Doctors Surgery

50Twuncle

My wifes surgery does not offer on-line booking
In the past - she has phoned up from work and has been forced to discuss intimite womans problems out loud in an office full of men - the receptionist is an OGRE !!
She doesn't normally bother with the doctor for this very reason
My surgery, on the other hand allows booking (on-line) several weeks in advance - using EMIS !!

Dunroamin

Humphrey10 wrote: »

What do you mean? You don't need to be bed-bound to need a doctor's appointment. In many cases you can start treatment before you ever get unwell enough to need time off work.

Same day appointments are supposed to be for urgent treatment. If people who aren't really unwell are using them, then no wonder it's difficult for people who really need them to get one!

Dunroamin

21Twinkle wrote: »

My wifes surgery does not offer on-line booking
In the past - she has phoned up from work and has been forced to discuss intimite womans problems out loud in an office full of men - the receptionist is an OGRE !!
She doesn't normally bother with the doctor for this very reason
My surgery, on the other hand allows booking (on-line) several weeks in advance - using EMIS !!

Sorry if I've missed something but surely the solution is for your wife to move to your surgery?

mountainofdebt

21Twinkle wrote: »

My wifes surgery does not offer on-line booking
In the past - she has phoned up from work and has been forced to discuss intimite womans problems out loud in an office full of men - the receptionist is an OGRE !!
She doesn't normally bother with the doctor for this very reason
My surgery, on the other hand allows booking (on-line) several weeks in advance - using EMIS !!

Oh for goodness sake I've heard it all now.

Your wife doesn't need to discuss anything with the receptionist - who probably has just as much medical training as I do - all she needs to do is to book an appoitment with the doctor so it can be discussed in private.

As for discussing her medical conditions in front of male colleagues then what on earth was stopping her using a mobile in a private room or even the car. Or was she using the work's phone ????

Personally I think all doctor's receptionists are ogres - when ever I've been asked is it an emergency all I have ever replied is I don't know as I have no medical training and that usually shuts them up.

50Twuncle

How many surgeries offer on-line booking - using EMIS ?
I thought that they were all supposed to ...

KxMx

mountainofdebt wrote: »

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.

Actually, OP said his wife has to tell the receptionist what the problem is, and it's the receptionist who decides if she gets a call back by the Dr.

Totally unacceptable. It should be a triage Nurse at the very least.

To answer the post above me, online appointment booking :rotfl:

At my surgery they've only had a website for 2 years, no secure server for prescription requests and it takes them 6 months to add a news item.

I did sign-up for a txt messgae service but that was back when I had my flu-jab...

Although if I want to speak to a GP or Nurse I only have to phone before midday and ask, and one will be booked no questions, in fact they are usually more than happy you only want a phone appointment and not an in-person slot!

50Twuncle

KxMx wrote: »

Actually, OP said his wife has to tell the receptionist what the problem is, and it's the receptionist who decides if she gets a call back by the Dr.

Totally unacceptable.

To answer the post above me, online appointment booking :rotfl:

At my surgery they've only had a website for 2 years, no secure server for prescription requests and it takes them 6 months to add a news item.

I did sign-up for a txt messgae service but that was back when I had my flu-jab...

Thanks - yes, that is correct - the (hopefully - "basic" medically trained) receptionist decides whether or not to bother the doctor with your condition and the result of this cross examination determines whether you get to see a doctor...
(who phones you back at a preset time - and may (if you are lucky) offer you an appointment to see a doctor later that same day)
She asks personal questions that my wife was expected to answer on a normal phone in the middle of an office full of men - completely unacceptible !!

My wife has complained twice through the local health authority (2 years ago) - but nothing has changed

claire16c

21Twinkle wrote: »

Thanks - yes, that is correct - the (hopefully - "basic" medically trained) receptionist decides whether or not to bother the doctor with your condition and the result of this cross examination determines whether you get to see a doctor...
(who phones you back at a preset time - and may (if you are lucky) offer you an appointment to see a doctor later that same day)
She asks personal questions that my wife was expected to answer on a normal phone in the middle of an office full of men - completely unacceptible !!

My wife has complained twice through the local health authority (2 years ago) - but nothing has changed

Cant she just refuse to answer them?

When I used to ring up my doctors to get an appt at work, if they asked what it was about, I just said 'Im at work Id rather not say', and then the receptionist would look at my file and ask questions I could say yes or no to i.e 'Is it to renew your prescription for the pill?' Then she could book me an appt with the nurse etc.

why doesnt your wife move surgeries to your one?

claire16c

patchwork_cat wrote: »

Our surgery doesn't offer anything other than phone on the day appts. Not unless you have a pre exisiting condition and the Dr has asked to see you. I find that turning up is better. This might help http://www.nhs.uk/choiceintheNHS/Rightsandpledges/complaints/Pages/NHScomplaints.aspx

Even for just a non-urgent appt/ repeat prescriptions/check ups etc?

Are you supposed to ring up everyday, and if you dont get an appt just be late for work for days on end?

Person_one

Dunroamin wrote: »

Same day appointments are supposed to be for urgent treatment. If people who aren't really unwell are using them, then no wonder it's difficult for people who really need them to get one!

Well, there are degrees between 'so ill I can't get to work' and 'can happily wait a few weeks'.

Most people could work through, say, an ear infection but you'd still want to get seen and start a course of antibiotics as soon as possible.

I'm lucky at my surgery, Its open till 8 in the evening and I can ring anytime and generally get seen within a couple of hours, but there are some (and I have to say, in my experience they tend to be the ones that are run by private companies rather than PCTs) that make it really difficult for people to get in to see a doctor. Doctor's time costs a lot of money I suppose.