Is anyone elses GP surgery opening later because of the football??

[GreenCrayon]

I know lots of business and schools are opening later today due to the football but does anyone know if this also applies to some GP surgeries?

I've been trying to ring mine since they opened at 8am and keep getting told they cannot complete the call which has never happened before, normally they put you in a seemingly never ending queue with appalling hold music.

There's nothing on their website to say they aren't open, although it's hardly updated so I was just wondering if it might be due to the football?

Anyone else's surgery not open for this reason or does anyone have any idea why I might not be able to get through?

That would be entirely unprofessional. I would really hope that wasn’t a reason.

@Arsebucket

That would be entirely unprofessional. I would really hope that wasn’t a reason.

This is why I thought I'd ask because it just seemed very unlikely and unprofessional but I couldn't think of another reason why it was saying sorry your call couldn't be completed right now rather than putting me into the on hold queue which is what has always happened before.

It's now over an hour since their lines opened and its still saying the call cannot be completed.

Unless they've been given permission by their commissioning body, I think that would be a breach of contract. We're not allowed to close an hour early on Christmas Eve at my surgery, let alone have a late start due to football. It may be an issue with their phone lines. I'd say just keep trying.

That’s unheard of. DH is at his surgery this morning. I’m at the hospital for my MRI. There’s no way in hell healthcare would cease to deliver a service because of the footy. Maybe the receptionist who’s meant to be on duty didn’t come in and they’re quickly arranging cover?? That’s the only thing I can really think of. With Covid, they tend to only have one reception on duty at a time at DH’s practice. Or maybe they didn’t turn on the phone system for the day’s start?

It may be an issue with their phone lines. I'd say just keep trying.

Hopefully although it seems to ring through fine so I'm not sure. It starts with the normal preamble of Covid etc and if your suffering chest pains hang up and call 999 then rings and then after about 5 rings it cuts to the automated message saying this call cannot be completed. If it was an issue with the phone lines would it still ring first?

Pretty sure the receptionist I spoke to at mine today was suffering the mother of all hangovers...

Actually felt quite bad for her.

At a previous surgery they kept forgetting to turn off the out of hours message. One day (pre Covid) I became so frustrated I went there, queued up at reception, and told them. The receptionist flatly denied it, so I called on my mobile and had her listen. She still tried to say it was just me and that they’d had no other complaints. Well of course not, no one could get through.
Later the practice manager also tried to first deny and then minimise it. That’s why I’m no longer at that surgery.

I doubt it, much more likely to be a problem with the phone lines.
DH remained on call all weekend and started work early this morning as the hospital is very busy at the moment.
Drs have contractural requirements that don't tend to bend to the whims of football tournaments.

@GlobeRotter

Pretty sure the receptionist I spoke to at mine today was suffering the mother of all hangovers...

Actually felt quite bad for her.

I doubt she will be the only one but equally if she k ew she had work the next morning then surely she could have enjoyed the game without a drink, I managed it as I'm sure many others did.

Still not able to get through. I'm going to take a walk over there to see if I can get an appointment in person. Hopefully if other have yet to get through I may still stand a chance.

If I'm honest they aren't the best surgery and I already really dislike the way they don't do any appointments except for in the day when you call but this is next level frustrating. Unfortunately there is no other surgeries to switch to.

If it is a phone line issue, I expect it might not be fixed quickly. BT have been one of the worst to blame Covid or some other reason not of their own making for poor performance. Apparently there is one month a year where appointments are difficult because it is the last month of their employees' holiday year.

That sounds like when or local pharmacy has phone issues. You hear all about opening hours and other details and then it cuts out.

I'm back from the surgery now and still not any wiser as to whether they are having phone issues or not because the whole surgery was empty. There were no receptions, no GPS absolutely no one about to ask and no sign or notice to explain if they were closed or not .

Not entirely sure what to do now...