How soon could you get a GP appointment if you needed one?

[SneakyGremlins]

For me it's three to four weeks and I'm wondering if that's normal or not

My GP has a triage system. I could call now and get an appointment in about 10-14 days, or I can ask for a phone call. When the duty dr phones, they decide if I need an urgent appointment, and if so book me in for that day. Alternatively, if it's something I've had regularly before (thrush or sinusitis, for example) and they can see from my file what usually works, they'll leave a prescription at the desk. Or they'll give me general advice /tell me to make a normal appointment. It's brilliant and works a treat.

Same day.

Same day most of the time, but a smear or similar about 2 weeks.

Same day.

Today if an emergency. If there are no emergency appointments left at the surgery they get you an appointment at the access centre in the city.

I just got a telephone medication review for next Tuesday. You can't make a routine apptmt any more at mine. They are all on the day apptmts. You ring at 8 and hope you get through. Last time I got through on my 84th attempt (I kid you not) and it was about 8.15. I was lucky enough to get an apptmt but at the practice at the other end of town. They seem to have an arrangement where you could end up in either. If you can't get one you ring the next day, and the next, and the next...this has led to a huge queue outside every day at 7.30 hence you can't get an apptmt anyway as everyone well enough has queued since the crack of dawn. It's carnage.

Usually 3 weeks for routine appointments. Occasionally same day if you get through at 8.30 when everyone else phones. Otherwise urgent (or emergency as they now call them) appointments only on the same day. I found this confusing at first because before that, emergency was when you need to go to A&E.

In abut 2-3 weeks I guess, but that would be ringing every day when they open their phone lines and after approx. 8 days it would be a case of begging to be seen.

Our surgery is shit. I appreciate all they do but they have far too many patients on their books (they are still accepting new patients) and not enough doctors.

If you are an emergency you are likely to be told to go to one of the local hospitals rather than waiting for an appointment.

I rang my surgery at 8:45am yesterday and got an appointment for 11:10am the same day. They also have online booking for things such as blood tests, smear tests etc. so you can specify a date in the near future.

Usually same day and definitely within a couple of days.

If you want a convenient pre booked appt at ours it could be a couple of weeks. However most appts are ring at 8am and take whats available so usually the same day.

Today if it was an emergency (even now), otherwise usually within three days.

Only once have I ever had to wait longer than a week and that was due to extenuating circumstances!

The same day for me - phone call consultation and then they'll see you or just leave a prescription depending on what is needed.

My son is 24 weeks we can't have his 16 week injections until next week, due to long waiting time and cancellations due to staff shortages he's not been able to have any at the recommended ages and I've always booked the next set straight after the last. We are south east.

A telephone appointment always same day - then get seen when the doctor considers necessary, is normally same day or next however. Always same day with (small) DCs though, and they don’t carry on like you’ve wasted their time if you just need them seen for reasonable reassurance, they’re very ‘rather see an ok child than not see a not ok one’. They’ll also prescribe antibiotics for mastitis or UTIs or stuff for kids’ constipation over the phone without making a fuss about it. I have a great GP. Other practices I see in the mornings have massive queues outside waiting for appointments for walk in clinics, bloody awful.

Next day. Or same day if emergency and referred by the triage nurse

Emergency? Within a few days, non emergency, a week or 2

Ive phoned today and was offered the 1st October. It's not urgent and I'm happy to wait but that was without reception knowing anything about the problem.

For the same day if it was an emergency. For a routine appointment I could get one for a few days' time if I didn't mind who it was with. For the GP I most prefer seeing, I could get one for next week.

Large group practice in a small town in NW England.

It’s just past 3pm, surgery shuts at 6 - if I really needed to see someone, I could ring now and get an emergency appointment (they’d call back first and offer appointment if necessary).

Non emergency, I could ring tomorrow in the morning and see someone tomorrow. Or I can book up to four weeks in advance. My surgery has a good system - some routine appointments are prebookable, but they also have routine appointments to book on the day, and the emergency duty doctor thing aswell, and nurse practitioners available too.

I have a lot of health problems and need to go to the doctor fairly frequently - I’ve never not been able to get an appointment when I wanted/needed with a doctor of my choice. I think we’re pretty lucky at the surgery I go to though!

Usually the same day, if not within a day or two.
Have also never waited for a GP once at the surgery.
Massive contrast to old surgery which had you queuing round the block for opening at 8, and if you couldn't get one then it was a good four to six weeks.
And then when you did arrive they were generally running 1-2 hours behind.
I can't believe what a difference moving two miles away has made.

Same day for emergency, within a day or two of it.

Same day for an emergency appointment. For a normal appointment is would be over a months wait with my own doctor and probably within a fortnight with a different doctor.

Usually same day if you're flexible on times and doctor, maximum of a couple of days otherwise. Only exception is if you specifically want one of a couple of certain doctors that have been there for a long time, then it might be a week.

For an urgent appointment, same or next day. Non urgent, about 3 weeks.