Parents unable to get doctor appointment after weeks of trying

Robin9

When my wife was ill and unable to get to the surgery I requested Home Visits without any problem.

There was one real bonus - the home visits lasted an hour rather than the 10 min at the surgery.

Get yourself set up at the surgery so that you can talk to the doctor about your parents.

Flugelhorn

All GPs have to do home visits - most will check the person is genuinely housebound before agreeing to the visit. Most surgeries have a duty doctor you can speak to (they will usually phone you back) and they will arrange an appointment if needed.

Some areas of the country are really struggling at the moment for appointments, some are better off and have extended access via hubs offering weekend appointments etc.

Phone consultations can be useful as you an usually do 2 of those in the space of the time it takes for an F2F appointment

One option can be to phone 111 for advice - can sometimes help in getting appointments.

Nicki

Do you have any other agencies involved due to your mothers disability? Social Care may be able to pull some strings if your father's illness means he isn't able to care for your mum. I sympathise as my own GP is just as bad!

stormCat99

Robin9 wrote: »

When my wife was ill and unable to get to the surgery I requested Home Visits without any problem.

There was one real bonus - the home visits lasted an hour rather than the 10 min at the surgery.

Get yourself set up at the surgery so that you can talk to the doctor about your parents.

Unfortunately I live a few hours away so this won't be possible, but I definitely think the home visit is worth them asking about, thank you.

kirtondm

I suggested going in person to the doctor’s at opening time, to ask for an appointment, but that is apparently not allowed.

what if you don't have a telephone. Approx 1% of my patients don't have a telephone. I can't believe they would refuse to deal with someone who turned up if they wouldn't I would quickly escalate.

stormCat99

Yes that is a very good point kirtondm, it sounds ridiculous.

sheramber

If your father is immobile and your mother is in a wheelchair how is your father going to get to the surgery?

stormCat99

sheramber wrote: »

If your father is immobile and your mother is in a wheelchair how is your father going to get to the surgery?

Drive!

He has no pain when sitting down, or even standing. But as soon as he walks for more than a couple of minutes, the awful pain seems to start. I'm not quite sure what it might be, for now he's taking cocodamol but it's not helping much.

Small update - after asking to speak to the practice manager, he has now had a telephone consultation this morning, and been prescribed some sort of pain relieving gel. Not sure if this will help tbh.

And he has now been booked an appointment for 2.5 weeks' time.

So progress, but he's still got to endure the next couple of weeks with it. I just hope that when he finally gets there, they take it seriously and are able to do something to help.

Tiger_greeneyes

boots_babe wrote: »

Carrot007 - you can ask for an 'emergency' appointment on the day, rather than just a 'normal' appointment on the day.

But because of the silly system whereby both normal and emergency appointments can only be booked on the day, the phone lines are jammed.

Toothsmith - I've not tried ringing myself. I understand what you're getting at, but actually my mum knows what she's doing. They're in their mid 70s, but due to their many medical issues, she is very au fait with procedures etc. They recently had to move doctor's because theirs closed, the old place used EMIS and let you book online which my mum happily did. But the new place doesn't offer that, or indeed much at all by the sounds of it - their reviews on the NHS site are awful.

I could look into where their 'nearest' A&E is as suggested, and whether transport could be arranged.

Is that really the only option though, that seems pretty awful.

My brother pretty much has the same problem with his doctor. The A&E consultant said my nephew needed an urgent GP visit but the receptionist at their dr's practice has decided it's not urgent and they can wait three weeks.

Honestly - I'd get a new dr.

Tiger_greeneyes

Flugelhorn wrote: »

All GPs have to do home visits - most will check the person is genuinely housebound before agreeing to the visit. Most surgeries have a duty doctor you can speak to (they will usually phone you back) and they will arrange an appointment if needed.

Some areas of the country are really struggling at the moment for appointments, some are better off and have extended access via hubs offering weekend appointments etc.

Phone consultations can be useful as you an usually do 2 of those in the space of the time it takes for an F2F appointment

One option can be to phone 111 for advice - can sometimes help in getting appointments.

I'm just wondering why there is such a problem with getting appointments these days, are people getting sicker or are there fewer doctors or is it something else? There never used to be a problem. It's not even the holiday season yet - it's going to be awful once doctors are on holiday and children are off school.