more a wwyd. No GP appointments

I would tell work/school and explain you need to be late one day. And go in person.

It is a shit system but it's time to put yourself first and look after your health. Phone in sick and self certify then take the time to get a GP appointment. If you don't and you carry on as you are you risk everything collapsing, including all the stuff you're trying to support with your children.

As it's stress you're suffering from does your GP have a mental health nurse? In my surgery, where you have to state the problem you have when you phone, you would be triaged to a 20 minute appointment with the MH nurse. She has the ability to sign off sick and refer to other MH services, recommend medication which she will have the GP prescribe.

Could you ask if this is an option at your practice?

Hi OP, there is a lot of I can't, I shouldn't'. But ultimately this is for your well being. You are allowed, we are giving you permission to stop being so unbelievably hard on yourself.

The system is what it is, right? At the moment you can't change that and you need an appointment. There are things you can do to help yourself and you need to speak to the GP.

Your options are to go into work and school late. Get your appointment. Or take a day off sick and then see your GP. It's a relatively simple answer. Be kind to yourself.

@Cheshiresquirrelsss yes it is bloody ridiculous !

How dispiriting all of this is these days.

I would self certify for next 7 days maybe that’ll give you a tiny break whilst you figure out what to do next with regard to your stress.

Me personally, I'd take the dc into scho late. One day won't hurt and their school should be understanding.

Our surgery does a ring back option. I do that. It says that appointments can't be booked in the surgery only through ringing. They then triage, and usually, I'm seen the same day. Is that an option at your surgery?
Last time, she suggested self cert and then contact if I needed a cert afterwards.

You'll likely be on hold anyway and does it matter what time they appointment is ? You don't need to check your diary if you're off sick?

Get someone else to ring

Have you phoned and asked for a telephone consultation? Our appointments are gone at 8am but you can ask to be called back by the GP. Anyway you can self cert for the first week, which will give you time to call the surgery. Yes we shouldn't have to take our children to school late, but needs must.

At my doctors you ring at 8 to get a standard appointment for 3 weeks later or you go on triage a nurse rings you back and if you need to be seen that day they will get you in.

I had a traumatic experience which work gave a week paid off but I needed longer. I rang doctors requested a same day appointment. I got a phone call later that day, I explained what had happened and I got a sick note for 6 weeks. I didn't have to go in and they emailed it to me.

Phone in sick. As you are at home ring your doctors and say you need a same day appointment. If they are gone they should still triage you. Explain what's wrong and what you need. They may deal with it over the phone.

If you self certify for the first seven days getting to work late won’t matter as you will be off sick already by the time you need to phone. Ditto checking your diary (for work related stuff anyway). Also to be honest whatever is in your diary would probably need rearranging as ime getting a gp appt isn’t like picking a day to go to the hairdressers, I just take what I’m given.

the school run is obviously an issue but I think the suggestion of leaving a bit earlier and finding a point en route to pull over is a good one. I know you said your son can be noisy but could you be outside the car once they answer the phone so you can hear them?

Exactly the same here. My friend was having bloods done with the phlebotomist, on the way out she went to the reception desk to ask for a dr’s appointment re a mole she had that she thought had changed….she was told she had to go home and phone for an appointment! She went round to the car park and phoned from there…..no e-consult available either. Another friend was told she also had to phone for an appointment ‘due to patient confidentiality’ as she turned around to see a completely empty waiting room…I hope you get sorted out OP.

I feel your pain. It's extremely frustrating and irritating.
I have my own patients. My surgery starts at 8am also. I have a several occasions had no choice but to put my phone on speaker phone during my own consultation awaiting an answer.
"Your call is important to us. You are tenth in the queue".
Invariably when you get to top of queue their system is down or there are no appointments left so you are told to try again tomorrow.
I resorted to paying for a private gp.

As a PP has said, phone 111 and they may be able to allocate a GP appointment to you.

Multiple people have explained that you can sign yourself off for a week.

Mine is like that. And the phone lines were quiet so I stood I reception in front and called them on the phone.

Email the practice manager at the surgery. Tell them you can't get an appointment and ask for help getting one.

You have to go off sick, self certify and after 7 days of self certification sick leave, the Doctor will sign you off for a FURTHER 2 or 4 weeks, or whatever

The Doctor won't sign you off for the first 7 days

Our GP allows messaging via the app. I think only when they're open. Out a desperate plea in there if you have access to that.

Or just ring up and ask to speak to one. Difficult in work maybe. But if you need then you must.

Firstly you need to self certify for a week a gp will not forward date sick notes but will back date them. You don't necessarily need an appointment. What you need to do after the week is ring reception and say I need a sick note and it's for them to either get you an appointment or to pass the message on to one of the drs. Have you actually gone on to your gp surgery website as ours you just put an online request for a sicknote and state why and how long for

I’m at the point now with my GP practice of filling in their online enquiry form with anything I need. I always start it with Please forward to Dr Roe then he either rings or replies, sometimes it’s quick, sometimes it’s a while, depending on if I put URGENT or not!

I literally get nowhere with the receptionists, they just say no appts.

+1 for EAP support. However, private GPs via work rarely do fit notes/letters. (It's in the tiny print as an exclusion.)

As others have said, you won't get a fit note for the first 7 days of illness.
https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/gps/getting-a-fit-note/

Does your employer offer any kind of health insurance or EAP? We have a health cash plan at work which includes online GP appointments. Our EAP also offers counselling. There may be support that you aren't aware of, ask HR or your line manager.

If you are so unwell that you can't work then please ring in sick and then see a GP when you can.