Can I make a formal complaint can’t get appointment

[Lovelybitofsquirrel3]

I have diagnosed depression and my sleep is effected. and ironically I have been trying to get medication for my anxiety and depression so that I can improve my life but appointments are months away and they tell me to phone at 8am but I can’t because I’m not awake. I tried emailing to book one instead but they tell me that they can’t.

Is it a GP appointment? Set an alarm to make an appointment, months away I’d doubt that. Do they have an e consult you can complete?

Get up and call at 8?

Set an alarm to wake up and call at 8.

Or have a look to see if they have an E Consult form that you can fill in.

Do you work nights maybe? If there's a reason you really need to sleep at 8am, set an alarm, call and then go back to bed. Problem solved. I know disrupting routine is hard but it's not unreasonable to ask people to be awake at 8am to make a phone call.

My stress level is too high

If I can't get through on phone at 8 am I just turn up at 8 on the GP doorstep

Have you got a friend or family member that could call for you?

I don't think realistically, if you are given and option and are choosing not to accept it, you have grounds to complain.

I completely sympathise with health issues and sleep issues having suffered for many years but they open their lines at 8 so you have to call then. If you tried calling and you can't get an appointment then absolutely complain, but even reaching out to an alternative like 111, you will be told first port of call is your GP.

They could end up giving you an early morning appointment and equally you will have to then be available for that.

Set an alarm and be available to call them at 8. This is standard for most practices across the country. I'm not sure you have grounds to complain when you're being asked to follow the same process as anyone else wanting an appointment? Your inability to be awake at that time is not really their problem .

If you're physically not able to call at 8am is there someone that can do it for you?

Another poster here suggesting setting an alarm for 7.30 or 7.45 and then calling the GP at 8am.

I've always had to call at 8am for a same day appointment with the GP.

Ironically it is their problem because they are the ones who should be treating my anxiety and sleep issues

They would be, if you follow their process (which is standard across pretty much all GP’s) and make an appointment.

If you can’t do it then ask someone to call for you.

Maybe ask a friend or family member to phone for you? I always make appointments for my dad for the GP because he gets flustered on the phone

Good idea. I didn’t know that I could do that I’ll ask my social worker

Indeed. But as adults we have to take a degree of responsibility for our own health. Such as contacting the relevant people for help using the standard process they have outlined.

This is what alarm clocks are for.

I know about alarms, but previously I’ve slept through them

Sometimes you need to help yourself and not expect everyone else to cater to your needs.

But I thought you said your depression was stopping you sleeping? Or did I misunderstand.

The other option is to just stay awake until you've made the appointment, attend the appointment and then sleep.

Even if someone else makes the appointment for you, they would still have to be able to contact you to tell you what time the appointment is for. And if you sleep through your alarm, then surely you wouldn't hear someone ringing you either?

Which brings me back to my point, I thought you were having difficulty sleeping

Set multiple alarms for 7:30, get up and call the Dr’s.

It’s 7am at my practice. I am awake by that time anyway but if I wasn’t I would damn well make sure I was before I tried to waste their time complaining about something that would be my own fault.

If you really needed an appointment you’d make sure you work up.

OP, have you had difficulty sleeping at conventional times all your life, or just since you've been depressed? If it's the former, I would ask for a referral to a sleep clinic as well. Depression/anxiety and lack of sleep can become a horrible vicious circle, but if you've always had trouble sleeping at conventional times then you may have a sleep disorder in the mix as well.

Do an econsult online or use patient access. You really don't have grounds for a complaint.

Write to the practise manager.

be polite but explain the system has resulted in you being denied access to medical treatment and because of it you are at risk of entering crisis.
you need to have the opportunity at times such as this to have access to advanced appointments.