telephone the surgery or come into reception?
All requests for GP appointments will go through Anima for clinical triaging before an appointment is offered. The quickest and easiest way to submit a request is online, but you can still telephone the surgery or come into reception if you wish. The reception team will input your request into Anima on your behalf and you will then be contacted later that day or, for non-urgent requests, a few days later with a notification of an outcome or offer of an appointment.
Any further questions please email
[email protected]
