eConsult / online consultation
What it really means
An online form on your surgery's website where you describe your problem, and the practice replies or books you in. Many surgeries prefer this for non-urgent issues.
Context, tips & common mistakes
E-consult (and sibling systems like AccuRx or Patchs) is the online form on your GP surgery's website: describe the problem, answer the safety questions, attach photos where relevant, and the practice responds — typically within one to two working days — with advice, a prescription, or an appointment at the right level. For anything non-urgent it beats the 8am phone lottery comprehensively, and for rashes and skin problems the photo upload often resolves things in one round.
Write it like evidence, not literature: symptoms, when they started, what makes them better or worse, what you have tried, medications you take — bullet-point clarity in plain English is perfect, and nobody grades your grammar. The forms enforce red-flag triage: genuinely urgent symptoms (chest pain, breathing difficulty, stroke signs) will tell you to stop typing and call 999 or 111 — obey the form; it is not being dramatic.