GP appointment

We also have a two week minimum wait for ordinary doctor appointments. There is a separate drop in surgery run by other doctors in the middle of an industrial estate which anyone can use so that helps. We've been with our toddler, quicker than bothering to wait for our own doctor.

Our surgery had 4 full time GPs, and one part time, and 8,500 patients on their books. It used to be that if we rang for an appointment, the wait could be up to 2 weeks. Then they made it that you had to ring before a certain time in the morning to get one on that day, you couldn`t make them in advance. Then at the beginning of May, it all changed again, 2 of the full time doctors decided to retire at the same time, so far no replacements have been found, so no appointments at all, just sit and wait, which can be up to 90minutes. You`re suppose3d to ring and put your name down for sit and wait, unless you turn up no later than 8.45am, then you just sit and wait anyway.

I have the reverse problem with my GP's. We have to ring at 8am on the day, for an appointment. They don't give advanced ones. Then its a scramble to get in first, second, or even at all using re-dial, as you continually get the engaged sound, often it goes straight to a recording, and when you do finally get through you can easily be told, "Oh all appointments for today are gone now, sorry." Also, why do I have to get up earlier enough to get myself together to make the call at 8am - and possibly not get an appointment after all. Im a very bad sleeper these past ten or so years, so if Ive been still awake at 5am I do like to sleep on a bit longer. Surely the commonsense plan would be to let people ring anytime and book an appointment for any day and time available, whilst keeping a certain number of appointments free each day for urgencies.

My doctor is annoyng me at present as she seems to have taken to making telephone calls to patients instead of actually seeing them... ggggrrrrr.

I don't want to be a show off but I went in to see our lovely receptionist on Monday evening for a repeat prescription. I ask for two of the same because I was going on holiday at the end of the month and might forget to come in. I popped back on Tuesday and there they were handed to me by a smiling receptionist who wished me 'happy holidays mrs kiora. No visit to the chemist for us our g.p has his own pharmacy. When I was ill in December I couldn't have got better treatment. the gp told me I could contact her anytime and she'd make room for me.( I didn't and I think she knew I wouldn't unless it was a dire emergency) but just saying it to me made me feel confident in her ability to make me better. I know I'm incredibly lucky. But it isn't always the 'medicine' it's self that helps to get us well it's the fact that you can place your complete trust in a G.P and be confident that they will do everything in their power to help and that they care about you as an individual and your family.. If I was told they were trebling my g.p's salary I'd think 'good they deserve it' A good G.P practice from the cleaner to the G.P's is worth more than its weight in gold.

By chance I spoke to a friend today who goes to the same surgery mentioned in the OP who is on post cancer drugs and is off on holiday for a month. Therefore, she needs double the prescription as they only let you have 2 weeks worth at a time. 'Absolutely not' says the local pharmacist, 'go to the surgery'. 'Oh no' says the receptionist, 'that's not allowed'. 'But' says Maggie 'I shall be away for a month and I have to have these drugs!'. 'Sorry, definitely not allowed' 'Then I will have to take up a precious appointment with the Dr just to get a prescription which I get every 2 weeks anyway and I am going away on the 14th. 'Sorry, no appointments until after the 18th'. No help, no suggestion of how to get round the problem, no brain??
FFS, what is she supposed to do? I really despair of this so-called system
Grannies unite and battle the system?

GPs are paid a fortune now even though they do less than in the past.

Really?
www.pulsetoday.co.uk/your-practice/practice-topics/practice-income/hunt-admits-gps-are-doing-more-work-for-no-more-money/20000963.article

Quite an old report though, Grannylin.

Same Health Minister, same government.Maybe this 'truth' is preferable
www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2587609/DAILY-MAIL-COMMENT-Patients-not-GPs-getting-raw-deal.html
Who are these GPs on £100,000?My DD is on half this and gets called a'bitch' for not handing over what some patients demand. It's a political football and as always there are two sides to the story.

Indeed there are, Grannylin.

My GP surgery is brilliant usually get an appointment same day if you ring before 8.30, doctors and receptionist are amazing, can't fault my surgery at all

I am so so lucky where I live - a village near Whitby in North Yorkshire - as I am always able to see my GP of choice within 24 hours. A nurse practitioner is always available, too. The best thing is that I trust them. I remember trying to get an appointment in Surrey where I used to live and being told that I would have to wait a week. I replied that I did not know if I would be ill in a week. I received an appointment for the next day.

