Phoning for A Doctor's Appointment

kloana

No waiting time in terms of appointment - can be seen the same day, often within a couple of hours, even if non-urgent.

However, lots of waiting on the phone, as you have to ring up at 8am. There's one receptionist for thousands of patients, in a popular polyclinic, in a large town. It's not uncommon to get an engaged tone for more than an hour.

Appointments can't be booked in advance, it's same day only. Ring at 8am for morning appointments, and around 1pm for afternoon appointments. Receptionist shouts at you if you try to ring at 8am for an afternoon appointment! Receptionist also fancies herself as a medical professional (she's not), and is known to do her own diagnoses over the phone. It's a good job nobody takes her seriously, as she's usually very wrong.

catkins

The phone lines open at 8am for that day's appointments which are meant to be emergencies only. Often you can't get through until about 8.15 by which time all the appointments have gone.

If you want to book an appointment it is normally a 3 week wait unless you want to see a specific doctor and then it is more like a month!

I find it ridiculous. Earlier this year I had a cough which wouldn't go and felt really rough - tired, aching, sweating etc. I tried phoning the surgery every day for a week and each time got through to be told the appointments had gone. I didn't bother making a bookable appointment because I figured I would be better by then (or dead!). On the Saturday I felt so bad, and obviously looked it, because my husband insisted on taking me to the walk in medical centre. They told me I had a chest infection and asked why I hadn't seen my GP!!!

Torry_Quine

I can phone at 8:30 for a same day appointment but never actually have. They have just started a drop in surgery on Monday and Friday afternoons, my husband has been once and although he had to wait at least he was guaranteed to see someone. If you want to make an appointment its usually within a few days.

No drop in clinics here though.

thegirlintheattic

Our local one is very good, I can call on the day and be seen, most it has taken is a few days.

elsien

It does seem to be harder for routine appointments.
I want a non urgent appointment, don't care who with (which you'd have thought would have made life easier for them) to fit round my shifts which does give quite a lot of flexibility.
Can't get one. The routine appointments for next week haven't been released yet, and I can't be doing with having to compete on the phone each day with the urgent ones at either 8 am or midday.

I thought if I was wanting a non urgent appointment anytime in the next 2 or 3 weeks it should be pretty straightforward. Silly me.

lisawood78

All appointments are same day at ours, if you phone up and there are no routine appointments left you need to call up the next morning and try again. Always get a routine one if you call before 10am. There are some emergency appointments usually at the end of the morning session or afternoon session, and a few things you can book ahead for (mainly nurse/midwife stuff) It works well for me.

apesxx

at ours you have to phone that morning at 8am and if you dont ring pretty much at 8 on the dot and get in the queue (which usually takes about 10 mins to get through) then all the appointments with the good docs have all gone. I once rang at 8.30 and was told they had all gone. I usually just tend to go walk in centre now, i have never waited longer than 20 mins to be seen where i usually have the doc that is running an hour behind at our practice

Callie22

I've never seen a doctor at my current surgery so I can't comment on that, but I called on Tuesday to try to get a routine appointment with a nurse for a repeat prescription and the earliest appointment they had was the 8th November. It's also hard to get early or late appointments, so I don't have to take time off work.

Red_Panda_2

I love our new Dr, appointments for the day are released at midnight so from then you can either call and book on the automated system or book online. As long as you don't mind a late night or an early morning I always get one the same day.

With the online system you can log in and book routine appointments up to 3 weeks in advance by clicking on the particular Dr or nurses diary.

Can't fault them, their booking service is far better than any other surgery I have been with.

xcarlyx

Ermm.... 2 weeks.