Online Consultation: Rapid Health
💡 What is Rapid Health?
Rapid Health is our new online triage and consultation tool, replacing AccuRx. It helps patients request help for medical or administrative issues without needing to call. Based on the information you provide, Rapid Health:
• Prioritises your request based on medical need
• Offers an appointment (if suitable)
• Sends your request to our clinical team to review
• Provides advice or signposts you to another service
This service is available to patients aged 16 and over for all GP, MSK, ACP, and admin-related requests.
🖥️ How to Access Rapid Health
You can access Rapid Health in three ways:
• Online: https://ashton-consult.uk.rapidhealth.co.uk
• At the practice: filling out with one of our trained patient advisors
• By phone: Call us on 0161 330 7747 if you cannot use the form yourself. A Patient Advisor will help complete it with you.
📌 We no longer handle GP appointment requests at the front desk.
⏱️ When to Use Rapid Health
• Monday to Friday, 8:00am–6:30pm
• Requests are reviewed during our working hours.
✅ What Can I Use It For?
• Request help with medical symptoms or conditions
• Submit a question to your GP or nurse
• Ask for a sick note or test result
• Request referrals or repeat prescriptions
• Submit a general admin query (e.g. change of details)
If you are caring for someone and have their permission, you may also submit a request on their behalf.
🔒 Is it Safe and Confidential?
Yes. Rapid Health is an NHS-approved secure system. Only our authorised staff can access your information, and all responses are added directly to your clinical record.
🧑⚕️ What Happens After I Submit My Request?
Your request will be reviewed by a member of our clinical team. Based on medical need, you may:
• Be offered an appointment immediately
• Be sent a link to book one yourself
• Be contacted by a clinician for further assessment
• Be signposted to another service
📅 Appointment Timeframes
Rapid Health automatically sorts your request into one of four categories, depending on clinical urgency:
• 🔴 Red – same day
• 🟠 Amber – by end of next working day
• 🟡 Yellow – within 5 working days
• 🟢 Green – within 28 days
Appointments are booked with the most suitable clinician based on your needs, which may be a GP, paramedic, nurse practitioner, or MSK specialist.
🔁 Can I Submit More Than One Issue?
Please focus on your main concern in each request. If you have more than one unrelated issue, you may need to submit another request.
🧾 Temporary Residents and Home Visits
• Temporary patients should not use Rapid Health – please call the practice instead.
• If you are housebound and need a home visit, please call us before 10:30am
📱 Other Online Services
You can still use the NHS App to:
• Order repeat prescriptions
• View your medical records
• Update personal details
We recommend the NHS App for repeat prescriptions and checking test results.
❓ Still Have Questions?
If you need help completing a request, or you aren’t sure whether to use Rapid Health, give us a call and one of our team will guide you.
NHS App
Try the NHS App. If you’re a patient at our practice you can now use the new NHS App, a simple and secure way to access a range of NHS services on your smartphone or tablet. You can use the NHS App to get health advice, order repeat prescriptions, manage your hospital referrals, view your GP health record and more. If you already use Patient Access you can continue to use it but you can use the NHS App as well. For more information go to www.nhs.uk/nhsapp.
What the NHS App does
- get advice about coronavirus – get information about coronavirus and find out what to do if you think you have it.
- order repeat prescriptions – see your available medicines, request a new repeat prescription and choose a pharmacy for your prescriptions to be sent to.
- book appointments – search for, book and cancel appointments at your GP surgery, and see details of your upcoming and past appointments.
- check your symptoms – search trusted NHS information and advice on hundreds of conditions and treatments, and get instant advice or medical help near you.
- register your organ donation decision – choose to donate some or all of your organs and check your registered decision.
- find out how the NHS uses your data – choose if data from your health records is shared for research and planning.
- view parts of your GP record – including information about medication, allergies, vaccinations, previous illnesses and test results.
If you’re a patient at our practice you can use the new NHS App, a simple and secure way to access a range of NHS services on your smartphone or tablet.
Get the app
Non-urgent advice: Having Problems?
You can still contact the practice by phone or in person, this is just another option, which other patients have found is more convenient and saves them time. More information including “how to” leaflets and videos of patients and why they are using GP online services are available at www.nhs.uk/gponlineservices
Patient Access
Online services allow you to:
- book, check or cancel appointments with a GP, nurse or other healthcare professional
- order repeat prescriptions
- see parts of your health record, including information about medicines, vaccinations and test results
- see communications between your GP surgery and other services, such as hospitals
How to register for Online Services
If you have not used our online services before you will need to:
- Contact the surgery by phone or in person
- Verify your identity
- Secure a username and password
- Enter Patient Access and enter your registration details exactly as shown on the form.
- After registering, log on with your username and password.
Proxy Access
Proxy access/Accessing someone else’s information
As a parent, family member or carer, you may be able to access services for someone else. We call this having proxy access. We can set this up for you if you are both registered with us.
To requests proxy access:
- collect a proxy access form from reception or contact us on 0161 330 7747
Linked profiles in your NHS account
Once proxy access is set up, you can access the other person’s profile in your NHS account, using the NHS App or website.
The NHS website has information about using linked profiles to access services for someone else.