Trying To See Your GP
Discussion
Our surgery asks you to telephone at 8:30 am to make an appointment. It can easily take 40 minutes plus to get through as they’re constantly engaged and when you do often all the appointments have gone. Apparently this isn’t unusual nowadays.
When you get through you’ll be triaged by a receptionist who’s probably not medically trained and even then you’ll only get a telephone appointment with the doctor. They don’t even tell you when the doctor will call which can be very difficult for anyone working.
This made me chuckle this morning though.
When you get through you’ll be triaged by a receptionist who’s probably not medically trained and even then you’ll only get a telephone appointment with the doctor. They don’t even tell you when the doctor will call which can be very difficult for anyone working.
This made me chuckle this morning though.
Munter said:
Zarco said:
Riley Blue said:
That is spot on however NHS England has asked for an early resumption of normal service.
That is normal service.You can't get into the NHS unless you go via A&E, or get lucky on the morning phone lottery.
When the phones are busy we usually book appointments on-line or use the surgery's phone app and ask for a same-day call back. However, on Monday morning my O/H decided to phone the surgery, got through in less than an hour, asked for a call back and a GP called her before lunch time with a prescription delivered by the end of the afternoon.
Riley Blue said:
Not at our GP practice it isn't.
When the phones are busy we usually book appointments on-line or use the surgery's phone app and ask for a same-day call back. However, on Monday morning my O/H decided to phone the surgery, got through in less than an hour, asked for a call back and a GP called her before lunch time with a prescription delivered by the end of the afternoon.
Normally for us online booking is same as the phone. Except a month in advance. To get a slot one month ahead, you get up at midnight, log on and try an get the new slots before anybody else. If someone cancels, you might get lucky and pick up their slot.When the phones are busy we usually book appointments on-line or use the surgery's phone app and ask for a same-day call back. However, on Monday morning my O/H decided to phone the surgery, got through in less than an hour, asked for a call back and a GP called her before lunch time with a prescription delivered by the end of the afternoon.
The way to swerve it all is show up in person to book. Now they have a sick person in their way to deal with and magic slots open up.
The company i worked for as part of employee benefits at the start of COVID provided, alongside private medical, online GP services via an app. Same day service - nigh on same hour service infact all done from an app, all referable back into the NHS or via my private medical insurance.
I am sad, and possibly ashamed, to say that i have now gravitated away from my local NHS GP surgery to the private online GP's the moment i got through to the surgery after a 35 minute wait at 0830hrs to then be triaged by a receptionist on why i wanted to see a doctor... "please tell me the medical issue.."
I hope the NHS adapts GP's to do online same day appointments bookable via the NHS/patient online apps. I'll be back in a flash.
I am sad, and possibly ashamed, to say that i have now gravitated away from my local NHS GP surgery to the private online GP's the moment i got through to the surgery after a 35 minute wait at 0830hrs to then be triaged by a receptionist on why i wanted to see a doctor... "please tell me the medical issue.."
I hope the NHS adapts GP's to do online same day appointments bookable via the NHS/patient online apps. I'll be back in a flash.
I called my surgery a few weks ago and was told the earliest appointment they could offer was weeks away.
Or I could call the next morning - and spend the best part of an hour on hold so they could eventually tell me they had no appointments! Or I could call 111. Who told me to call my surgery.
There's no point trying to see a GP - they are far too precious these days to actually see the patients who pay their salaries.
No wonder A & E are so busy!
Or I could call the next morning - and spend the best part of an hour on hold so they could eventually tell me they had no appointments! Or I could call 111. Who told me to call my surgery.
There's no point trying to see a GP - they are far too precious these days to actually see the patients who pay their salaries.
No wonder A & E are so busy!
My local surgery is engaged for about two hours every morning, receptionist always got out of the wrong side of the bed, real attitude problem, three weeks for an appointment and if you want a GP to phone you that afternoon then dream on because it won't happen. It holds the honour of being the first NHS surgery in the UK and in my opinion it is one of the worst.
It's inconvenient if you condition is routine if you've got a spinal injury like myself it is a bloody nightmare. I've spoken a lot about it before but six GP's, two or whom were Locums misdiagnosed me meaning I nearly ended up in a wheelchair. Another three then prescribed me medication which a spinal consultant six months later told me A) would never have worked and B) would have put me in a coma if I'd taken the combination and doses they prescribed.
So despite the surgery being on the same road a my house I'll go a few miles down the road and pay £25 to see a private GP who probably won't kill me.
It's inconvenient if you condition is routine if you've got a spinal injury like myself it is a bloody nightmare. I've spoken a lot about it before but six GP's, two or whom were Locums misdiagnosed me meaning I nearly ended up in a wheelchair. Another three then prescribed me medication which a spinal consultant six months later told me A) would never have worked and B) would have put me in a coma if I'd taken the combination and doses they prescribed.
So despite the surgery being on the same road a my house I'll go a few miles down the road and pay £25 to see a private GP who probably won't kill me.
Edited by sutoka on Monday 17th May 05:43
Riley Blue said:
Not at our GP practice it isn't.
When the phones are busy we usually book appointments on-line or use the surgery's phone app and ask for a same-day call back. However, on Monday morning my O/H decided to phone the surgery, got through in less than an hour, asked for a call back and a GP called her before lunch time with a prescription delivered by the end of the afternoon.
