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Original poster

Has anyone actually managed to get an appointment with a GP?

80 replies

EachandEveryone · 31/12/2021 14:12

Honestly, I despair. London. You wait ten minutes to listen to a long winded message finally telling you to book an online appointment. After signing in the website tells you that your practice doesnt offer this facility. The receptionist said you have to ring at 8am on the day. I literally know so many people that have had treatment this year that has started far too late in the day☹️ None of it covid related.

Ive got oedema from my neck to beyond my clavicle its just come up over Christmas and google is freaking me out. I guess afew more days wont matter although fitting phone calls around work is never easy. Remember the days when you could make a GP appointment afew days in advance? Will we ever get those days back I wonder?

OP posts:
RedWingBoots · 31/12/2021 14:25

Not all GP practices are the same.

I learn that the hard way.

Some practices are run by partners who are poor managers so cannot retain staff or get decent locums even in wealthier areas of London.

Ilaat · 31/12/2021 14:28

I've always been able to get appointments easily, same day or book ahead, but it's a very small practice with not as many patients. As PP said it's vastly different in each place.

LazyMareofEastown · 31/12/2021 14:30

I called my surgery this morning at 8am re: possible chest infection. No appts left by the time I got through so asked for a call from the oncall GP.

Doctor rang an hour later, offered me a f2f appt, prescribed meds and referred me for a chest xray (as have had a cough for a while now).

I don't think we'll ever go back to the days when you could just ring up and book an appointment to come in and see a GP. I think telephone triage will stay in place with f2f appts offered by clinicians to those who they feel need to be seen after an initial tel appt. Video appts/submit photos digitally for anything else.

Sorry you're struggling OP.

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General health
loveisagirlnameddaisy · 31/12/2021 14:37

@RedWingBoots

Not all GP practices are the same.

I learn that the hard way.

Some practices are run by partners who are poor managers so cannot retain staff or get decent locums even in wealthier areas of London.

My friend is a practice manager and says dealing with the partners is a nightmare. They all make different decisions and won't talk to one another. Great medics, appalling business owners.
Hospedia · 31/12/2021 14:49

My GP has always done telephone triage and they do it really well.

You ring up on the day that you want to be seen, whether it's urgent or not. You tell the receptionist what the issue is and they take your details. You can also do this step online via their website and message them details of the issue. You can do this at any point of the day. The most appropriate person then rings you back to discuss it - nurse, GP, in-house podiatrist, prescriptions team, etc. If it can be resolved over the phone then they resolve it over the phone, if you need to be seen you get an appointment, if you're unsure you can insist on an appointment. All patients have a 'home' surgery where your care is based, you will almost always have appointments there but if they don't have any they will offer you an appointment at one of the other surgeries instead (five of them all within a fifteen mile radius), this is unusual though and has only ever happened to me once. During very busy times they run their own walk-in service at their largest surgery where you can show up and wait to be seen on a first come, first served basis. They do vaccine clinics on walk-in basis too. Midwife, SALT, HV, podiatry, etc are all done in-house and they've recently started having a weekly physiotherapy clinic.

ComtesseDeSpair · 31/12/2021 14:51

I think it really is a lottery when it comes to GP systems and I can’t understand why there’s no attempt to make it all more consistent. I know that all GP practices are essentially private businesses, but the current situation is just crap and inefficient for all concerned.

My current practice is fine, even at the moment I can generally phone up and book an appointment within the next 10 days, no triage required, although can be waiting on the phone to speak to the receptionist for over half an hour sometimes. My previous practice was brilliant - the Royal Arsenal Medical Centre in Woolwich should quite frankly be held up as a shining example of excellence.

SirChenjins · 31/12/2021 14:58

Yes - I got two on the same day. Unfortunately both have resulted in urgent referrals, which is maybe why I was given same day appointments.

dreamingbohemian · 31/12/2021 15:04

Can you switch to a different practice?

I'm also in London, we moved last year to a new area and now have a brilliant GP. You can call the receptionist but the easiest thing is to contact them online and wait for the right person to get back to you.

Maybe we need something like Trip Advisor for GPs, so people know which ones to avoid and there is more incentive for them to be responsive at least

Bonnealle · 31/12/2021 15:05

Yes, have had loads of face to face appointments this year. Usually on the same day. I’m in London though.

yikesanotherbooboo · 31/12/2021 15:05

Do they have a system for you to use econsult?
It can work very well if you are struggling to get a phone appointment or to be put on triage waiting list.
Your other alternative is to go through 111 as they may be abl to organise a GP contact or failing that one with a physicians assistant.

