Health and wellbeing How can I get to see a doctor?

“Could you rephrase the question?”, said Dr Alex Bates, managing partner at Westongrove Partnership, very politely. “In Wendover and Aston Clinton, you should be asking how you can access medical attention.”

Wendover News is very aware of problems people are experiencing when trying to make an appointment to see a doctor. We arranged to interview two senior staff from Westongrove Partnership, who manage the surgeries in Wendover, Aston Clinton and Bedgrove. “The emphasis has gone from seeing a doctor, to us trying to get everybody the medical care they need, as soon as possible – without necessarily seeing a doctor,” Dr Alex continued.

“The number of available GPs nationally has declined since the Covid-19 pandemic and it may be a long time before the number of doctors available in GP surgeries reaches the levels that people once expected. Wendover Health Centre, like most other primary care providers, is moving towards a much more efficient system, to make better use of the GPs’ time. Instead of going directly to a GP, people wanting medical attention are now put in touch with the person best qualified to help them.”

How does it work?

The first point of contact if you need medical advice or attention is a smartphone app called ‘Ask First.’ This will manage your problem and can be the fastest route to resolution – without waiting on a telephone or standing in a queue at the surgery. It’s designed for non-emergencies. If you have a medical emergency call 999 immediately.

Ask First – usually labelled AskFirst (without the space in the middle)

Medical emergencies

Phone 999 or 112* immediately, If you have signs of a heart attack (crushing chest pain and tightness), symptoms of a stroke (balance or sight problems combined with face dropping on one side, can’t hold arms up, difficulty speaking) call 999 or 112.

Also call 999 or 112 if you have difficulty breathing, heavy bleeding that won’t stop, severe injuries (including deep cuts), poisoning, seizure, rapid swelling (eyes / lips / mouth / throat or tongue).

999 or 112 is also the number to call if you feel suicidal, or wanting to harm yourself or others.

*112 and 999 are interchangeable – both are routed to the same set of operators.

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All ages and abilities catered for and formerly known as ‘Ask NHS’ – is available free from Google Play and Apple’s App Store. It can also be used in a web browser from www.sensely.com/ askfirst. Regardless of how you access AskFirst, you must first register for an account, which securely links to your local surgery.

The AskFirst app - designed to be the first choice for people wanting non-emergency medical attention.

The symptom checker asks you questions in a human-like voice, to which you can respond by voice or type in answers. Each answer guides the next question until the system decides if you need to speak to a real doctor, and if so it will book a phone call for you. If urgent, this will usually be the same day.

Ask First is a huge leap in ease of access to medical attention but should be set up well before you have the need to use it. If you haven’t done so already, now’s a good time. Check that you have it installed on your phone and that you will be able to type in the correct password, even if you are unwell. Practise starting up the application and familiarising yourself with the menus from time to time.

Sarah Walker, Westongrove’s operations and development manager, was keen to point out that Ask First goes a long way to getting people the assistance they need. She said “We use the resources it frees up to deliver primary care better and more efficiently. If you don’t have a medical emergency and can’t – or prefer not to use – Ask First, then you can still phone Westongrove’s surgeries between 08:00 and 13:00, then 14:00 and 18:30. Be prepared to work with the telephone handler to decide who in the practice can best help you. You may be added to the urgent care service triage list for further assessment. You could then be contacted by a member of the clinical team, including a first contact physio, paramedic or nurse practicioner, for a telephone or face to face appointment.”

The way primary care is being provided in the Wendover area is changing very rapidly – and hopefully usually for the better. If the technology seems too confusing, the old ways do still work, though the phone queues can be frustrating. Watch out for ‘Health and Wellbeing’ updates in future editions of Wendover News.