GP Surgery Times

Faith177

Hi

Just a general query is their anyone I can complain to about my doctors surgery changing it's opening hours without any warning.

I just phone to book a late appoint (after 6) to be told they no longer do this and the latest appointment is 5:20pm.

I asked what people who work 9-5 are meant to do only to be told to take time off work. I work 2 hours from where I live so this is not doable to me.

System

Its annoying but i thought most doctors surgery's only work 9-5.

Can't you book an appointment first thing in the morning and then go to work after? Most companies allow you to take the time off for doctors appointments.

Another option is to go to an NHS walk in center near your work.

I don't think complaining is going to get you anywhere.

Faith177

Their first appointments aren't till 9 so I wouldn't get into work until 11:15-11:30 I work on a very small team so it makes it quite hard to take time off and if it does get authorised then the only way I can make the time up is to lose my lunch break. So for one doctors appointment I would have to lose 6 days worth of lunch breaks

They should have had to inform patients of the changes though shouldn't they?

Herongull

goater78 wrote: »

Its annoying but i thought most doctors surgery's only work 9-5.

Can't you book an appointment first thing in the morning and then go to work after? Most companies allow you to take the time off for doctors appointments.

Another option is to go to an NHS walk in center near your work.

I don't think complaining is going to get you anywhere.

The NHS walk-in centres have all been closed AFAIK. The government figured that they were just enabling GPs to avoid seeing some their patients (even though GPs are paid very good money to deal with patients primary care needs).

Complain to the practice manager and if this doesn't work - it probably won't - change to a more accessible GP. NHS Choices has all the details (including appointment times and patient feedback) of GPs in your area.

I changed my GP practice from one that had long waiting times for appointments (often up to 2 weeks) to one where you get seen either same day or the next. Changing GPs is very easy to do.

The more people that vote with their feet, the more incentive GPs are to be patient-friendly.

System

They have not all been closed. Don't be ridiculous.

aileth

Our walk-in centre is most certainly still open!

Faith177

Can a walk in centre issue out perscriptions for an on going medical condition when it needs to be reviewed? I was under the impression that if you had been suffering for something longer than 2 weeks you can't go.

Also if you go to a walk in centre can they review your notes so I don't have to keep repeating a long and complicated medical history every time I do go in there?

The whole point of going to a GP is that they know you and you can build a rapport with them and they can tell if something is different straight away. If you went to a walk in centre i don't feel they would be able to give the same service as it's a diffrent person every time.

Also my local walk in centre (5 miles from where I live) is not easily accessable and means wondering around a well know dodgy estate late at night and sitting in a waiting room for God knows how long.

Just checked the walk in centres page it's closed for the fore-seeable future due to a burst pipe causing major damage. Next near centre is 10 miles away unless I want to go the one at the local hospital where I am more likely to be sent away as they are about as much good as a chocolate teapot.

Got to love Barking, Redbridge & Havering NHS Trust!!

Torry_Quine

Here in Scotland we don't have drop in centres.

Bella73

As others have said you could complain the the Practice Manager but it probably won't change anything.

The changes will have taken place for a reason and not just a whim.

As for letting you know it's probably on their website if they have one and I imagine there are posters up in your Surgery. Do you really want them to write to every patient on their list with new times? Some surgeries have 20,000 patients!

They will just tell people opportunistically when they attend.

mel48rose

Our GP surgery is great. They do a surgery til 7pm one evening a week and also a Saturday morning.

AMG762

If you complain to the practice manager make sure the letter is written in a nice way.

It is fairly common to be removed from the gp's lists for very minor things.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2050225/NHS-complaints-GPs-ban-patients-following-trivial-disagreements.html#axzz2JfRmySKs