Never any appointments at my surgery!

Indie_Kid

longtomboy wrote: »

I doubt very much that the GP would be impressed with that carry on. He/she would be wasting his/her time when they could be seeing someone that is actually ill.

But receptionists aren't medically trained. I also don't want to discuss my personal medical issues with a receptionist who decides how much of an emergency it may be.

Indie_Kid

longtomboy wrote: »

Well aren't you the lucky one. To get anywhere near a GP in my surgery I have to give chapter and verse on why I am wanting to see the doctor. No explanation - no offer of an appointment. It's as simple as that. They are the gatekeepers.
To wilfully tell a lie to get an appointment will not, in my opinion, be acceptable.

No-one has suggested lying. I would hardly call it "lucky" to be able to book an appointment without having to tell the receptionist why. The only exception is the nurse. Actually, that has worked to my advantage - GP wanted a blood test from me and I handed a piece of paper to reception which stated this. I was told "you could have this now if you want?" Which I did.

Blackpool_Saver

longtomboy wrote: »

I doubt very much that the GP would be impressed with that carry on. He/she would be wasting his/her time when they could be seeing someone that is actually ill.

How rude, insensitive and clueless you are :eek:

tibawo

Let's just say the walk in centre at our hospital is full of people from my medical centre. I couldn't buy some cream over the counter, so I rang doctors; earliest appointment they had was six days later!

I have had to deal with a receptionist who refused to give me appointment for sick child despite her just having open heart surgery as she said she needed to wait a few days to see if she got better. when I put in a complaint I was lucky as they not only found an appointment but the doctor came out.

I think the best is when you wait fifteen mins in the queue to book in at our hospital and then get snootily told that you're late! Needless to say this hospital is one that has been in the news lately for failing its patients.

Twiggy_34

Indie_Kid wrote: »

But receptionists aren't medically trained. I also don't want to discuss my personal medical issues with a receptionist who decides how much of an emergency it may be.

It's more to do with weeding out the unnecessary appointments than it is about triaging your medical need. You would be amazed by how many patients make inappropriate appointments and it is patients like that which make the wait longer for everyone else. I've encountered patients trying to make appointments to request prescriptions for Strepsils before now!!! :eek: Plus there are a surprising number of patients who don't understand the repeat prescription service and don't realise that it's not necessary to see a GP simply to order another prescription. Likewise you get the other extreme, the patient with chest pains and pins and needles down their left arm who "don't want to bother the poor ambulance service", and naturally they need to be advised that they should call an ambulance and that it's better to err on the side of caution. It's a long time since I worked on reception and it seems that most practices try a variety of different systems trying to find the best one for them and their patients, but I always used to recommend booking the next available routine appointment as well as ringing in daily for cancellations. At least that way they have something to fall back on if they keep missing the book on day slots (which genuinely can get booked up within minutes of the phone lines opening, especially on Monday morning).

WRT to the OP's question, if you've been off work for less than 7 days you can complete a self-certificate which you can download online. Your employer should legally accept this and only requires a doctors note after the 7 day period. If they insist they have to have a doctors note they will be eligible to pay a private fee for it, because they should be accepting the self-certificate. If you genuinely need a doctors note, have you advised the receptionist that this is what you are calling for? It might be that they are prepared to issue one without having to see you, but this will of course depend on the nature of the problem.

Hope that helps!

Blackpool_Saver

I would not go into a Drs. Surgery in cold flu and bug season unless it was absolutely necessary, I can't understand this desire to be always at the Drs. I try my best to have a telephone appt, to avoid going in. I am sick of them always pestering us to attend the flipping surgery.........

datostar

Blackpool_Saver wrote: »

I would not go into a Drs. Surgery in cold flu and bug season unless it was absolutely necessary, I can't understand this desire to be always at the Drs. I try my best to have a telephone appt, to avoid going in. I am sick of them always pestering us to attend the flipping surgery.........

They seem to be summoning vast numbers of older people who haven't had any reason to visit for some time to perform 'health checks' on them. This will facilitate more bounty payments for getting them on statins, blood pressure medications, discovering pre-diabetic conditions, interrogsting them about drinking and smoking etc. etc. etc. I've been attending my local surgery's diabetes clinic for nearly 20 years and I'm finding recently that it's taking 2 months to get an appointment to see the Nurse and all appointments for the Phlebotomist who attends the Surgery 2 days a week (blood sample has to be taken a week or so before the clinic appointment) had been filled for the entire month of March. I had to go to a walk-in session in a Community Centre today instead. The session started at 9am. I thought I'd get there early (fasting test) so turned up at 8.45am. The place was still locked up and there was a queue outside! I'd be more than happy not to have to go at all. Twice a year is ample and even that's becoming a major obstacle course.

mumps

I am really lucky with appointments, although one of the doctors isn't great! I called this morning at 9.15 and was offered a choice of appointments. I can usually manage to get a same day appointment.

Twiggy_34

datostar wrote: »

They seem to be summoning vast numbers of older people who haven't had any reason to visit for some time to perform 'health checks' on them. This will facilitate more bounty payments for getting them on statins, blood pressure medications, discovering pre-diabetic conditions, interrogsting them about drinking and smoking etc. etc. etc.

I could be misinterpreting your comments, but you seem to be suggesting that these older people aren't entitled to a health check and that prevention is not better than cure...?

[Deleted User]

Twiggy_34 wrote: »

Likewise you get the other extreme, the patient with chest pains and pins and needles down their left arm who "don't want to bother the poor ambulance service", and naturally they need to be advised that they should call an ambulance and that it's better to err on the side of caution.

I rang with a heart arrhythmia in August 2012 to request a doctors visit. I couldn't stand up without passing out, but the receptionist wanted to know why I wouldn't come in to the surgery. Two minutes later the doctor called back to say he had rung for an ambulance.