Gp appointments or lack of!!

Ring 111

Agree. 111 is the next step. Be prepared for lots of questions though

The practice manager at our surgery is very helpful to patients struggling to get an appointment although I know sadly not all are the same. Hope you get the support you need.

Have you been offered an appointment with someone else at the surgery?

What is a GP?

I went to the Walk in next door to our surgery out of desperation (it’s been impossible) to see our doctors since lock down. I was examined and the staff referred me for an X-ray they got the ball rolling.

Does your surgery use Anima?
Our surgery has started using it and I’ve found it very useful for requesting an appointment online. I’ve been phoned back by the practice manager with available times.
Anima is already used at over 170 GP practices (Jan 2024) and almost 489,000 patients in the UK. It is free and easy for patients to create an account. It has enhanced integration with our systems and is constantly reviewed and developed. Anima is to be used for routine and non-urgent medical and administrative issues only.

E-consult
Minor injuries
Walk-in-centre
111
999
Advice from a Pharmacist

Are you registered with a doctor?
If not, you have to do that.
I do not know why you cannot get an appointment.
Were you given an explanation?
If your condition is serious, call 111
If not the pharmacy (what we used to call the Chemist) is supposed to be qualified to advise.

All I can order online are repeat prescriptions. The e-consult has been disabled.

When I ring, I am told I am x in the queue but when I reach no.1 the phone just rings. I can drive there and speak with a receptionist but when my car is sold shortly I have no idea what I will do. It was bad before Covid but it is 10 times worse now. This is London suburbia.

We are told to go to the walk in surgery and wait. It is 30 miles away.

Signed up to NHS online using this link
www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/gps/online-health-and-prescription-services/

Log in just after midnight to book a GP appointment through services and it will show the dates available to book your GP appointment for that week.

So far, I managed to book two telephone appointments with my GP who worked part time to discuss my blood test results within a day or two using this method.

If I follow the normal route, it takes 3 weeks to see my GP.

Yes Redhead, I went to the walk in clinic.
Hardly anyone there and I was seen straight away by a doctor. Couldn’t have asked for better.

I googled them around here. None for many miles.

I am beginning to feel rather fortunate with my GP practice.

The care navigators or as they used to be called receptionists are helpful and understanding, and usually have appointments on the day either face-to-face or telephone.

We can't get to see a GP. We can get to see a nurse or a 'practice something or other' but there is usually a two week wait. My husband goes there for B12 injections and says the waiting room is always empty.

I’ve never had a problem - really, on the occasions that I have needed anything Ive phoned up reception and a phone appointment booked, spoke to the doctor. I’ve often been given a prescription over the phone, on the occasions that I have needed to see someone it’s been quick.

I dont ask to see any particular doctor,

The only way we can get a gp appointment is either to try ringing at 8am (and we can never manage to get one) or book ahead and wait 6-8 weeks (and even then be limited to apts between 8am and 9.15am). The 6-8 weeks wait applies to both in person and telephone appts.

We are seriously considering moving to another practice but issues getting appointments are becoming more widespread.

I am currently having to wait three weeks for a telephone appt with the practice pharmacist to try to change new blood pressure medication which causes unacceptable side effects. So unacceptable that I’ve now stopped taking it. So my blood pressure is currently uncontrolled. Argh!

In contrast my GP practice is constantly pestering me with blood tests, blood pressure, GP phone appointments etc. I wish they would go and bother the really sick people. Ibe cancelled 2 appointments so far this year.

Can you go to a different one ? Or a walk in clinic or something ?

Our surgery doesnt permit booking appointments. The econsult switches on at 8am and by 8.02am switched off with “all allocations taken. Please try again tomorrow”. Yes you can phone but “ you are number x in queue and no appts for today are available”. No walk in within 20miles. Ringing 111 is the advice. Only one full time doctor out of 8 and i wouldnt recognise or know any of their names. Saddened at the state of general health care.

I just hope when this government is booted out the next one will work as quick as they possibly can to sort this as people are suffering and dying when there is no need, it really frightens me as OH has heart problems and I have numerous health conditions.

They did it last time, so let’s hope given the extraordinary mess they will be left with, they can do it again.
At least there is willingness to try to make things better but it’s a deep hole that been dug over the last 14years.

SporeRB

Signed up to NHS online using this link
www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/gps/online-health-and-prescription-services/

Log in just after midnight to book a GP appointment through services and it will show the dates available to book your GP appointment for that week.

So far, I managed to book two telephone appointments with my GP who worked part time to discuss my blood test results within a day or two using this method.

If I follow the normal route, it takes 3 weeks to see my GP.

It depends which booking system your GP uses. I can't use the NHS app to book GP appointments. The GP's app only works from 8am weekdays and closes within a short time as soon as the GP has no more appointments left usually about 20-30 minutes).

I've used the GP's econsult system and 111 recently. On both occasions, the message came up that the condition needed urgent attention and to ring the GP to discuss. When I rang, I was told there no appointments available and to ring again at 8am the next day or to contact 111. When I said that 111 told me to contact my GP because it couldn't deal with me, I was told to go to A & E. But ... but ... it's not life-threatening (I said) and I don't want to waste A & E time. Eventually, I wrote a letter to the practice manager, who rang me and gave me an appointment two weeks later.

It's nuts! This is all supposed to save staff time, but I must have spent at least half an hour (or more) speaking to people to get a 10 minute appointment.

Oldbat1

Our surgery doesnt permit booking appointments. The econsult switches on at 8am and by 8.02am switched off with “all allocations taken. Please try again tomorrow”. Yes you can phone but “ you are number x in queue and no appts for today are available”. No walk in within 20miles. Ringing 111 is the advice. Only one full time doctor out of 8 and i wouldnt recognise or know any of their names. Saddened at the state of general health care.

Same here!