So it took all day to get a box of tablets or a bottle of medicinal magic.....When the phones are busy we usually book appointments on-line or use the surgery's phone app and ask for a same-day call back. However, on Monday morning my O/H decided to phone the surgery, got through in less than an hour, asked for a call back and a GP called her before lunch time with a prescription delivered by the end of the afternoon.
Rockets7 said:
Riley Blue said:
Not at our GP practice it isn't.
When the phones are busy we usually book appointments on-line or use the surgery's phone app and ask for a same-day call back. However, on Monday morning my O/H decided to phone the surgery, got through in less than an hour, asked for a call back and a GP called her before lunch time with a prescription delivered by the end of the afternoon.
So it took all day to get a box of tablets or a bottle of medicinal magic.....When the phones are busy we usually book appointments on-line or use the surgery's phone app and ask for a same-day call back. However, on Monday morning my O/H decided to phone the surgery, got through in less than an hour, asked for a call back and a GP called her before lunch time with a prescription delivered by the end of the afternoon.
journeymanpro said:
Pretty much impossible to get an appointment here. Ha e to join the phone queue at 8am to then be told they have no appointment slots. You can't book future slots either.
Just the same for me. No appointments available on the app either. It can take an hour to get through in the phone then if you’re very lucky the doctor will call you. They won’t give a time though so if the doctor calls at an inconvenient time, hard luck.Gave up with GPs even before covid ours was a nightmare to get an appt, you had to line up at about 7am in person just to guarantee one.
Don't even bother with ringing at 8 as by 8.15 if the phone is picked up you'll be told nothing left.
Use online GP as part of my PMI, can get an appt within 30 mins of logging in from a selection of GPs of my choosing and then a prescription is sent to the app once finished.
Works brilliantly every time I've used it and takes all the stress away of using traditional GPs.
The only concern I have is what if I needed a more thorough investigation that required some sort of contact, but thankfully not had anything that needed it yet.
Don't even bother with ringing at 8 as by 8.15 if the phone is picked up you'll be told nothing left.
Use online GP as part of my PMI, can get an appt within 30 mins of logging in from a selection of GPs of my choosing and then a prescription is sent to the app once finished.
Works brilliantly every time I've used it and takes all the stress away of using traditional GPs.
The only concern I have is what if I needed a more thorough investigation that required some sort of contact, but thankfully not had anything that needed it yet.
It's very difficult indeed to see any of the GP's at my local practice. Their doors are locked and they refuse to let you in if you turn up unannounced, even though there's been no covid cases around here for weeks.
If you telephone and explain your symptoms, a GP will call you back at an unspecified time. If you miss that call, you're back to square one.
If you don't miss the call, the response appears to be either 1) "sounds serious, go to A&E" or 2) "not serious, I will sort out a prescription for you."
If you say "please, I want to be seen in person", they say "if it doesn't go away in 4 weeks, call again and we'll arrange an appointment, assuming you are still alive of course. Good luck!"
They seem very, very reluctant to see you in person. Unless it's for a covid jab. Then, they are super keen to see you. No doubt happy to get their £12.58 though. And don't start me on NHS dentists!
If you telephone and explain your symptoms, a GP will call you back at an unspecified time. If you miss that call, you're back to square one.
If you don't miss the call, the response appears to be either 1) "sounds serious, go to A&E" or 2) "not serious, I will sort out a prescription for you."
If you say "please, I want to be seen in person", they say "if it doesn't go away in 4 weeks, call again and we'll arrange an appointment, assuming you are still alive of course. Good luck!"
They seem very, very reluctant to see you in person. Unless it's for a covid jab. Then, they are super keen to see you. No doubt happy to get their £12.58 though. And don't start me on NHS dentists!
I guess/hope when you do get to speak to someone they're looking for key words to assess the urgency.
Wife is getting run-around from hospital over a lump on her leg that flares up from time to time. It did it the other day and she called the doctor. He rang back shortly afterwards and spoke to her for about 20mins, then asked her to come in to a satellite surgery he was holding at another village that afternoon (so unless he's going there to hide, he must be seeing other patients).
I have a dilemma with our private health insurance - renewal is £11K (through work, but even the tax in painful). I'd like to drop it but the NHS generally just seems useless unless it's life or death and letting it go feels like tempting fate!
Wife is getting run-around from hospital over a lump on her leg that flares up from time to time. It did it the other day and she called the doctor. He rang back shortly afterwards and spoke to her for about 20mins, then asked her to come in to a satellite surgery he was holding at another village that afternoon (so unless he's going there to hide, he must be seeing other patients).
I have a dilemma with our private health insurance - renewal is £11K (through work, but even the tax in painful). I'd like to drop it but the NHS generally just seems useless unless it's life or death and letting it go feels like tempting fate!
Boosted LS1 said:
I use email and get a reply the same day. It's really efficient and if important the GP will phone me. Using the phone to call them is a complete waste of time.
This is how ours works now, although we suffered a lot of problems getting there like others are describing. Now you don't make appointments at all, but they reply to an email same day, GP calls you if they need to, and GP invite you to an appointment if they decide they need to see you. Works very well. Gassing Station | Health Matters | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff