Doctors Surgery

50Twuncle

My wife is extremely unhappy with her GP - She can't get an appointment to see a doctor except by phoning at precisely 8:30 am on the day that she wants to see someone
She spent a good hour on the phone during the week - trying - but the appointments were all gone
Also - she is unable to speak directly to a doctor - the receptionist takes the details and determines whether a doctor should phone you back or not...
She wants to change surgeries - but where we live, there are very few options
Advice please ...

daisiegg

21Twinkle wrote: »

My wife is extremely unhappy with her GP - She can't get an appointment to see a doctor except by phoning at precisely 8:30 am on the day that she wants to see someone
She spent a good hour on the phone during the week - trying - but the appointments were all gone
Also - she is unable to speak directly to a doctor - the receptionist takes the details and determines whether a doctor should phone you back or not...
She wants to change surgeries - but where we live, there are very few options
Advice please ...

This sounds like the last 3 surgeries I've been with (where I live currently, at uni, and when living with my parents). I think it's getting to be the norm now. My surgery, though, has the urgent on the day appointments that you have to phone at 8.30am for, but it does have some pre-bookable ones as well, it's just these get booked up quickly and it might be a couple of weeks before you can get one.

Not really sure what sort of advice you're after...

whitewing

Ours has the 8.30 call if you need an appt that day. You can book in advance but if you book too early, their calendar doesn't extend that far and if too late they are already full. And if the Dr you want to see is on holiday at any point it is worse.

She could just give vague details - it's about my leg.

TeaForOne

A complaint to the practice manager would probably be the first step, and if no joy, a complaint to the Primary Care Trust (before it disappears).

A detailed log of failed attempts would help - practices are still expected to provide an appointment within 48 hours (with a GP, not necessarily her own.

Some other advice here:

http://www.nhs.uk/chq/pages/2555.aspx

and here:

http://www.nhs.uk/choiceintheNHS/Yourchoices/GPchoice/Pages/GPappointments.aspx

mountainofdebt

I do have some sympathy regarding not being able to book an appointment but on the flip side it would also be interesting to know the amount of missed appointments your surgery has as I'm sure this has an impact on the availability of appointments.

I can also understand why you can't speak directly to a doctor over the phone - if your wife wants to advice as to whether she comes into see him or not then perhaps nhs direct may be a good starting point.

Desperado99

Our surgery is similar (I think most are TBH). we have to ring at 8am and pray we get through before all the appts are given out.

I have now worked out that if I turn up in person at 8am (bit of a faff, but if I'm poorly it's worth it) they deal with the people face to face before they deal with the phone. Most times I manage to get a slot before 9am that way.

Dunroamin

21Twinkle wrote: »

My wife is extremely unhappy with her GP - She can't get an appointment to see a doctor except by phoning at precisely 8:30 am on the day that she wants to see someone
She spent a good hour on the phone during the week - trying - but the appointments were all gone
Also - she is unable to speak directly to a doctor - the receptionist takes the details and determines whether a doctor should phone you back or not...
She wants to change surgeries - but where we live, there are very few options
Advice please ...

If you need to ring at a specific time for an appointment, then this is what you have to do; spending hours on the phone at another time won't be any help. This system exists at most surgeries, so I wonder why it's a problem for your wife.

claire16c

I am so glad my surgery doesnt have this system. It ridiculous to expect people to call at 8.30am because if you start work at 9am then youd have to stay at home to call them - and then if you dont get an appt youd be late for work!

At mine you call up and book an appt in advance - it might take a week or so to get one or two if you are fussy about which doctor you see, but if its something urgent you can book an emergency one.

Tiddlywinks

Dunroamin wrote: »

If you need to ring at a specific time for an appointment, then this is what you have to do; spending hours on the phone at another time won't be any help. This system exists at most surgeries, so I wonder why it's a problem for your wife.

Why it's a problem??? Well, let me think...

The problem is that the lines OPEN for appointments at 08:30 and everyone knows that and so they jam as a result. The surgeries version of a 'rush hour' .

People then have to keep ringing through the morning in an effort to get through - and the longer this takes, the less likely there is to be an appointment available.

This is a normal system adopted by many surgeries now - they advance book for 'routine' appointments but this can mean you have to wait for weeks to get something.... or you go for a same day appointment and wait on hold at the end of a phone or suffer the frustration of hearing the engaged tone over and over again.

Personally, I now go in at 08:30 and ask for an appointment. At least then I get to jump ahead of the people who can't attend in person at that time. Not fair - but the only way if you need to see someone urgently.

mountainofdebt

Or alternatively the OP's wife could have made an appointment, and then phoned each day to see if there was a cancellation.

Dunroamin

Tiddlywinks wrote: »

Why it's a problem??? Well, let me think...

The problem is that the lines OPEN for appointments at 08:30 and everyone knows that and so they jam as a result. The surgeries version of a 'rush hour' .

People then have to keep ringing through the morning in an effort to get through - and the longer this takes, the less likely there is to be an appointment available.

This is a normal system adopted by many surgeries now - they advance book for 'routine' appointments but this can mean you have to wait for weeks to get something.... or you go for a same day appointment and wait on hold at the end of a phone or suffer the frustration of hearing the engaged tone over and over again.

Personally, I now go in at 08:30 and ask for an appointment. At least then I get to jump ahead of the people who can't attend in person at that time. Not fair - but the only way if you need to see someone urgently.

You read the post differently from the way I did; I thought the wife wasn't ringing when the lines opened but at other times.

Does it really matter that you have to hold for ages or need to keep redialling?