Doctors Surgery

Dunroamin

Person_one wrote: »

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.
.

And most surgeries have a midway option between an urgent appointment today and a few weeks ahead appointment to see a specific doctor, which is to see any GP available in a couple of days.

sock-knitter

my local gp surgery is bad 8.30 phone calls, on hold ages, no appointments left etc
moved surgery 3 weeks ago, to one 2 miles away, but the service is fantastic. rang them this morn and asked for an appointment for tues morn if they had one free, she gave me a list of times, and i picked one, so simple. last surgery didnt do sat mornings either

barbiedoll

No-one should have to give details of their medical complaints to receptionists because:
a) they aren't trained or qualified to decide who gets an appointment and when, or who should speak to the doctor.

b) It's none of their business.

If OP's wife calls her surgery, she should not feel as though she has to tell the receptionist what is wrong with her. She should simply say that she wants the doctor (or practice nurse if there is one) to call her back if she cannot speak to them now. She should ask when she can expect a callback and if she doesn't get it, she should complain loudly and continuously to the practice manager. Oh, and tell her to ask for the receptionist's name. And whether or not she has a medical degree. That usually shuts them up!

GobbledyGook

claire16c wrote: »

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?

Our doctors have exactly this system and it drives me batty. They don't do pre-bookable appointments at all. Even when you see the doctor and he says "come back in 10 days" or whatever you still have to ring on that day. It's made more annoying by the fact that they have two surgeries and chop and change the days the GP's are at which so heaven help you if you've a long term problem and would like a bit of continuity of care! It's a piece of nonsense and is one of the reasons the two other local practises have waiting lists.

Repeat prescriptions you have to take in and put in the box. They have no website, they struggle with their own appointments system because of the two surgery issue never mind having an online appointments system and you can't contact them via email.

dizziblonde

My old GP used to do the no advance booking - appointments on the day only system, but they'd randomly change the time they switched the phones on and only publicise this by a notice in the surgery... meaning their regulars all knew it had changed from 8.30 to 8.15 to 8.30 to 8am - but if you weren't ill and in there a lot - you had to guess what the current phone competition start time was.

Current GPs are really good in terms of helpfulness and not viewing patients as the enemy - if you need it, they'll put you in for a phonecall from the doctor, or squeeze you in at the end of morning surgery, and they do booked appointments and an evening surgery twice a week as well - goes as late as 8.30pm appointments - which is blooming handy if you work! The difference is massive.

Mrs_Ryan

My dr's surgery is pretty good I think. They do the ringing on the day as well but they also do an end of day surgery so if you cant get an appt during the day you can just ring and request an appt then. They know me now and pretty much know what I'm likely to want/need so I'm usually sorted pretty quickly.

Cat501

We're lucky too. There are 6 doctors and 2 nurses at the practice, they're all great, and if you don't mind who you see you can get a non-urgent appointment within a day or two. Phoning at 8.30am is just for emergencies. The reception staff are very nice, it opens at 7.30am two mornings a week and stays open till 6.30pm one evening, and is open on a Saturday morning!

Savvy_Sue

I asked if my mother would be able to email the surgery to request appointments, because she can't use the phone (too deaf) which means she can only arrange appointments when someone visits her or by using TypeTalk. TypeTalk is quite time consuming because she is one of those who has a full timetable and she doesn't want to miss any of her activities, so whatever's first offered will almost certainly be turned down.

They said they didn't want patients using the email address because there was a risk of messages being missed, as they had so many coming in.

OP, if there isn't another convenient practice, I'd recommend getting in touch with the practice manager and pointing out the difficulties and problems there have been. Ours has improved: they did a survey after introducing the 'phone at 8.30' system and I wrote on it how impossible it was, the receptionist called me to the desk and told me that I could actually book a couple of days ahead. So I tried to do so, and was told I couldn't, so I said I'd been told I could do this, and after some huffing and puffing I got my appointment. Since then I haven't needed to huff and puff ...

Tigsteroonie

sock-knitter wrote: »

last surgery didnt do sat mornings either

Cat501 wrote: »

stays open till 6.30pm one evening, and is open on a Saturday morning!

Saturday Mornings? :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Does anyone know how I can find out whether any surgeries around here use EMIS without looking at all their individual websites?

50Twuncle

It seems that I have inadvertently started something here ?

How many of you are happy/not happy with your GP Surgeries ?