Trying to get through to the doctor....

ska_lover

I recently moved GPS due to never being able to get an appointment. Their policy was no advance appointments, it was all book on the day - however you physically go down there at 0800am (to avoid queuing on the phones) be the first person at the reception desk, to be told there are no appointments, try again tomorrow. Same again the next day, and the next.


These days you have chance of better health care for a cat or dog, than for a person. My dog went to the vets, diagnosed cancer, tested, operated on in less than a week -superb . For a human, you would be lucky if you had gotten your first consultation with a GP by that point. I know it is completely different to say that - but relevant on how we treat ourselves as human beings


People are often a tad harsh on GP receptionists, however I feel empathy for them and would not wish to do that job for a million pounds a week. They have little resources to offer, and are forced to tell venerable people they cannot offer any help when most needed and are often met with very unhappy people who are looking for someone to blame for the shoddy service they are receiving. I don't blame anyone for being unhappy with it though but you often see and hear people having a pop at the 18k a year receptionist, who may well be suffering from incredible work related stress from having nothing to offer people and constantly being savaged by the public

kingfisherblue

pogofish wrote: »

Surely you just ask them when you see them?

I can't think of any normal family/relationship where one member has to communicate via a phone queue with another...?

My son has Down's Syndrome and in addition to his learning disability, he has physical abnormalities which affect his speech. He can't use a phone as his speech lacks clarity - even close family members struggle to understand him sometimes. He also doesn't understand appointments, so as his carer and appointee, I deal with things for him.

Today the phone was answered almost immediately. I explained the wait on the phone last night, and the receptionist thinks that there must have been a fault. It was a half day staff training (which wasn't mentioned on their website, so I had no way of knowing this). Phone lines were transferred over to the emergency rota team at 12.30, but several patients this morning have rang to complain that they were just kept on hold until they eventually hung up (as I did).

I asked if the fault had been reported, as this could happen again if not fixed. It hasn't been, but she is going to report it now.

I was able to make an appointment for Monday with the nurse, for both my son and I to have flu jabs.

catkins

kingfisherblue wrote: »

26 minutes on hold, and counting. I was position number three when I first rang, and average waiting time was three minutes. I finally moved up to position number 1 at 5.01pm, and average waiting time had changed to four minutes.

All I want to know is when a flu jab is to be booked for my disabled son - we haven't received a letter. I've looked on the surgery website (no email available) and the flu clinic was two weeks ago.

And in the time taken to type this, I have now been on hold for 28 minutes!

At least you can hang on and move up the queue. To get an appointment with my surgery you have to phone at 8am. If you ring before 8am (sometimes even a few minutes past) you just get a message saying the surgery is closed.

Once the lines are open you just get the engaged signal so have to keep retrying. Before now I have been phoning on my mobile and the landline and my OH using his mobile and it has still taken 10 minutes before you get it ringing.

Usually you get through to be told all the appointments have gone so to ring back the next day.

lincroft1710 wrote: »

With our online appt system you can wait 2 weeks to see doctor of your choice!

I usually have to wait around 4 weeks whether I book online or on the phone.

Ames

clint_S wrote: »

Just realising how bad my GP is. You have between 8:30am and 10am each morning to make emergency appointments, i.e be seen that day, or you have to ring on Thursdays for general appointments. The phones are turned off, you get an automated message giving you time to phone. No online, they also no longer accept walk ins and appointments can only be made through the phone system.


If you do get through during the morning rush you have to leave a message with a machine describing why you need an appointment. If you pass this a Receptionist then calls you and you have to explain to them why you need to see a doctor! Finally if the receptionist agrees you get put on a list and a doctor calls you some time during the day to see if you should come in to the GPs. The whole process usually takes 4 -5 hours and the GP usually says can you come in now.

That's a horrific system! Has anyone tried facebook pages or streetlife (I think that's what it's called) to get a bunch of people together to complain and try and change it? They must be banking on it being harder for patients to find each other and bunch together than it is for customers of a commercial company.

I_told_you_so

ska_lover wrote: »

These days you have chance of better health care for a cat or dog, than for a person. My dog went to the vets, diagnosed cancer, tested, operated on in less than a week -superb . For a human, you would be lucky if you had gotten your first consultation with a GP by that point. I know it is completely different to say that - but relevant on how we treat ourselves as human beings

Therein lies the difference. Your dog is a private patient, you either pay for this service out of your own pocket or his pet insurance will pay the vet. = quick and efficient service.
You can get the same service as a human being if you pay for it or have private medical insurance.
The NHS on the other hand is past its sell by date and will eventually implode.
You will have to face the brutal reality that the only way forward will be health insurance schemes like you have everywhere else on the planet, i.e. you will have to pay a lot more for your health service than you currently do as the current form is totally unsustainable.
It will take a brave government to do it, but it will have to be done at some point.

lincroft1710

LKRDN_Morgan wrote: »

I changed to a different surgery out of town who do appointments through an online system. It's so much easier! You login and every appointment for the day is shown. You still have to login early enough to get one but none of this been kept on hold for a stupid amount of time.

Why all surgery's don't do this I have no idea. Plus you don't have to explain your problem to the wannabe GP receptionist so that's a bonus too!

You may find this difficult to believe but even though we are almost in 2017, there are still people in the UK without online access.

clint_S

Ames wrote: »

That's a horrific system! Has anyone tried facebook pages or streetlife (I think that's what it's called) to get a bunch of people together to complain and try and change it? They must be banking on it being harder for patients to find each other and bunch together than it is for customers of a commercial company.

My wife just changed GPs. I was put off when the new GP asked my 7 year old for her driving licence and a utility bill in her name before they could register her.

onomatopoeia99

lincroft1710 wrote: »

You may find this difficult to believe but even though we are almost in 2017, there are still people in the UK without online access.

So, those people can use the telephone or turn up at the door. That doesn't mean that an online booking system shouldn't be provided, only that the traditional alternatives should not be stopped.

My parents, age 78 and 81, are not technologically literate but are online and do online shop etc (bargain basement talktalk service, but it's still "online"), mum spends hours batting away at her ipad of an evening according to my dad.

Loz01

lincroft1710 wrote: »

You may find this difficult to believe but even though we are almost in 2017, there are still people in the UK without online access.

But at least if the 85% of people who DO have internet booked online then the 15% of people who don't could actually get through on the phone!!

Amber_Sunshine

I really don't know why more surgeries don't go over to an online booking system like we have here in Spain. I booked my flu jab online and if I want to see my GP rarely have to wait more than a day. And this is in Barcelona with a high population density.