Impossible to get GP appointment

usignuolo

I have a long standing medical condition which flares up from time to time and has done recently. I phoned up my surgery this morning to make an appointment to see one of the practice GPs. The best they could offer was an appointment with a locum in 13 days time.

When I said I was a long standing patient and wanted to see one of the regular GPs, who was familiar with my medical history, I was told that two of them were away for two weeks for school holidays and there were no vacancies with the others as a result. I said I had had a bad previous experience with a locum there (true) and wanted to see one of the regular GPs. She said in that case I should phone back in ten days time. When I said this was really not very satisfactory, the receptionist said I had been offered an appointment with a locum which was all she was obliged to do. Then she hung up.

Getting appointments has been a regular problem with our practice since the new contracts were introduced. On one occasion when I accompanied my husband in an emergency we saw a locum we saw who was a very efficient nurse practitioner. She said however she was leaving the practice at the end of that week as she was fed up with the way the partners in the practice only worked parttime these days and farmed out all the work to locums.

I would add that I live in a very built up area and that my practice's list as far as I know, closed some time ago, so it is not as though they have had a sudden influx of new patients. The local GP led out of hours service round here is rated among the worst in the country, and this is a fairly affluent town in the south of England.

I think one reason for the problem getting appointments is because they do not have very patient friendly opening hours. They are open 8:30-6pm 5 days a week and one evening 6.30pm-8pm No weekends at all.

pinkteapot

Switch to a different GP? You're no longer under any obligation to be registered with your nearest. If the appointment system isn't working for you, get recommendations from friends for a new GP.

Mine isn't open at weekends either (are many??) but if I ring at 8am I can always get a same-day appointment.

Toothsmith

usignuolo wrote: »

I was told that two of them were away for two weeks for school holidays and there were no vacancies with the others as a result. I said I had had a bad previous experience with a locum there (true) and wanted to see one of the regular GPs. She said in that case I should phone back in ten days time. When I said this was really not very satisfactory,

In that situation, what would have been acceptable to you?

Ok - them both being off at the same time isn't the best planning - but given that they were, what else could the practice do?

Should one have got on a plane and come home to see you?

suse*

I really sympathise with this, as apart from when I was at uni I haven't managed to see the same doctor twice in 15 odd years. That is with also having a condition that needs long term support, and it can take the whole appointment time just to try and explain my history, but the nhs doesn't seem to have a way to do this currently.

I remember reading a while ago they might bring this in for oaps, but I don't think this has happened. It was the daily mail though so it might have been wishful thinking rather than fact.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2507571/Personal-doctor-24hr-helpline-75s-GP-NHS-contracts-torn-up.html

The expert patients course is worth a go if they have it in your area. You can also talk to your local pals service but they are a charity so can only do so much. The whole system seems tied more and more to budgets and targets than listening to people though so I haven't found a way yet. If you do let me know

http://www.nhs.uk/nhsengland/aboutnhsservices/doctors/pages/expert-patients-programme.aspx

usignuolo

Even if I had been prepared to see a locum, I would still have had to wait just under 2 weeks.

Unfortunately my practice has form. Previously I had to go to outpatients for some tests, ordered by my GP, and the following week I rang to make an appointment to discuss the results. No can do, no appointments available, try again Monday, same thing happened for three weeks in succession.

Eventually it turned out that my GP now worked part time and as a result only had a few free slots each week (must have been a freak accident that I got to see her in the first place) and the practice did not book more than two weeks in advance and her slots were all gone by the time they had finished fielding the monday morning phone queues. Eventually I went down to the practice at 8.30am on a monday, only to be told that there were no free slots that week, try next week.

Eventually I made a formal complaint and then she rang me to discuss the results over the phone.

Surely they get paid enough to organise things better.

I should have added also that they are closed from 12:30 to 2.00 everyday.

System

usignuolo wrote: »

Eventually it turned out that my GP now worked part time and as a result only had a few free slots each week (must have been a freak accident that I got to see her in the first place) and the practice did not book more than two weeks in advance and her slots were all gone by the time they had finished fielding the monday morning phone queues. Eventually I went down to the practice at 8.30am on a monday, only to be told that there were no free slots that week, try next week.

Yes, I have found this with female GPs who work part time. Trying to book an appointment with them is like trying to get an audience with the Pope!

If as pinkteapot says you don't need to be restricted by a catchment area (?) I would try and switch to a better surgery if possible. What you are describing can hardly be described as healthcare! It sounds like they have more patients than they are able to deal with.

Failing that, it may be possible to see a GP privately, but that would of course be an expensive option.

Linda32

I don't have an answer but I feel your pain.

At our GP's you have to ring at 8.30am to get any appointment unless you are ill enough to warrent a sit and wait appointment.

I have assumed this is to get around a no waiting list target.

The trouble with this is that if you need to see a GP but are well enough to go to work, this causes problems. I start work at 8.00am so I have to hide to make a phone call. I have tried ringing at 10.30am tea break time. The receptionist actually told me that all the appointment for that day will be gone by then and I'd have to try again the next morning.

As this system is for everyone you really do have to be on the phone on the dot of 8.30 because everyone is told the same thing. :rotfl:

belfastgirl23

Toothsmith wrote: »

Ok - them both being off at the same time isn't the best planning

Honestly I don't think this is about poor planning so much as not feeling they have any responsibility to their patients. In any work environment you are expected to negotiate with your co-workers to ensure that customer care does not suffer unduly in holiday periods. I'd presume that within this practice the GPs don't particularly worry whether their patients will suffer. I'd be looking at other practices too OP.

MoneyMate

Must depend on which part of the country and what day you phone or call in.
I have personally phoned / called into my local GP's had no problems been asked to come in for an appointment THE SAME DAY OK could be any Doctor, but if you require attention why does it matter if you need urgent attention.

Indie_Kid

Blimey! Mine is clearly brilliant compared to what most peoples then. If it's not an emergency, I may wait anything up to 2 or 3 days. More if I want to see a specific doctor.

Cornucopia

If you are having trouble getting an appointment you can try...

1. Asking for an emergency appt, if the circumstance warrant it. If you ask the reception staff, they should be able to tell you how these appointments are booked in your surgery.

2. See if they have online booking. That can obviously be easier to book with at the time the appointments are made available.

This is definitely a problem at my new surgery - they go for days at a time with no appointments available. It really isn't acceptable,