To think there should be a way of reporting GP surgeries that don’t have online booking available from 8.00-6.30

"held accountable" how?

I'm not sure what can be done really,.if they don't have appointments available then they don't have any appointments

They are pretty flexible. I’ve spoken to my dr at 6.30 as I was working that day. Also if you know you need an appointment a week on Wednesday, you could make sure you wasn’t working for that whole day.

There aren’t many medical problems that would be safe to just put on an infinite list of people who need an appt. Most problems need seeing soonish so if there aren’t appt available you need to try the next day.

It takes 1 min to fill the form in- can’t you do it on arrival at work before your phone is locked away until lunch?

If it’s that bad a surgery then move to a new one? There are options.

Not their problem.

I complained after what happened to mum. Said it was outrageous that people who couldn't get online or on the phone, and then closing the booking once a limit for the day was reached was stopped vulnerable people from receiving care.

This was a while ago, and tbf they did put a note on her record that she is allowed to call any time to request an appointment so she wasn't excluded from care.

Appreciate not everyones GP surgery would handle it as well but its always worth complaining.

now they do operate a booking system thats always open to 6pm. Ive used it a few times since and been seen within a day for urgent stuff, not so urgent within a couple of weeks so the simple, common sense approach can work well. And this is a GP surgery in a shithole area thats always packed so they are extremely busy.

Who have you contacted about your complaint - what was the response?

It isn’t going to change - there aren’t the GP’s or funding to support it. Next step is probably privatisation along a US model.

Basically you can’t have an appointment as there isn’t a GP with availability to see you so no point giving you a booking.

DH was a GP for 25 years - am so glad he closed his practice.

All that will do is take more resources into management and away from patient care.

You don't get it. They don't have capacity. You should campaign for better funding. **

Who do you suggest should take over all these surgeries that are not doing what they should? Does the government have a coterie of spare doctors and nurses sitting around just waiting for the call to step in?

Oh I give up on this thread.
You are just an NHS basher and someone who stamps their foot and demands with no constructive ideas.
You aren’t interested in debate or discussion and obviously no wider knowledge of current political issues generally.
Enjoy your weekend.

Probably easier to get tickets for Glastonbury that get a non urgent, regular follow up appointment at some surgeries.

OP: I want more GP appointments or a way to impose consequences!

IPs: There’s not enough money, GPs or time in day to make more appointments. Consequences won't make that magically appear.

OP: I don't care, that's not my problem.

OP, stop acting like a total toddler.

System doesn't really work. We all know that. Plenty of people are running around looking for answers. Stomping your feet and holding your breath until you pass out won't solve anything, just makes you appear laughable.

We have an aging population. A vast number of working age adults not paying much or any tax. We have low salaries, high cost of living, redundancies, businesses struggling and rising cost of debt. That is what is funding our nhs, so no wonder it isn't very good. I suspect if you did complain, the complaints department would be understaffed and underfunded. It would probably take years for your complaint to be dealt with.

Well that's not really much use if you don't know until the morning what time so u can organize work around it

I have a similar issue. Have to have blood tests etc every 8-10 weeks. Slots for the nurses are only released for the coming two weeks, as they’re all part time working in rotas (able to choose their days as they please) so you can’t even prebook these types of non urgent appointments. It’s a farce, especially if you work full time. I have to phone in during working hours, as can’t do online…..awkward when’s there’s no place to have a private conversation.

How will they be booked up 6 months in advance with a triage system?

People log requests. They are triage. Appointment assigned thst day, day after, day after that etc. depending on issue

Closing the appointment request system too early just means people might get more unwell, then they need an emergency appointment or A&E which takes up more resource etc.

My mum nearly died as she couldnt get online and got "computer says no" every time she tried to get through on the phone after waiting an age in the queue at 8am. And every time i tried to do it for her they were taken up within minutes. The hospital were appalled at the state of her when i took her to A&E and said standard antibiotics would likeky have sorted it much sooner, or certainly helped it not get to the critical stage it did.

Maybe thats the aim though. Limit appointments so those who have no one to help just die instead.

You don’t seem to be getting it, you can’t book an appointment if there isn’t one available.

Whats your solution to a lack of appointments?