AnnieAreYouOkHun · 31/12/2021 15:07

I've been able to get ftf appointments when needed however this is usually following a lengthy queue on the line and a telephone call back from the dr first.

bloodywhitecat · 31/12/2021 15:08

GP has just visited for the second time this week but DH is terminally ill so that changes things. I can get appointments for me and the babies though if I need one but when DH was first sick in the first lockdown he was turned away from both the GP and A&E despite being the same shade of yellow as Bart Simpson.

milly74 · 31/12/2021 15:09

nope ours is run by the receptionists who triage with no medical knowledge

Leftbutcameback · 31/12/2021 15:11

My GPs have done a great job. The surgery is huge, and they’ve offered a choice of F2F or telephone for a while. For a non urgent apt I’ve had to wait a couple of weeks but I also found that cancellations pop up online so got one at quite short notice. I’m sorry you’re having a tough time with yours OP.

dreamingbohemian · 31/12/2021 15:14

Also, is the recording telling you to book online with eConsult or with the NHS App? Because they are two different things, maybe you could try the other one.

bloodywhitecat · 31/12/2021 15:22

@milly74

nope ours is run by the receptionists who triage with no medical knowledge
And this is why DH was turned away from the GP surgery, after speaking to the receptionist and telling her he had sudden onset, painless jaundice she decided that wasn't an emergency and he could wait 10 days to speak to a GP.
CoffeeRunner · 31/12/2021 15:28

@milly74

nope ours is run by the receptionists who triage with no medical knowledge
Don't be so ridiculous.

If Receptionists are asking questions about your symptoms it is because the partners they work for have ordered them to!

PGSTesting123 · 31/12/2021 15:30

Nearly 3 years - nothing.
Moved house now - hopefully I can register somewhere new now.

milly74 · 31/12/2021 15:58

Receptionists can argue blind oh we aren't triaging well they are. Its disgraceful and we shouldn't be obliged to tell them anything

CoffeeRunner · 31/12/2021 16:27

@milly74

Receptionists can argue blind oh we aren't triaging well they are. Its disgraceful and we shouldn't be obliged to tell them anything
But you'll get the help you need more quickly if you do give a brief idea.

I'm not a Receptionist BTW but I do work in a GP surgery & see why it's done that way. For example, if a Dr has a list of phone calls to get through it's really helpful for them to have a brief idea of why everyone needs to speak to them. Ours will usually try & call anyone they think they're going to end up needing to see F2F first thing - giving time for them to get in. If someone refused to give a reason of course they would still get their call, but right at the end.

I really don't mind telling a Receptionist why I need to see a Dr. They only pass that info to the Dr. They aren't posting it on FB or diagnosing you.

RhinestoneCowgirl · 31/12/2021 16:33

I had a GP appt just before Christmas. I had a bad reaction to my booster jab, got up to go to the loo in the middle of the night, fainted and hit my head on the way down. This happened early hours of Sunday morning, I phoned surgery on Monday morning spoke to a receptionist who arranged for a GP telephone appt, which happened within the hour.

GP was happy it wasn't anything serious but gave me a face-to-face appt later that day to examine my head injury and check my blood pressure (which was still a bit low). I very rarely have a doctor's appt and was quite impressed by the service.

Letsallscreamatthesistene · 31/12/2021 16:41

Nurse practitioner here who has spent all of today seeing patients.

Find a new practice, would be my advice.

Stuckandinamess · 31/12/2021 16:45

Logged on to the practice website at 8am on Wednesday and answered basic questions. Phone call from GP at 10.30 same day and referred to local Gynae Unit for urgent investigations.
Phone call from Hospital appts on Thursday morning and now have an appointment at the hospital in early January

Letsallscreamatthesistene · 31/12/2021 16:46

@milly74

Receptionists can argue blind oh we aren't triaging well they are. Its disgraceful and we shouldn't be obliged to tell them anything
Our recptionists write verbatim what the patient says on our booking system. There is no triaging here.
Londonnight · 31/12/2021 16:48

I have had many face to face GP appointments. If needed, I have been able to see GP on the same day.
Our GP practice has been excellent throughout the whole pandemic.

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