Contact Via Text Message Posted or Updated on 8 Nov 2023

Practice to Patient contact via Text Message

Due to the extreme workload pressures the clinicians are under you may find that your queries or results are being communicated with you via Text message rather than phone call.

This is because the clinicians are working with increasing workload given the Covid situation and the immunisation campaign. We want to respond to queries as quickly as possible and the SMS system linked to your medical records allows us to be efficient in doing this. We understand this is not ideal and looses the personal connection but at present it is an invaluable resource we need to use.

We face the same problem from phone line restrictions when ringing out of the surgery to the patient as you do when trying to ring in. Clinical consultations take the priority for the use of the outgoing telephone lines during working hours.

However we are also having to contact patients over 80 to book covid vaccination appointments, so getting an outside line is difficult.

We are therefore moving to using the text messaging system to respond to simple queries, offer management advise or inform you of prescription changes or monitoring that is needed.

Please accept this is not how we would wish to communicate with you but in the current situation needs must.

Thank you for your understanding in this matter and stay safe.

Dr J Watson and partners