How do you get a doctors appointment if you are not available between 8.30 and 8.35am

For the GP, I just ring up while they are open and they give me an appointment. Usually the next day. They'll see me the same day, if it's urgent.
For the pediatrician, it's the same.
For my gynaecologist, I can just call or send an email. They either call me back to discuss any issues or give me an appointment. Non-urgent ones can take a few weeks. Urgent ones can be during private patient hours or they just slot me in somewhere.
If A&E is really necessary, we just go there. Last time, I waited for about 2 hours but that's because we arrived early in the morning and the specialist I needed to see wasn't on duty, yet. Our A&E doesn't tend to be busy and we were the only ones there.
I'm not in the UK, though, so no NHS. Public medical insurance, though. We don't have private medical cover.

Our GP surgery (actually its a group of 3 surgeries and you can be allocated any one of about 20 medical practitioners - GP/Nurse/Paramedic doing a spare shift) asks you NOT to call at 8am but to fill in an econsult form as soon as the surgery opens.
Did this x2 this morning.

Once for myself, stating a reoccurrence of a particular type of pain related to my Fibro, no need for f2f but that an urgent on the day apt was required as pain is intense and increasing. Really only need the GP to issue a prescription for pain medication that has been given before but wasn't put on repeat ( Locum GP error after last flare).

Secondly for my son (adult but has ASD), non urgent apt but needs to be f2f due to his communication issues.

Got a txt back at 8.12am with a link to book an apt for my son, offering a choice of times, choice of GP, same day f2f. Great. Not that he needs an on the day apt but I won't turn it down!

Second txt comes in at 8.14am, again with a link for me to book an appointment for myself - offering a choice of times for a f2f (not needed).

By the time I'd entered my choice of GP (I clicked "ANY") the system showed a message saying "no apts available".

Hang on, you just sent me a link to book an appointment!

So I ring the surgery.

First call the receptionist doesn't listen when I tell her I'd got the txt asking me to book, tells me they don't make appointments over the phone and hangs up.

Second call cuts out after 25 minutes on hold (and as I was no 1 in the queue).

Third call the receptionist tells me it's my fault, I was "too slow in accepting the appointment" - I swear it was less than 30 seconds to open the txt, click the link and enter my DOB. By this point I'm absolutely fuming (but smiling on the outside) and ask for the first available appointment. Receptionist tells me they don't book non urgent appointments over the phone, you can't book them on the app or via econsult either. Despite the fact that this had started out as a request for an urgent on the day appointment!

Receptionist tells me to fill out another form at 8am on Monday and "manage as best as I can" over the weekend. Thanks "dearie", I'll just scream silently into my pillow until then.

Ask if I can swap my son's apt over to me (as his issue is not urgent and mine is) and was told they "can't" do that.

Urgent care won't see me as the pain is related to an ongoing condition so I'm stuck in agony for the weekend. I can't even bear the touch of my t-shirt on my back but hey, I've got till Monday to practice writing my DOB in number format as quick as I can!

This makes me so sad. I’m from the U.K. originally, but I’ve lived in Denmark for years now.

I remember in the U.K. never being able to get an appointment even back in 2018. I’d have to call up, and they were all gone by 8.30. I once had a lung/breathing issue and all they could offer me was a student to check me out in 3 months’ time. No online booking. Crappy old converted bungalow as a a doctor’s surgery. Never saw the same GP twice.

Here, I go on a National app, book a time for my preferred doctor / midwife / nurse, under whichever category I need, and show up. I’ve never not been able to see someone within 48 hours. I can also email a question and get a reply within 12 hours.

The surgery is brand new and has designer Scandinavian furniture. I see whichever doctor I want to. We have a national health card where all prescriptions are electronically stored, and which work at any pharmacy in the country. My medical history is stored on there too. I’ve never once felt rushed or like I’m using up their time stupidly.

It really shocks me that people here think the system is bad! And saddens me that I thought the U.K. system was ‘normal’ before. It is completely unnecessarily screwed up and old school. I really hope things will improve one day, because I can see how hard it is to get a basic GP appointment for my parents and friends, or any kind of consistent care. It really doesn’t need to be this way!

There’s also an option to get a type of health insurance (for around £150/year which pays back 30% of each prescription / dentist / optician / physio appointment you have.), and otherwise, you get a good rebate once you hit a certain limit.

I don’t claim any means tested benefits. I earn enough not to, but even if I had tons of money, why should I essentially pay an extra tax for the bad luck of being unwell? Especially since I’m not asking for appointments I am being requested by my doctors to come in for an appointment, who is to say doctors won’t abuse this system and call people in extra times to make more copays?

I do have a PPC for my medications, but then England is the only part of the U.K. that pays for prescriptions. The political will is moving towards aligning England with RUK and making prescriptions free.

I don’t think a PPC would be a good idea for GP appointments. They are less predictable for most people than repeat medications.

I don’t think there is any evidence that the NHS is being abused by time wasters clogging up GP appointments. The evidence all points to too much demand and too little supply and that many who need a GP are going without and ending up causing A&E overloads and high wait times.

Any payment system would certainly need to be carefully through through. Certainly it would have to be means tested, and maybe a prepayment certificate should be available for those with conditions needing frequent appointments - a bit like prescription charges in England.

Yes, this. The suggested co pay of £20 a visit would break me. That would be up to £720 per year? I can’t afford that and it would feel like I’m being punished for being unwell. It’s not my fault I am unwell. The health conditions I have already cost me extra and have severely reduced my earning capability.

