Nottinghamshire GP patient says he's forced to treat himself as practice brings in new booking system

A patient at a Nottinghamshire GP practice that is moving to an online triage system says he has resorted to removing a skin tag himself after failing to get an appointment. Village Health Group, which runs surgeries in Keyworth, East Leake, Ruddington and Sutton Bonington, is asking patients to request to see their GP online rather than over the phone.

It said its new 'total triage' system, set to be rolled out in June, will improve access to appointments and make the process more convenient for patients. The group assured phone lines would remain open to help people who have difficulty accessing the internet.

But when Nottinghamshire Live visited to get reaction from patients, one man, who had parked at the car park near the GP practice, said he was going into the village to buy some tweezers so he could remove a skin tag from his shoulder himself. The 65-year-old said he had tried and failed to get an appointment.

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"There's been times when I've been told to go and ask reception, and they've told me there's no appointments and to call the next morning," he said.

"They need to do something. You spend an hour on the phone. I'm a bit dyslexic so don't want to be typing what I have got wrong with me into a form."

Jane McLachlan, retired, from Keyworth, said it was a great idea. "The sheer flexibility and more appointment times spreads them out wider," she said.

"It's more convenient for everybody really. I can book appointments during the day and leave spaces for people who work.

However, others are concerned it could isolate older patients. "What do they think about old people?" asked Dorothy Burgess, 90, from Normanton.

A woman, who goes to a practice in Gamston, added: "In Gamston it's fantastic, you phone up and get straight in. I wouldn't swap it for anywhere, it's hopeless here."

Another man, aged 74, said: "We won't be doing that [booking online]. I've been using it quite a lot, once you turn 70 that's it. As long as we can still call and get an appointment - a face-to-face not like these phone calls.

"You have to ring up and wait for quite a while in queue position 19 or something. But people do the best with what they've got."

"We are changing and improving how you can access our appointment system from a predominantly telephone only access offer to an increased online request offer," it said on its website. "Patients should submit the details of their medical or administrative need via our website.

"Our reception desks at all four sites will remain open to patients to arrive for their appointments. Our receptionists will be able to assist you and raise your medical or admin query in our online system.

"We will of course, provide additional support to those patients who do not have access to the internet. Our telephone lines will remain open 8am - 6.30pm. We understand that change can sometimes be difficult, but we are confident that Total Triage will bring many benefits to you, our patients – for example: Improving access to care, convenience and enhanced patient experience."