To think that (GP related)

No, I don’t think a gp survey needs to operate like a co working space to enable you to work there.

You're lucky to be able to get an in person appointment with a time. We have to do the online consultation then if its deemed worthy we get a phone call (2 weeks later) with no specified time just 'Mon am'. I then have to ring the receptionist and explain that as a teacher I can't just have my phone on and leave my class.....so then they will put a note on to say after 3.30.....but that could still be any time. I could be cooking dinner, at sports practice with the kids etc. It's such a ridiculous system.

Make an appointment outside of work hours like those of us who work in schools have to.

What are doctors supposed to do if one of their patients has a medical emergency or something complex going on? Tell that person sorry, you need to piss off now because I have to be on time for the next patient at all costs? Please let us all know if you come up with a good solution that involves every single patient having their needs met and the doctor always running on time, because nobody in the world has yet managed this.

That's an aside. Yes OP, perhaps a GP surgery could have some WiFi, and/or not be running a full hour late for the first patient without giving some sort of indication that there's a delay. The private GP service sounds fairly pointless too.

@RosesAndHellebores
Funnily enough when I make a private appointment and pay by direct transfer, the doctor is very rarely late and if it happens, I am advised whilst waiting and there is a profuse apology.

That's exactly my point! Better patients leads to engaged staff. As I said earlier it's the circle of apathy. There is also a thread talking about how hard it is to get rid of useless staff at the NHS. Dealing with the public who don't give a shit even when their health is concerned will break even the most motivated and caring person. As an example, can you imagine working in A&E where you still have to treat drunk, abusive and violent staff? I have alot of respect for people who choose that as a job

@Isitreallysohard with respect, this useless patients pays from their own pocket, via tax and national insurance. Funnily enough when I make a private appointment and pay by direct transfer, the doctor is very rarely late and if it happens, I am advised whilst waiting and there is a profuse apology.

I also have a home in Frsnce where healthcare is head a shoulders above that in the UK. Because there is a payment via social insurance, the public are not regarded as useless and the system is different, more respectful and better run.

I've had experience as a patient and it was appalling, but as I've worked in Business Process Improvement, as well as done volunteer work, and worked in public sector including health I can see how and where they go wrong, and I sent them some feedback (12 pages with recommendations) and as a result had a meeting with one of the directors about some improvements that could be made. Patients ie customers are much more difficult to deal with when the service is free, it makes everyone's jobs harder, people become less motivated. It's a circle of apathy. Yes the public pay for it, but if they paid out of their own pocket (and knew it), I'd bet people wouldn't be late or miss appointments. When your customer base includes the lowest common denominator that you still have to deal with it's a very difficult "business model". You're in a very fortunate position if you run a business yourself and this is unknown to you.

@Isitreallysohard "If you ran any sort of business you'd understand as you'd experience it firsthand."

Just reminding you about the unacceptability of assumption. Your rudeness is unacceptable. May I ask if you work for the NHS? Its most significant issue is that it has forgotten the "useless" public pay for it.

In just a few posts you have referred to useless people and made a sweeping assumption that I have never run a business. Just as HCPs have a tendency to assume patients are inconsequential subordinates.

guess reading isn’t your forte?
OP has no phone signal……

I'm not saying they're not at fault too, their processes let them down but fundamentally it's people not turning up to appointments (even surgeries!) and them not being able to do much about it. If people were held accountable for not turning up for appointments you'd see a very different service. That's the public sector for you.

Like GP's and doctors then. I've had 90 minute clinic waits and my mother has had surgery cancelled at the hospital. That's the trouble with useless doctors, compounded by the fact that they snd their staff rarely apologise.

I'm a director of an organisation that employs 1000 staff and provides services to thousands. DH was self employed for years so I think I understand quite a lot about running businesses thank you. In any other sector there are dismissals if staff mess stakeholders about.

I had a lot of Drs appointments a while back, I got a privacy filter to stick on my laptop screen from Amazon. Makes your screen visible only to someone directly in front of it.

Bring a book to read? Or if you want to be product, being an industry journal or some paperwork. Or just use the time to sit back and think about some element of your work.

I have a chronic condition, needing lots of appointments is a bit source of stress. But I wouldn't really see it as appropriate to have my work laptop out in a doctor's waiting room anyway due to data protection/commercial sensitivity

Woops missed that, but regardless no they shouldn't provide WiFi and ridiculous to even suggest it. Waiting is a pain but it's life, especially when a service is free.

Isn't it great you can access that care, free at the point of use, with no other inconvenience than a requirement to travel to the appointment and set aside the time to attend it?

Great, then you have the freedom to pursue your GP appt

Maybe try reading the OP's posts before insulting her? She can't hotspot because there's no signal.

With that said, I don't think GP surgeries should be mandated to provide WiFi for this reason. If you're using an NHS GP in 2025, you should be well aware that you'll likely be waiting (and this is almost always the fault of other patients, not the practice) and take a magazine, book, whatever to occupy yourself.

If OP is self employed and her work is so critical that she can't sacrifice an hour, she'll have to find a private practice that does in-person appointments and eat it as a business cost. Presumably better in the long run than getting sick and not being able to work.

The being on time thing is because there are so many useless people who will be late or not turn up at all. The few who ruin it for the many. If you ran any sort of business you'd understand as you'd experience it firsthand

This. Don't be so ridiculous and entitled.

Hotspot from your phone like an adult would do

I agree. At my old GP we had screens which told us how delayed the appointment was. I went in, signed in, and it said that the doctor was running 40 minutes late. So I went to the pharmacy part of the practice (inside the same building) to collect DS's prescription. Came back 20 minutes later and was then told I couldn't go into the waiting room without signing in - I said I had signed in and then that my appointment was at 10am. The receptionist said it's 10.20 now and I said that they were running 40 minutes late. She refused to let me in and said that I can't be late just because they are... so I "missed" my appointment by turning up on time and trying to enter the waiting room 20 minutes before my appointment.

@AmIHumanOrAmIAYeti I agree with you. I find it interesting that there is zero tolerance if a patient is two minutes late but we are supposed to suck up delays of up to an hour. If we had to pay them directly, it wouldn't happen.

It's as much about attitude as busyness.

Why don't you try a private GP?

They do evening & weekend appointments and virtual appointments.

If your business & time is valuable then it's worth spending money on.

Well yeah, it's the NHS which every news outlet and your government will tell you is on it's knees.

If you can't spend an hour or two without WiFi, your business probably is on it's knees too.