I see go to my surgery 2-3x a month, but then I am not well and usually one is a blood test or ECG etc, and the others are GP face to face to manage the different referrals and consultants. I usually see 2 consultants per month, so there is always a follow up with GP to discuss what the consultant wants. I currently see three consultants all in different specialties.

I rarely initiate the appointments. Last time I did was April 24 when I had a nasty eye infection and even though you can get antibiotic eye drops from the pharmacist, I am allergic to them and to get the preservative free ones I have to see a GP and get a prescription. It is because they are more expensive eye drops.

Most appointments I get sent a text from the surgery telling me to book an appointment. I have bloods, ECG and what not a minimum of every 3 months,

The frustrating thing is I can’t book the appointments online or via the NHS app. I am like everyone else dialling frantically at 8:30 and hoping to get through. It is exhausting. I wonder why they can’t just book me an appointment and text that to me with a note to call if I need it moved to another day/time instead of sending a text to me that says “please book an appointment with GP or for a blood test etc”

You sign up with a GP that lets you book online any time you want. Haven't done a phone call to book anything in years.

If you can get into a GP on a university campus or in a student area, even better. They are only busy in exam season when students want sick notes.

Very few babies, children and elderly patients on their books taking up all the spots so easy to get an appt, even easier between semesters when the students have gone home.

I felt like a lottery winner last week, called at 8 on the dot and was first in the queue. That’s never happened before!

I think everyone should write to their practice manager, cc to their MP. There is absolutely no excuse. If some surgeries can do it, I can't see how they can't all do it.

This is what baffles me - it's a fucking NATIONAL health service. I understand there's private contracts etc but part of those contracts should include some form of minimum standard / universal booking system. We're lucky here but I dread to think what will happen if our practice changes.

Not to mention the amount of money wasted by each surgery researching, setting up and testing different websites / apps etc why the hell isn't the NHS using its gargantuan buying power and putting the same tech in every surgery?!

Ours is hopeless, the booking line is open for 30 minutes during the school run, but all appointments are gone in the first 5 minutes. I try and avoid using the gp but have on several occasions when desperate phoned up at the ‘wrong’ time and after being told to phone again at 8am I’ve refused and been assertive, and they have invariably found me an appointment the same afternoon…

But we shouldn’t have to do this!

Our e-consult is always there, otherwise I can walk in and speak to a human to book between 8-6.30.

Snap - DH got a txt after a chest x ray asking him to come in. Obviously panicking and spent hours in hold, nothing on his notes as to why and the first appointment is 31st May so hoping it's nothing serious...

I wouldn't have put up with that at all!

Not hard where i am as they have a walk in or you can call at any time during opening hours and book one but it will be weeks away. Calling at 8 here is only for same day appointments

Yep And if employers DO want to be choosy they can always give you a wage rise so you can afford to go private.

Change your GP. I don't have any problems getting appointments at my GP

I think with children they will be more cautious. Any older, not so much.

I worked at the Health Service Ombudsman as an investigator a few years back. (The place of last resort when you've exhausted any other NHS complaints procedure!). I saw many cases of elderly patients who clearly hadn't received the care they needed. But even at the Ombudsman, the general consensus was "well they're old they were going to die of something" 😳I did only work there for a couple of years but it was notoriously difficult to get any complaint upheld, more so the older the patient was.

Last time I tried to book a gp appointment, I was told to do it via the NHS App. Brilliant, I thought, so I logged in and went to the booking calendar, nothing available that day so I clicked to the following day and booked a slot. When I checked, it had actually taken me to the next available day.. which was in 3 months time.

Rishi Sunak says he has made great improvements to the NHS. His plan is working

@porridgecake I suspect it’s a local issue to manage supply and demand for services. Although reading this and similar threads, I think it’s a slow creep across the country as demand outstrips supply. It does feel like a form of rationing that’s slowly being phased in, with the aim of dismantling the nhs as eventually only the most determined will
be able to use it, the rest either going private or dying. Bearing in mind, those in power have access to private insurance at subsidised cost or are simply paid a lot more than the rest of us and can afford private care, there is zero incentive for politicians or even business owners to lobby for nhs improvements. After all us minions are easily replaced by another worker bee or by a machine/computer….. as it simply doesn’t affect them and their view is it’s all our own fault - like the mortgage/Costa coffee and avocado argument!

I had this last year - round and round in circles with ever decreasing amounts of repeat prescription as GP needed to see me for a review. In the end I wrote a letter to the GP I like the most and explained that I'd be trying to get an appointment for 3 months. She texted me back within 24 hours to schedule one - so they did have slots available then.....

You're with the wrong practice.
Our GPs now offer appointments up to 9 pm.
And weekends ( Sat and Sunday).
I send message via patches.. get phone call back same day and book to see a GP

I feel very lucky reading this thread. I've called our surgery twice in the last year, both times when the children have been unwell. I've called mid morning, got through to reception within five or ten minutes, and been told the problem sounds urgent and I should bring them in at a certain time that afternoon. When I've done so we've seen a GP who's examined them and issued a prescription.

The only problem we've had is that the pharmacists have been out of stock of the prescribed medication both times. Once they phoned another branch and found what we needed, but the second time nowhere in this city had any stock. When that happened the pharmacy sent a message to the GP asking them to prescribe an alternative drug that was available, and that took until the following morning to come through.