Dr's phone calls when you work

You can usually choose on the website via the nationwide (more or less) Patchs system, or via the NHS app how you would prefer to be contacted, emails, texts are both an option. There's an option to add notes so you could explain that you're a teacher and cannot take calls at xxxx times. There are numerous jobs where taking calls is simply not possible.... 'not being allowed to' sounds very school like and childlike, just explain the situation to whoever the phone police are. Again, there are many situations when you may need to be contactable urgently during the working day

Same at my surgery. I have told them in the past that my job also involves booked appointments and therefore I need to know a time for the GP appointment but they just say they can't give a specific time.

I don't understand it - before everything was online/ on telephone, we had specific appointment times. We didn't just turn up to the surgery at 9am and wait, in hope, until 5pm. (Well not often!).

This why people use 111 and go to A&E.

On our form which you submit at 8am it asks when you are available to take a call and when you are not. So as a teacher you could say eg not 8-12, not 1-3.15pm. But I am available at lunchtime 12-1, or after 3.15pm , until surgery closing time.

I used to work in a school and had to be at my desk before 8am so if I needed a GP appointment I had to call in sick.
Bloody ridiculous system and basically excludes most working people from primary care in the NHS - the very people that are paying for it!!😒

@hellhavenofury35 The private GP I use is just a small private practice in my small town. I see the same doctor each time.

TeenToTwenties which private GP do you use, is it online?

Well the bus driver could still take time off if he knew when his appointment was - that’s the issue the OP has. You’re not told when you’ll be contacted now - it’s ‘you’ll get a call back today’. Scheduled appointments around work is what we want!

Our surgery has a similar system. Ring at 8 and hope you get through before all the appointments are gone. The alternative is to rock up at 8 and get an appointment straight away.

As an ex-teacher (secondary, not primary - but hardly ever with a TA or other adult in the room with me), I think this is what I'd do if I had to. And if the school didn't like that the next time I'd take a day off to do what was needed, as suggested earlier.

YANBU, I'm also a teacher and totally feel your pain. As has been acknowledged, it is also the same for a lot/most working people.

My surgery got rid of online consult because it was overwhelmed (because getting through on the phone is like trying to get an audience with the pope!).

So, if you want a same day appointment, you have to ring at 8am. It typically takes 40-60 minutes to get through.
Except I can't do this because my school starts early, the kids line up at 8.10am and I have to collect my form group. So, I then have 30 children in front of me and cannot make/take calls.

I tried, several times, to explain this when I have rung later in the day but it doesn't go in and I just get told 'well, you have to ring at 8am'.

Luckily, I am not often unwell! Last time, a few months back, I knew I had infected tonsillitis as I could see it. I realised mid morning on a Friday. Didn't even bother trying to GP - I did 111 online at lunch as I knew the call wouldn't come before I finished teaching. Managed to get a call back and prescription sorted really easily.

Similar issues with less urgent appointments. I rang a few months ago as I needed an appointment to discuss a long term, complex spinal issue. I got an appointment but it was 5 weeks away!

My dad is at the same surgery and has a repeat prescription. He has now been told he cannot ring for it, he must use the NHS app ( which he didn't have - technology isn't really his thing!) Or he would have to go to the surgery in person and request it that way! I downloaded the app for him and showed him how to do it, but not everyone will have that support.

Oh come on..

I'm retired too, and wouldn't dream of comparing my situation to that of those with jobs where they can't have their phones with them etc.

I'm a busy pensioner too, and one of my volunteer roles is in a secure facility where I don't get to have my phone with me. But it's just one or two half days a week, so I either fit doctor's appointments around them, or phone in to the organisation to say I can't make it. It's not remotely similar to when I was a full time teacher.

I'm not a teacher. I'm a dental hygienist. I don't have "holidays" like that. At my practice they usually request I give them at least 3 months notice for holiday dates because the diary is booked up with patients at least 3 months in advance. They are fairly understanding though. If it was urgent and there was nothing I could do they would reluctantly cancel all my patients (who tend to complain a LOT when you do that short notice as a lot of them have taken annual leave to see me). I don't get sick or holiday pay as I'm self employed so however I took it it would still be unpaid. I do however have one day off a week when I try to book all my appointments in. But as is the point of this thread, the doctors will not listen to you to see you on that day off. Even if you tell them you're happy to wait weeks.
As a self employed person I have no employment rights. Should I piss off my practice enough with short notice days off, they can just tell me to leave and I have zero rights to keep my job.
I was once "fired" after I took time off after a miscarriage. Obviously the practice owner didn't phrase it like that. But it was still why.

@mukey go in your holidays then. Or after school. Or take a day off ill like everyone else.

But what if it doesn't need looking at that day? A rash you've had for 3 weeks that isn't bothering you and the pharmacist can't help and tells you to see a doctor isn't urgent. It can wait another week or two. So it should be possible to book a non urgent appointment in advance. I'd happily wait weeks.

@MrsHamlet That makes life difficult! I've never had a problem doing this, but obviously not all schools are the same. Our SLT are obviously a more reasonable bunch than some.

@hatty that is absolutely forbidden in my secondary school

I'm a teacher. I've just given my mobile number to the GP and when the phone rang have said to class, 'I'm really sorry guys, but I have to take this call,' and stepped outside into the corridor to speak to them. I've only ever been a few minutes speaking to GP and kids are fine to be left getting on with work with me just outside the door.

I teach teens, however.

sensible to stay at home for a rash though

I mean yeah ok but it's not a day is it.
My surgery tells me I think 2 days. So I I econsult on Monday 6am. And the reply says they will contact me anytime up to Wednesday morning.

And then when they contact me Wednesday morning (tbf it's usually inside 24 hours) they may ask to see me either within 30 minutes or Thursday. So now I'm finally back in work on Friday.

Reading that back, its ridiculous. In 2024 we shouldnt be like this.

@Makingchocolatecake same as @Mukey the receptionist will fill in the online form for you (if the system hasn’t reached capacity) but can’t make any appointments without this hoop.

I don’t mind for me, I’ll live and DH can do some hoop jumping for DC (he wfh) But with DDs sometimes they don’t want Dad to do it, and that’s the worst bit, feeling like I’m letting them down.