GP practices are experiencing significant and growing strain with declining GP numbers, rising demand, struggles to recruit and retain staff with knock-on effects for patients. This long-term decline in the number of GPs coincides with a rise in the number of patients and mounting workload.

Ensuring that patients are seen by the appropriate clinician in the right place and at the right time, supports good patient care and experience, reduces pressure on GP practices and allows GPs to spend their time where it is needed the most.

There is no standardised system for care navigation and/or triage in general practice. This tool is designed to support practices to implement a system that can be adapted to a practice’s individual circumstances.

What is a triage system?

Clinical triage is a clinical process conducted by a clinician, most often a nurse or GP, to make early clinical decisions and signpost appropriately either within the practice or elsewhere. Care navigation is a process done by care coordinators, appropriately trained reception or other practice staff, to signpost to the most appropriate clinician or elsewhere outside of the practice. Both may be referred to as triage systems.

Care navigation and clinical triage allow practices to prioritise patients with the most urgent health needs, ensure they see the most appropriate clinician or are signposted to alternative services.

This can be done in-person at the practice, over the phone or online.