Getting a GP appointment

penrith

Am not having a go at GP receptionists and i'm certainally not having a go at GPs but the system is CRAZY!

My surgery runs the system where you can only book an appointment on the day. This is rigerously enforced. (I think this is a rubbish system and is for the benefit of GPs and not patients but i work within it). There's about 8 GPs at my surgery too.

Today I ring up for a GP appointment just as they open this morning. I am told there are no appointments left. I check that they mean no appointments with any of the doctors for anytime at all even if the condition is urgent. Yes that's correct. I ask them can i pre-book one for tomorrow seen as i can't get one today. Answer is no. I ask what i am to do. I am told to ring up tomorrow morning and 'hopefully' i'll get an apointment. I ask her what happens if i ring up and i am told there a no appointments tomorrow either, especially in view of the fact that Fridays are notoriously busy and there is no surgery on saturday on sunday. The answer is try on monday, and "well you'll just have to keep trying every day until you get an appointment". BTW at no point did she ask me if my condition was urgent or non-urgent.

THIS IS CRAZY!

Fortunately the reason i wanted to see the GP for is not desperately urgent but because they run the system where you can only book on the day whether the problem is urgent or non-urgent it means everyone gets this response.

My other bug bearer is the fact they offer you an appointment with A doctor - not necessarily yours and not necessarily one who knows the history of your medical problem - so zero continuity of care.

My other half has terrible anxiety. He has been askedby the GP to go an see him every 6 weeks. He may be feeling relatively OK one day and feel he can cope with going outside so decides he'll see the GP for his check-up that day. With all this fighting to get an appointment makes him ill before he even sees the GP. He has told the GP this but the GP says he has had his fingers slapped by the practice manager for allowing patients with mental health problems/anxiety/depression to pre-book appointments to lessen there stress so there's nothing he can do.

Would love any tips to get round this nightmare!!

We_Laugh_Indoors

they have this system in my local GP and personally i like it, i find it useful as i can easily ring at 8am.

but i have heard a lot of people having problems with it. if it was an urgent appointment needed then surely they could give one? if not then that is defo crazy!

i have also heard people say they can't call for an appointment as they are on their way to work, which is also a fair point.

on the specific doctor front, i agree that it is silly you can't get your own doctor. is the patient history not stored on record? personally i like getting to see different doctors, if i have an ongoing problem i like to have different opinions.

do you have any other surgeries whose catchment area you fall into that don't use this system? if so it may help to change.

soolin

Get the telephon enumber of your local PCT (Primary Care Trust) and phone them and complain. The PCT is ultimately responsible for ensuring people have access to services, part of the star ratings is based on access so they don't want complaints.

Also, find your local PALS office who are part of your PCT and make sure they log your problem as a complaint, as all complaints should be reported periodically to the main Board and they might be able to identify a pattern if they get enough complaints.

Soo

Queenie

Similar experience!!

Worse, the receptionist asked me if it was an "emergency" - defined "emergency" - told, well, you could come down at 6pm and if there's a space the Dr might see you; if not, call back tomorrow. (BTW: This was at 0830 .. the time we are told the phone lines open!)

Went to A&E instead - triage nurse was furious when she heard Home from A&E within 2hrs!

GP's were given guidelines to change to this system by the Government when the issue of waiting up on average 7 days to see a GP came to a head. This system is supposed to the way forward! :rolleyes:

Bendybops19

I do agree that the system is silly, and from being a gp receptionist just as this system was brought in, i can tell you that none of us receptionists liked it! :mad:

The most annoying and frustating thing is when someone rings up with an urgent problem and we cant fit them in, BUT if you do need to be seen very urgently then the receptionists always have the option of squeezing you in between patients, or adding an extra appointment at the end of the day.

On the note of seeing different patients, all information is stored after every consultation, so unless you are a very very very regular patient, each doctor whether it is the doctor you were registered with or not, will know just as much as each other.

As for complaining to the pct, it really wont do much, as all gp's across the country are having to bring in this new system, whether they like it or not. :rolleyes:

I actually left the job because of the amount of abuse i was getting from patients that couldnt pre-book appointments, it got to a point where all the receptionists where going to go on strike!

To add - i use a surgery that doesnt use this system because it drives me up the wall!!

maggie1976

Same here!

Our surgery has a walk-in surgery 3 times per week where you go and queue up outside and they open the doors at 8.30 and they give you an appointment for that day (no guarantee of when though). Great if you're feeling reasonably ok but not so if you're feeling grotty and it's cold or piddling down!

You can also call between 9am and 9.30 for an appointment on the day, but again no guarantee of when you'll be seen.

That's all very well for people who are at home, or who live within a short distance of the surgery, but I work full time, as does my husband (him 1hrs drive away and me 20 mins drive away) and we usually like to have early morning or late evening appointment - surely the majority of people in this country are unable to see a GP during the day? Maybe they should start evening surgeries?

I have just tried to prebook an appointment and was told that the wait is 4 weeks!!!! Goodness knows what it would be if I wanted to book an apointment after 5pm with a female GP for example.

There are about 6 GPs for 30,000 people. No wonder the waiting list is so long!

It does seem as though the system is set up to suit the service providers and not the people who are actually paying for it.

solarstone

Our surgery has a hybrid option that works very well. The day is divided into morning and afternoon appts. You can pre-book 50% of either in advance. When they are all full you either phone at 8:30 for the remaining "on the day" morning appts or at midday for the remaining "on the day" afternoon appts.

Best of both worlds.

cookiemonster25

Gp's are independat buisnesses in their own right although ultimatly they do have a contract with the local PCT, my Gps is fantastic you ring up and are offered several appointments on that day with your own GP the receptionists are great never dismissive and always helpful cant understand why they are not all like this, why not write to the practice manager and explain your concerns and circumstances at the end of the day patients are free to choose which GP they register with Might be worth while checking out other local surgeries to see what their policy is on appointments
Good luck

Claudie

At our surgery if you want a same day appt you always have to speak to a Triage Nurse who will phone you back within 2 hours (but not on a mobile - realllly frustrating!). If the Nurse believes you need to see someone she makes an appt for you to see her and once you are there - if she can't deal with it she arranges for you to see the GP. Getting the return phone call is actually the hardest part but the Nurses are lovely and able to deal with quite a lot of medical issues.

derrick

The last time this happened to me,a few years ago, I told them if they did not see me that day, then I would go to A&E to be seen and tell them why I had come to A&E, they gave me an appointment that day!

I very rarely need the doctors but it is bloody annoying when you pay all your taxes and then can't get the benefit of them when required

LilacLillie

Its getting as hard to see a GP as it is to get a NHS dentist where I live.
My surgery doesn't have the system mentioned above...............yet!!!!
I rang last Monday for the next available appointment with my own doctor. Was told she is fully booked for the next 3 wks. 'OK', I say, 'can I have the next available after that then'.
'No we can't take booking any further than 3wks at a time, ring back tomorrow when we re-open the diary for the following 3 wks!'
'Isn't that a further 3wks then?'
'No. You don't seem to understand how we work..........do you? tut-tut'
I duly rang the next morning to be told that the following 3wks are now fully booked, making it 6wks now before I can see my GP
LL