GP surgery

Our surgery is pretty useless.Nobody answers phones anymore.
DP was referred a month ago and they still haven’t sent him a copy of the letter in spite of telling him they would do that in a weeks time.
He doesn’t know what consultant he’ll see, what hospital it will be in and how long to wait until he gets an appointment.
He rang yesterday even tho they said not to but was 35 or something in the queue and he had to go to work, as did I.

How has it developed into this absolute fiasco of utter anger ?

It's got to be money !

My practice is thought to be one of the better ones in my area but I’m not so sure. I’ve had a really painful neck for months and eventually decided I needed to get advice. I called to ask for an appointment but the receptionist said that I couldn’t speak to the doctor about this problem but only the physiotherapist. This took ages as she’s only there 1 morning each week. She organised an app with exercises but refused to discuss tests or painkillers until I had tried the exercises for 6 months so I’m still suffering!

Our surgery is quite good about dealing with you once you get through. Rang in the afternoon after a water infection suddenly became quite severe and was seen by a nurse in a couple of hours. There was a blip with the medication as supposedly the modified release tablets I was prescribed are unavailable at the moment and the doctors supposedly had been told not to prescribe them. Another delay as the electronic system had gone down so had to wait until fault was rectified before a new prescription could be issued. Strangely never seemed to have any of these problems when everything was paper based. I've heard so many horror stories from practices around here In sticking with this one.

I use the NHS App to request test results. I then get a phone call or a text, depending on what needs to be said. She really is excellent. My previous GP wasn’t, but this one is. I changed from a poor surgery (had been very good but then taken over by some group and amalgamated with three other surgeries and service went straight downhill) and I changed to a good surgery (has won awards) that my daughter recommended (she’s a GP herself) and although the first doctor we were assigned to wasn’t great, this new one is really good. I speak as I find.

Aren't some GPs covering at A&E this week?

DD2 has had terrible trouble accessing medical services at her practice where she registered in 2020 (during Covid of course), Following an emergency admission to hospital, where she referred herself, after being unable to get any appointment at her surgery, she is still having weekly follow ups at a different hospital. They told her to ring her surgery on Tuesday for an appointment - she was very reluctant, expecting the same response, but almost fainted when the receptionist said she could have a face to face, not only the same day, but within an hour! Hopefully a sign of better things to come.

The surgery online access ststem is always offline, so got through to the surgery at caller number 10. I spent 1.5 hours hanging on, getting closer, before it just went dead. Damn!
Why oh why is it now almost impossible to get in touch with a surgery for an appointment.

same here - 7 weeks to see a gp re agonising arthritis pain- our practice used to be fabulous but 7 WEEKS?

I cried - that did not help.

I really am happy for you maddyone to have full faith in your surgery.... excellent, its good to read.

I am not 1 to be at the Dr's for every little ailment but in this case I needed confirmation as to whether I am going through the menopause.

So i had a blood test.

Got text to say its back, that it wasn't urgent but I needed to make appointment with a GP which I did, bang on 8am and was told I was 47 in the queue, i hung on for 45 minutes ( listening to absolute naff jingles ) to then actually make contact with a receptionist.... let me just say that no way was the wait of 45 minutes her fault and no way was the length of wait for an appointment her fault, I was as pleasant as pleasant to the poor woman who MUST be on the receiving end of a truck load of abuse !!!!

Anyway i was given a date for a telephone consultation with a doctor 16TH MAY...... 33 DAYS AWAY !!!!!!

My GP is excellent. The whole Practice is good too.

I love a rant about our GP practice, they are truly dreadful.
I saw a few minutes of a TV program about a GP practice.
It was so far removed from my experience that I couldn’t help but think it was all for the cameras.

Haaaaa Fanny.

I didnt want to start a rant about the flippin carry-on with TRYING to see a Dr if there was already a topic created here on GN..... surely to goodness there is a discussion going !!!!!!!

Sorry Fanny ...
I haven't gone round the twist ...... YET !

What on earth are you on about love?