How long do you normally have to wait for a docs appt?

Abbafan1972

I need a doctors appointment quite soon and I went online to book it. But there was nothing for next week at all, the earliest I could get one was Tues 27th Sept.

I have an ongoing health problem at the moment and I am in a lot of discomfort. I probably could have waited until one day next week, but 10 days! :mad:

Our surgery have a sign outside asking for new patient registrations, but I'm not sure how they can do this, as they are full to bursting.

I get annoyed as well, as I bet a lot of these booked appts, the person won't turn up for. It makes my blood boil when I look at the sign in the docs reception saying how many appts were missed last month and it was recently 194!

Rant over!

j.e.j.

I don't know if all surgeries do this, but at mine you can phone on the day (at about 8.30am) and ask for a same-day appointment.

Pre-bookable appointments do seem to be a bit trickier, especially if there's a particular doctor you want to see and/or that dr is part-time!

Waterfalls

for a routine apt I usually have to wait the same amount of time as you. but, if i have an urgent problem. then i can call on the day and speak to a duty doc-they can usually get me an apt later that day.

so give ur docs a call on mon and speak to them directly

Armchair23

They will almost certainly have a 'ring at 8.00 and get an appointment same day' service. Most surgeries operate something along these lines. I know some receptionists can make life hell but give them a chance to book you in sooner. Good Luck XX

chanie

I tend to get a 'call on the day' appointment as I only go when I'm really ill and can't wait the two week (or whatever it is) for a set appointment. I normally end up seeing whatever Dr is available, which is fine for me, but if I had an ongoing problem, it makes sense to see the same person.

balletshoes

I don't have a condition which needs any regular trips to my doctor, but our surgery does the "call at 8am for an appointment that day if its urgent" which is what I use when I need to see the doctor. A couple of months ago I had a non-urgent reason to see my doctor, I had to fit in with his schedule and he'd had a cancellation so could see me about 2 days after I called the surgery.

It seems to be different for children though, any time I've called the surgery to see the doctor for my daughter its always a same-day service.

Gillyx

My old surgery, the only way of getting an appointment was phoning from 8.30 on the day you wanted the appointment, which was annoying when the phone is constantly engaged until about 10 and then when you do get through it's mid afternoon they can fit you in!

My new surgery it's about a 3 week wait for a specific doctor, or they have morning surgery 4 days a week where you can phone in, and then go in and wait to see someone, obviously you could be there a while.

ellay864

Mine also seems to be 2-3 weeks. They also offer the phone on the day thing but then you get grilled about whether it is an emergency. I just say it maynot class as critical but I need to see a doctor sooner than 3 weeks away, I tell them I'd be quite happy to wait a day or 2 if that would help but they can't do that so I get in on the emergency slot with what isn't really one. It's mad but it's like a game we all have to play now

jenniewb

My surgery varies very much week to week. Some weeks the book in advance means you have to wait as much as 3 or 4 weeks others can book you in for about 3 or 4 days time.

They do run a "call between 8am to 8.30am each day for an on the day appointment" but if you've not gotten through by about 8.05am on monday-wednesday and other random days you wont get seen. To make it harder, the line is normally engaged until 9am and even if you get through and are on hold its not a dead cert. It doesn't always open at 8am on the dot either.

I once was in a lot of pain with period pains, it wasn't serious (life threatening) but was too painful to eat sleep or work and I had taken every painkiller NHS direct had suggested. I was told (this is after not sleeping the night before and waiting to try attempt for an appointment calling at 8am- I did not get through) that I would have to go to A&E insted and did the receptionist want her to call me an ambulance!

I don't think my surgery is that bad though I have experienced much better but I've also heard some really bad stories so I don't feel I have grounds to complain!

Kaz2904

I am able to get an appointment at my GP surgery if I am dead or dying. Otherwise my chances are pretty slim. I don't phone any more, I go down there because you can't get through on the phone ever.
I am lucky with my health so don't need to see my GP but I do have children and it is very hard to get them in too. My neighbour used to use the same surgery but had issues with adhesions early last year when she was first pregnant. She got an appointment quicker by moving to a different practice and having the transfer done etc than she could get an appointment with our surgery.
My surgery has a long history of complaints about accessing medical care so much so that when you do present at the out of hours clinic, they roll their eyes and see you anyway.
I did get told off by a GP at the out of hours one time when I took DS down on a Sunday afternoon with raging impetigo pouring into his ear. He told me that this child was really sick and should have been seen by a Dr on the Friday. He was shocked when I said that the rash had only appeared that morning and that I had been waiting for nhs direct to give me an appointment to access the clinic all day.
The nhs direct service was poor. I knew what was wrong with DS and told them but all the were interested in was whether his rash was blanchable. I kept saying it's impetigo not meningitis but he does need to start antibiotics NOW not later. They said they'd ring back in 2 hours. 4 hours later they rang back to say they were very busy but a nurse would ring to do an assessment within 3 hours and I said I was taking him to the A&E dept to be walked through to the gp clinic. The chap made me go over everything (AGAIN!) and I reiterated that it wasn't meningitis. He got all sweaty about this rash when I said that my DS needed antibiotics urgently and said "With all due respect Mrs ....., I AM a trained nurse". He was lost for words when I replied "With all due respect, SO AM I and I can see my child and I can see the rash and it is spreading visibly. It is wet and weeping and it is inside his ear and liable to cause deafness. I am not waiting any longer for an appointment I am jumping the cue!". Naughty I know but he got my back right up.

poppy_f1

our surgery is 99% book on the day there are some pre bookable apps but not for a specific doctor and early morning aimed at the communters
on occasions the receptionists will book in advance but only with a good reason and its very rare
only time i have managed it was when my repeat prescription ran out and i needed to see a doctor vbefore they would renew it - my mum had to plead with the receptionists to book me in first thing i was on holiday at the time