Introducing Anima: Our New Triage and Appointment System

Lyndhurst Surgery is pleased to announce it's new Triage and Appointment system.

On 13^th June 2024, we introduced ‘Anima’, a new way of contacting us to book your appointment or make an enquiry.

The preferred method to request an appointment is online via an Anima request, as this provides the most information to effectively triage / keeps phones free for patients that need to speak with a receptionist. However, those that do not have online access or not confident online then it is still possible to submit a request by calling reception.

Why have we changed to Anima?

GP practices are experiencing significant strain with declining GP numbers and increasing demand. Ensuring that patients are seen by the appropriate person, in the right place and the right time means that patient care and experience is improved. The idea behind a total digital triage is also to avoid the “8am rush” that has become a problem for many. This approach is supported by NHS England who have advised that GP surgeries consider this approach in future.

Our appointments will continue to be offered according to clinical need whilst making sure our limited resources are put to best use.

We hope you find Anima useful. Feedback from other practices who have already been using Anima is very positive. We are really excited about this change and the benefits it will bring to our practice and patient journey.

Patient benefits of Anima

Practice benefits of Anima

You can provide all the information that the practice needs without waiting on the telephone.
Log on to see the status and outcomes of your current and past requests.
Submit requests at times which suit you, avoiding the traditional 8 am and 2 pm rush for appointments.
Self-booking links for GP appointments, saving the need to wait on the phone.
Medical information is transferred and managed into your patient record.

Standardised requests which appear in a clear structured format, giving the clinician the information they need.
Patient requests are triaged according to clinical urgency/priority. This will allow the team to focus on any urgent requests and manage routine enquiries appropriately.
Ensuring the patient sees the right clinician, in the right place at the right time.

F&Qs

What are the opening times for Anima?

We aim to have Anima open from 7.30am – 4pm every weekday.

Occasionally we may have to close Anima early, see below for more details.

Why Is Anima closed?

On some days, demand for a GP appointment far outweighs the safe capacity we can provide. On these days, we may have to turn anima off early because we are full. If you think you need advice or assessment of an urgent medical problem please speak to our reception team who will be happy to help.

Remember there are also out of hours services when we are closed, including Lymington urgent treatment centre, 111 and 999.

How soon will I hear back?

We aim to respond to all queries as soon as possible. For urgent queries this should be the same day.

Some more routine queries may take us a few days to get back to you. You can always check the status of your query via your Anima dashboard.

What happens if I can’t access the internet or don’t feel confident using it?

We have a tablet in reception kindly funded by 'Friends of Lyndhurst Surgery' where you can submit your ANIMA with or without help of our reception team.

Our reception team are always happy to help; they are able to submit requests for you and can call you back to inform you of the outcome of your request and book you in for the necessary appointment.

Your request will be handled in the same manner whether you complete the Anima request online yourself, or contact us via telephone, where our receptionists will ask the same questions and complete the Anima request on your behalf, to ensure equity of access for all patients. We would encourage all patients who can do so to use Anima, as this will prevent you needing to queue on the telephone and keep lines free for those who do not have internet access.

Can I use Anima to request a repeat prescription?

Currently, the process of requesting medication through Anima is not the easiest way. We would recommend you use the NHS app to request your repeat prescriptions.

Your prescriptions can also be requested via your nominated pharmacy or via our prescription request forms in reception.

Can I book nurse/MSK appointments through Anima?

You can certainly use Anima to request nurse and MSK appointments, but these can also be booked by calling reception in the usual way. The appointments that should be requested through Anima are GP appointments.

Is Anima an App?

No, Anima is not an app currently. It can only be accessed through the website. The Anima team are working on integration with the NHS app, and we will update you when this has happened.

You can log into Anima using your NHS app login credentials or create your own unique Anima username and password.

Can I contact Anima directly?

Yes! We would encourage you to email Anima’s support team on support@animahealth.com if you have trouble using the website.

What if I do not want to discuss my concerns with reception?

The preferred way to request an appointment is online via Anima, we do have a tablet in reception which can be used to submit requests.