'Patients get care they need, not what they want'

It is 08:30 GMT and a dozen patients who have been queuing outside on a gloomy January morning stream into Princes Park Health Centre in Eastbourne.

At the same time, 30 patient calls immediately queue up on the phone lines and medical forms filled in by patients online begin appearing on the system.

It is the start of a busy morning. More than 150 patients request care in person, by phone or online before midday.

The health centre has been a pioneer in piloting the NHS "total triage" system over the past 14 months, in which patient requests are screened and assessed by a dedicated GP before an appointment is booked instead of a "first come, first served" early morning race.