If you are a GP or work at a GP…

I called at 9.30 this morning and was offered an appt with a nurse practitioner at 11.30. Brilliant service!

I think this might the difference between a "red flag" issue and a general chronic illness.

If you needed a review for your eczema, say, you might still be waiting in ten weeks.

I also have a very good GP though, particularly around seeing the children in a timely manner if needed

Not a GP and don't work there, but, from experience, 'targets' don't help.

One example my friend gave me of her GP Practice - wanted to get something checked out (not urgent, but has been there a while and probably ought to get it checked). Phoned for an appt but none available this week. Explained not a problem, happy to wait a couple of weeks if need be. But they won't make appts in advance because it means they have too many people on their waiting list. So have to keep ringing every morning to try to get an appt. Wastes her time, the Receptionists time, and of course makes all other arrangements more complicated as then have to 'jump' when an appt available.

I have to say, my GP surgery is excellent, and (just like the Relationships board) you don't get people posting / sounding off - be it on here or any other social media - when things are going well.

Too much demand for the professionals we have, and I spend half my day sorting out failings elsewhere in the NHS rather than doing what I am actually trained to do.

Like everything else that runs separately from each other it varies significantly even within the same area.

i have good experience when I can get an appointment but it was impossible when they stopped doing advanced appointments.
i have managed after two letters to the practice manager be allowed advanced appointments (which I use but only for specific reasons) after I had a health scare directly from being unable to get an appointment because calling on the day all slots were full for two weeks straight. Now I can get phone/face appointments again I really rate mine.

friend at another surgery in the same town always has at least a two to three week wait for an appointment except in circumstances where they have experienced symptoms that have rung alarm bells recently and a gp called back the same day (without friend having an appointment from call earlier that day but the symptoms must have worried surgery so they decided to call about it)
apart from that friend has had a hit or miss experience. Sometimes good but other times not great at all.

another friend who lives 6 hours from me has what can only be described as a horrendous gp surgery! So many awful experiences. Hard to get appointments. Rude, uncaring and disrespectful gp’s and other staff. Was put on an inappropriate medication that triggered a cardiac attack which put her in hospital for two weeks and on and on.

another friend who lives about 2 hours away can get an appointment easily and always gets seen by nurses, physio etc really quickly. Loves her gp who she sees regularly.

There will be different priorities depending on what you need an appointment for. Lump in breast is fairly urgent while medication review may need to be bumped to the end of the queue.
It also depends on how your surgery is staffed and how many active patients they have on their books. I moved 3 miles down the road and my current surgery is much slower than my previous one, likely because one of the surgeries in the area was permanently closed 3 years ago and the other one is closed for new referrals as they picked up their patients. So we are attached to an out of area surgery which is picking up the slack.

Mine are awful! We used to have a 3 partner practice but when one retired the others sold the practice to a 'group'. The group is massive with a huge catchment area and there are not enough doctors or nurses to deal with the number of patients. Getting an appointment is difficult, repeat prescriptions take a week to approve (website says 3 days if requested using the NHS app or 5 days via a pharmacy or the surgery), and if you do get to see someone it's very rushed. I wish we still had the small practice.....

I think given what you are reporting that is usual.
I've had friends at various surgeries around my area report to the dr with similar and had similar responses.
I hope your referral comes through quickly and it's nothing to be concerned about,

DP contacted his GP yesterday for an issue with an old injury. He's getting seen on Friday and will likely be referred to the hospital at that appointment.
He recently needed an op, pre op showed an issue with his blood. He was referred to haematology that day and had appointment that week and for 8 weeks after.

I think when it's something that could be serious they are very good....for more trivial things possibly not so much.

Mine are also good. Easy to get appointments (especially urgent ones), happy to do phone appointments where appropriate.

I think we're very lucky.

Mine are similar to yours. Face to face where necessary and I had a swift onward referral during lockdown. I had a face to face appointment tomorrow morning that I don't think I can get to due to the weather. I've just called them and they've been happy to move it to next week.