The two week wait seems to be relatively common. Our surgery has a triage system. A doctor or nurse practitioner will call back (usually within 15 minutes) and discuss your case. This week the nurse asked me to pick up a prescription and leave a sample. Then they rang up to confirm that I did have an infection. Downside is that the antibiotic is making me feel worse than the infection! If the triage caller decides that the patient needs to see a doctor, there is time reserved at the end of morning surgery for these cases. Or, if you are too ill to go the the surgery, a house call will be booked.

--Marmight this happened to us once a few years ago and we rang the Health Board for the area and they told us we were able to have the prescriptions and if we did not get them we had a case against the surgery. We left it a day or so and went back to ask for prescriptions and got them.

Patient heal thyself! I tried to go online on Monday night for an appointment with any doctor - even the practice cat - as I am fairly sure I have a superficial thrombo - phlebitis which should get better of its own accord but might be a problem if it spread up my thigh. However no appointments before 16th June so I'll just have to hope for the best To be fair DH must have a red flag beside his name as we aleays get a prompt reaction when his health plays up as there is never time to play with.

I can ring at 08:00 for urgent appointments, never failed yet. I can also book a week in advance for non-urgent appointments, or I can book on-line.

The only bug-bear with our doctors is that appointments often run late, usually because the doctors/nurses are joking/gossiping with the patients.

All in all, a nice friendly service. We really moved just outside the surgery catchment area, but were kept on the books so that we could maintain continuity of care.

Glad we didn't have too break in a new doctor.

I rang this morning to ask for an appointment with our own GP to get the results of my husband's xray. The receptionist told me he was going on leave and the first appointment she could give us was June 24th. I asked for a phone call to tide us over till then and the doctor rang at lunch time. He suggested my husband should see him at 3.45 before his surgery started, which he did - sorted!

I`m getting up extra early tomorrow in order to be at the surgery by 8.45am to sit and wait, hopefully not for too long, and also hopefully for some relief from a water infection that`s kept me awake and on the go for weeks now, trouble is, once cleared it soon returns.

I hardly dare tell you this but we can always get an appointment on the day. We simply book online at 7.30am. Some appointments are available 2-3 weeks in advance. Appointments are also available in person on the day. We may not be able to see our named GP but we can always see someone and they are all good. On the downside there is a shortage of nurses and my husband can't always get his leg re- bandaged when it should be.

My surgery doesn't do online booking, you have to phone after 8.30 a.m. to get a same-day appointment otherwise it's a ten to fourteen day wait.

What if someone falls ill later in the day? You don't always know if you'll need a doctor at 7 o'clock in the morning - no wonder A&E departments are overworked.

Walk-in centres are the "third way" as long as you don't mind a wait. Less grotty than A&E and you DO get seen that day.

Here's an insider view
www.theguardian.com/society/2013/nov/03/behind-the-scenes-gp-surgery-evenings-weekends

It's a long article but here's the last paragraph:
"Pity the poor young doctors setting out on their careers. "Years ago I think GPs were well respected and well liked," says the recently qualified salaried doctor. "But as funding's cut and time's cut and pressures mount and people become more demanding, there's less of a perception of us as being in an authoritative position. People come and they say, 'I'm not leaving unless I get this,' even if it's completely unrealistic. Our respect levels have gone down and we've been made scapegoats by the government. I did 11 years of training to get to this position and I only want to help people, but you'll come in and have people shouting at you and swearing at you and being aggressive because you can't quite deal with their demands. I feel we've been crucified in the press. I can understand where they're coming from with saying we should open seven days a week and try and do it eight till eight, but it would be impossible." Doctors, though, are expected to do the impossible. Surely there is a pill that will solve everything."

I cant fault our surgery, 3 GPS and I have yet to be refused an appointment whenever I have phoned, they split the week between them so I may have to wait until a certain day if I want my own Dr.
They have held winter weekend surgeries from November to March but that has been rolled out permanently, over a weekend if you require an appointment you have to go down to the surgery, then go back if its a later appointment as the reception staff are not in so no phone cover, but thats not a problem if you need to be seen.

I think phoning up on the day for an urgent appointment and having to constantly redial is a stupid idea. The practice should have a call queue system saying you are number xyz in the queue. I keep intending to ask the surgery why not but forget.