Getting through to a doctor

My DH belongs to a very big GP surgery (11 GPs). It is impossible to get an appointment with a doctor, you have to ring at 8am. We tried last week 27 times before giving up. He then rang later in the day, and found out that he could actually get the service he needed from the practice nurse and so was given an appointment.
He attended at 9:30 this morning and he was the only patient in the building!
Something is very wrong....

Our GP apparently doesn’t do ears either but for £20 across the road the pharmacist will!!
DH hasn’t been well since Friday-usually in good health. This morning he rang 111-they said our surgery will ring back which GP did mid afternoon and asked him to go in. He just made it to chemist to pick up prescription before they closed at 6.30. He would never have get an appointment today if he’s just phoned the surgery IMHO

Our doctors are amazing. You can always book an appointment online in the morning for that day and often with your preferred doctor. I spoke to mine a week ago and he offered to phone me this Friday to see how I am getting on. They will also see you face to face if necessary.

It'll soon be 'we don't do bodies any more'.

'Don't do eyes any more' - for goodness sake. Some of them 'don't do ears any more' either. You have to make a private appointment to get your ears syringed. Unbelievable.

my teenage son wasn't very well a few weeks ago (in hindsight I think it may have been this new covid variant but he was testing negative) and his eye really swole up and was v v sore. Pharmacist said we need to see a GP but the receptionist said they 'don't do eyes anymore' and gave me a number to ring of a private practice I finally got another number and spoke to bemused people and a optometrist/ophthalmologist? who prescribed over the phone
it's a nonsense imo

I'm another one wondering what the GPs are doing all day. Are they all busy doing Covid jabs or what? It's easy to see the nurse at our surgery but you can't get to see a doctor for love nor money. Does anyone know?

ayse

DH and I live in a relatively deprived area. The surgery has always been contactable and he has has at least 3 telephone consultations. Monday he rang and Tuesday about 9:00 he had a call back from the surgery. He now has an appointment for Friday morning to see a doctor. He will very probably be referred to our local long Covid clinic as well as being referred onwards.

I find it so difficult to understand how our surgery can be so efficient whilst others are a joke. I feel for anyone who cannot even get to talk to someone, let alone have an appointment.

Same here ayse

Our surgery is in one of Cornwall's largest towns and covers a massive area. I can't fault them at all. Everyone is so helpful.

Should have mentioned that this is an inner city area

DH and I live in a relatively deprived area. The surgery has always been contactable and he has has at least 3 telephone consultations. Monday he rang and Tuesday about 9:00 he had a call back from the surgery. He now has an appointment for Friday morning to see a doctor. He will very probably be referred to our local long Covid clinic as well as being referred onwards.

I find it so difficult to understand how our surgery can be so efficient whilst others are a joke. I feel for anyone who cannot even get to talk to someone, let alone have an appointment.

I go to a different surgery to my husband (we both used to go to his, I changed about 10 years ago). I've downloaded and printed off some forms he'll need if he wants to change. In 41 years of marriage, I've known him to go to the doctor's about 6 times.

Don’t get me started………?

As shown by several posts on here, face to face appointments are available for patients that the GP feels he/she needs to see. If the problem can be dealt with over the phone, via a video chat, or an email, that’s the way it will be dealt with at the moment. Surely people realise that sitting in a waiting room to see the doctor is the least safe way to have the problem resolved. I understand that elderly patients prefer to see their doctor face to face, but if there’s a safer alternative, surely that is better. Many doctors have contracted Covid from their patients, my son in law was one of them, and he passed it to his wife and child. They’re both doctors so that took them out of the system for ten days each. The more face to face consultations there are, the more doctors will pick up Covid, and the fewer doctors there will be to treat their patients, which will give us all an even longer wait for a doctor’s appointment.

