Summary: How to manage LAS calls to the surgery to ensure they are dealt with in a safe, timely, and effective manner, particularly when clinical input is required while LAS are with a patient.
Who’s it for: Call Handlers, Welcomes Team and clinicians
What to do…
1️⃣ Initial contact & triage
Call Handlers or Welcomes Team
- LAS may contact the surgery via the priority line or the main surgery number. These calls are often time-sensitive and involve the provision of clinical information about a patient currently being attended to by LAS.
- Calls from LAS must be recognised as a priority.
- The receiving staff member should make every effort to ensure that the call is immediately passed to a clinician (firstly Duty Doctor).
- If the Duty Doctor is unavailable, any available clinician (GP, ANP, paramedic, etc.) may take the call.
- If no clinician is immediately available, the call should be flagged urgently to the Duty Doctor or the lead clinician on-site, with a clear message about the urgency and nature of the request.
It is not appropriate to simply add the patient to the Duty Doctor’s list with the LAS contact number. This does not support safe clinical practice and may result in delays.
2️⃣ Response & documentation by clinician
Duty Doctor or other clinician
- If the call is initially taken by a clinician who is unable to assist fully, they must identify and transfer the call to an available colleague who can help without delay.
- The details of the call, including the patient’s name, NHS number (if known), the nature of the LAS request, and any advice given, must be documented clearly in the patient’s clinical record.
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