These FAQ’s have been generated by questions asked by EXACT users. If you have any further questions about the NHS Triage Claims please start a Live Chat and we will respond to your query and update this article where required.

• Is this mandatory?
• What should I do for multiple appointments?
• The BSA has advised I do not need the initial triage for patients that attend the practice.
• What Version of EXACT do I need to be on?
• What Version of SOEL HEALTH do I need to be on?
• How do I know if the Triage forms have been sent?
• Are FP17/O forms generated when initial triages are sent?
• I have backdated forms what should I do with them?
• Do I need to fill out an initial assessment even when the patient is coming into the practice?
• When do I use the ·TRIAGE service?
• I have received an @312 No significant treatment on an EDI Claim response when sending off an initial assessment.
• I have received an Abandoned/Discontinued/Completed - Minimum amount of treatment not present response when sending off an initial assessment
• Do I still need to capture the risk assessment before the patient attends an appointment?
• Can I add the ·TRIAGE service to an existing COT?
• Who can fill out the Triage Assessment Form?
• Can I send a claim without an FP17?
• Can the ·TRIAGE service be used on private Courses of Treatment?

Is this mandatory?

Sending the NHS Triage Assessments is not mandatory through EXact and you can still add the triage assessments through the Compass eForm.

What should I do for multiple appointments?

When seeing patients for multiple appointments at the practice the ·TRIAGE service should be used against each appointment to add an in treatment triage.

The BSA has advised I do not need the initial triage for patients that attend the practice. Why are you advising me to do this?

It is best practice to complete an initial assessment for all patients who are spoken to remotely whether they attend the practice or not. The reason for this is if the patient Fails to Attend you will already have the relevant information; you can then TC the initial assessment and put a check in failed to attend for their face to face appointment. If you do not collect this data then the patient fails to attend the appointment you will not have the relevant information collected to transmit that an over the phone triage was done. I have confirmed with the BSA that if a phone triage is completed and as a result, an appointment is made, then should the patient FTA the practice would still be expected to transmit the initial triage.

If the patient does attend their appointment you can leave the initial assessment on the Course of Treatment as the full FP17 will still be generated and there will not be an issue with the claim. If you prefer you can move the triage service onto a private COT and send it to history (tick it as complete then right-click and choose send completed to history). You can then send off the banded treatment and the in treatment triage on the NHS COT.

When your patients come in for their routine exams/treatment, the initial assessment does not need to be filled in. For patients that attend the practice, you should add the in treatment triage which populates that patients COVID-19 status on the FP17/O.

What Version of EXACT do I need to be on?

At least EXACT V13.250.

You can find your current version and ring by clicking on Help - About.
To upgrade see: Upgrading EXACT

What Version of SOEL HEALTH do I need to be on?

The triage forms will be made available in SOEL HEALTH in version 3.28. The release date for this version is not currently confirmed.

How do I know if the Triage forms have been sent?

The triage forms send in a bundle like all other NHS claims in EXACT.

You will be able to check under Administration - NHS - Claim bundles.

A red tick indicates the claims in the bundle have been sent successfully with a black tick indicating the board have received them.

Are FP17/O forms generated when initial triages are sent?

As instructed by the board if only an initial assessment is sent this will not send across an FP17 form. When you TC an initial assessment if you are shown the FP17 please resubmit and remove anything additional on the service and then TC again.

I have backdated forms what should I do with them?

Backdated forms where the triage occurred before 01/12/21 should be sent through Compass and not Exact. The face to face treatment option will be available again on the Compass e-form from this Friday 4^th December until the end of December they will re-enable this in compass for back-dated triages to be put through.

Any triage completed on or after 01/02/22 can be transmitted through EXACT (backdated on both the service and the triage form).

Do I need to fill out an initial assessment even when the patient is coming into the practice?

Whilst the NHS guidance is that if a patient attends the practice only the COVID status is required. It is advised that the initial assessment is still completed regardless of whether you are going to see the patient in the surgery. If the patient is triaged on the phone first then the initial triage must be completed.

This is because if the patient FTA’s their appointment you will need to have just the initial triage on the COT in order to TC and mark it as the patient failed to attend. At least one of the check boxes must be ticked in order for the initial triage to be sent off.

If you only do an in treatment triage then the patient FTA’s you won't be able to TC as an FTA because the correct information will not be available such as the primary call reason.

When do I use the ·TRIAGE service?

The service is not required for routine appointments where it is made over the phone or for pre-arranged scheduled orthodontic appointments where the patient then they fail to attend.

The form should be used in the following circumstances:

• When an NHS patient is given remote advice either by a Dentist or DCP.

• When an NHS patient is referred to a UDC for treatment after being assessed by a Dentist or DCP.

• If an NHS patient fails to attend for a face to face appointment made following remote advice given by either a Dentist or DCP.

I have received an @312 No significant treatment on an EDI Claim response when sending off an initial assessment.

Please make sure that when sending an initial assessment only the ·TRIAGE service is charted on the Course of Treatment. If any other treatment is added it will cause a full FP17 to go across with the claim and this will be rejected by the board.

If you need to add anything else to the COT such as an autonote please either enter the notes on the service or add it to a private course of treatment.

I have received an Abandoned/Discontinued/Completed - Minimum amount of treatment not present response when sending off an initial assessment

At least one of the items listed below must be checked as part of an initial triage:

• Advice Given
• Referred to Local UDC Reason
• Face to face appointment arranged but patient failed to attend

If one of these does not appear on the claim then the response below will come back on the claim.

You may also receive this response if you send off an In Treatment triage without any banded treatment. In order to resolve this please resubmit the course of treatment, add the banded treatment (with the correct date) and TC again.

Do I still need to capture the risk assessment before the patient attends an appointment?

A triage form does not need to be completed for the remote COVID-19 risk assessment that is required before a patient is seen in the practice e.g. asking about whether they have been abroad among other questions. This risk assessment should be recorded in the patient record e.g. if a patient is coming in for a routine appointment whilst the initial triage is not needed the patient should still be screened to make sure they are not a risk.

Can I add the ·TRIAGE service to an existing COT?

Yes, if there is an open COT where the triage had previously been added through compass, an In Treatment triage can be added for the most recent appointment (where a triage has not already been completed).

Who can fill out the Triage Assessment Form?

The reason it’s been added to the arrivals tab is that anyone at the practice registered with the GDC will be able to fill out the form.

Please note the scope of practice guidelines are from the GDC and include Dental Nurses, Orthodontic therapists, hygienists, therapists, technicians, clinical dental technicians and dentist.

Can I send a claim without an FP17?

The NHS has advised 'In order to avoid any risk of infection, the receptionist or dental nurse should inform the patient that the forms are being signed on their behalf. The receptionist or dental nurse must sign the form and state ‘Signed on behalf of the patient due to COVID 19’. This will ensure that if the patient records are reviewed in the future it will not be questioned why the patient did not sign the forms.'

Can the ·TRIAGE service be used on private Courses of Treatment?

If you wish to use this form for your private patients you can add it to a private COT if you choose to.