My OH rang the doctors at 8.30, spoke to Dr straight away, appt at 11.00. Joy of rural practice

The only time I’ve seen a GP face to face was at the centre when they personally gave me both my Covid vaccs. They’re getting paid for them………I have a friend, retired health professional, who volunteered to do vaccs six months ago. Has completed all documentation, training etc and hasn’t yet been called to do any!

Its terrible, I haven't had a face to face with my Dr since last Feb. One time a few months ago I was so fed up at not being able to get through and get help that Mr B called an ambulance. I got the treatment I needed and my Dr got a snotty email from the ambulance people because they were fed up with the situation. My Dr actually phoned me the next day and has given me a repeat prescription for the medication I needed. Told him he had let me down and when was face to face returning. He said not for some time as they were exception another wave and one in the winter.

You book appointments online with our surgery. Telephone appointment only, first GP is available in 2 weeks. However have booked a nurse appointment for my husband tomorrow. It's going to be interesting as it's a very complex situation, plus test results. If you phone at 8 am you might get a same day if there's any left. I've no idea where the regular doctors are or what they are doing, appalling service. Their rating online is 1.8.

I had given up trying to get through to the GP but used e consult about 9.30 pm and was surprised when my doctor phoned me at 8.30 the next morning.

I was not bothered about seeing him face to face at this time but do not hold out much hope when I do. What are GPs actually doing with their time.

Sorry Pinkcakes I feel your frustration. I have to call the Dr quite a lot for my elderly mum, last week I was 20th in line, only to be cut off when it was my turn ! So frustrating. I was very pleased last week when the surgery sent out a letter, stating that as my mum is classed as vulnerable we now have a dedicated number to call but it’s only available from 10 am until 3 pm, not long really. Hope you get sorted soon.

Accident this morning. Fell backwards stepping up on uneven ground. Result: can’t put weight on knee.

I did the eConsult through the surgery website. Done twice for MrM and it’s brilliant. His last one resulted in an appointment 2 says later.

My last question resulted in me being told to ring the surgery.
Got straight through and told receptionist all my woes. Doctor rang 2 hrs later. I’ve to do RICE and try to take some steps. Any severe pain off to A+E for X-ray. ???

Look for another surgery PinkCakes. Good luck.

OH saw an actual GP in the flesh this week. He has been diagnosed with a hernia. Because of the huge waiting lists at the moment, he is paying to have it done in a couple of weeks. Likewise, if I fortunately didn’t still have BUPA, I would still be waiting for my partial knee replacement! Apparently that’s an 18 months wait on the NHS at the last count. For a few weeks before my op I could barely walk. What on earth would I be like in 18 months if I’d had to wait? Obviously I am aware that many of us don’t have BUPA or the ability to pay for operations.

I eventually got through to the surgery, to be told that they aren't booking ANY routine appointments at all. The receptionist asked me to go onto their website, book a triage appointment, so I did - absolutely loads of questions - and the response was "a GP will contact you (my husband) some time before 6.30pm tomorrow! My husband isn't ill, but has got Plantar Facsiitis (I've had it a few times so feel sure it's that) He's tried various painkilers, gels, insoles, physio exercises.

His GP surgery is known for being very poor. In fact, they've been under "special measures"

Ours are terrible. Last week my DH was 20th in the queue then told to ring the next morning. He phoned again as instructed only to be told it was the wrong day for that particular doctor. The surely knew that the day before.

On another occasion I used their email contact facility only to receive a reply stating that they cannot answer questions via this method!!

Disgusting.......

I have seen my a GP face to face three times in the last year, most recently two weeks ago, after using the online PatientAccess app.

Its that loooooong run in message telling you all about Covid and what to do if its an emergency (dial 999 - who'd have thought, which really gets to me. Thank goodness we've moved on from red phone boxes and press button A.

We get a response from ours via their website. The receptionist passes the message to the doctor or nurse and then it gets triaged and then you get a response for either a nurse appointment - which may even be in person - or a phone call appointment with a doctor - its unlikely to be face to face. I have heard rumours of someone actually meeting a doctor. But it may only be a rumour.