How long is the current waiting time at your doctor surgery?

[HesarealJacquelineHigh]

Like most, if not all, we now have to submit an online request that gets triaged by the reception team. I submitted one this morning and have just been told that someone will ring me back within 8-12 weeks. Madness

Our practice is working to rule so only 25 patient contacts a day, the two GPs work very part time (1.5 days each / week) and no doctors available on a Friday or most afternoon/evenings)
The likelihood of actually seeing one of them is now 9-12 weeks, you’re told to go to a pharmacy (8 miles), minor injuries (9 miles) or A&E (10 miles) if necessary 🤷🏼‍♀️
There’s only 2 part time practice nurses covering 4 surgeries so the actual likelihood of seeing one is zero. If bloods are required there’s a phlebotomist once every two weeks who’s fully booked until January at the moment.
It’s bloody ridiculous and completely unacceptable.
Oh, and the practice is muttering about closing our surgery- the closest one accepting new patients is 11 miles away, virtually no public transport so heaven help you if you don’t drive or are housebound.

For emergencies we join the 8am scramble, and if the receptionist, with no medical training, deems you worthy you get to see a clinician the same day. This won't be a doctor.
For a routine appointment you join the 10am scramble. Again admin staff decide if you need to be seen. If you've called at 10.01am all the appointments will be gone and you'll be told to try again tomorrow.
There is also a triage form that's released at 6pm, but it seems to be impossible to type fast enough to complete this form before they are 'full' and yours is rejected.

You can usually get a same day appointment, They release appointments throughout the day so no 8am panic calling. They also do phone calls if you don't need an in person appointment. They allow you to upload photos for consults too.

They have specific GPs with specialties, I see one who covers women's health and is excellent. Their continuity of care is brilliant, they contact you to follow things up rather than relying on you to book back in for things.

They have a walk in flu jab clinic too. Honestly, they are amazing.

If yours is shit, see what other practises you fall under address wise. I am aware some people struggle with only one option.

Yes it seems efficient. I was shocked to be honest

I usually get a text in 15 minutes with a plan for what happens next. Appointment usually offered in the next couple of days, longest wait was 2 weeks, but shortest was 1 hour (I couldn’t even drive there fast enough, so had to ask for one later in the afternoon).

Submitted form Sun at 8pm. Call back from reception at 10am Mon offering me an app for Wednesday. Very good service.

Mine is great. 8am calls, but if you aren’t in the first 10, they call you back. In-person or phone appointments, my choice, and either same day or within 3 days. I’ve always had same day when it’s been necessary. Nurses appointments can be booked at any time.

In partnership with other local practices, they offer extended hours (core hours are 8am to 6pm), so you can see a GP up until 9pm and at weekends, but may have to travel up to 20 miles to do so, or have a phone appointment.

They have in-house physios, podiatrists, pharmacists, midwife and more. Ante- and post-natal clinics at the surgery and in other community settings (we are rural). They offer social and fitness prescribing, menopause clinics, a decent carers’ support system, and are bloody meticulous in their care of my husband, who has a life-limiting illness.

I thoroughly dislike where we live but the health centre is a massive factor in our staying put.

My surgery only does same day appointments. You have to ring at 8 or 2pm. I’ve always managed to get one.

8-12 weeks? One could be dead by then and no doubt they sometimes are. I don’t even bother with the nhs I have to pay £80 to see a private gp.
Taxes are going up but you can be sure there will be no change.

We have to ring at 8am and then wait for the receptionist to text a link to the Livi app. You click that then it books you a videocall with a GP which is often on the same day. You speak with them and they will then book you a face to face appointment at the same GP you originally rang that morning.

Haven’t seen my doctor for years. I’m the annoying person who doesn’t belong in accident and emergency because I can’t get a doctors appointment. Last time I needed one I needed rounds of antibiotics because I couldn’t get a chest infection treated fast enough. Weeks of trying to get an appointment. I tried my best to avoid the local busy accident and emergency. It won’t be the last time I have to attend due to my own gp unavailable.

Ours is terrible, only 1 surgery that covers over 30,000 people (fairly rural). It’s an 8 to 12 week wait to see a Dr for most things, I’ve heard they do try and fit in more urgent cases sooner but it’s pretty dire. My named Dr quit (along with a few others) earlier in the year and I haven’t been allocated a new one, I’ve got some health issues that are being investigated and I’ve seen six different locum GP’s this year - they don’t read your notes and you have to re-explain what’s going on as it’s someone new each time. Finally been referred but now it’s a 22 week wait (average) to see a specialist :(

I’m lucky with mine. There have been times I’ve had to wait a while for a response but on the whole, they’re very good.

I filled in an econsult this morning for quite a minor issue. Submitted the form at 8.30 and got a call at 9.20 inviting me for an appointment in just under three weeks’ time (which is fine as it isn’t an urgent issue).

Same day appointment most of the time, or next day at worst. Outside of the UK so outside the NHS. It has its downsides but this is not one of them.

The point of e consults is to make sure there isn't one waiting time.

Depending on the issue it could be anything from immediate to 8 weeks.

Surgeries have not been given an extra money or staff to deal with all day e Consult and the queries they get vary in urgency' from 'you should have called 999 yesterday' to 'this is not in any way a medical problem '.

Less than 24 hours. You submit a request online and either get a link through to book an appointment, a text through the NHS app to advise/say they've done a prescription, or someone calls you for more info. I've been at the GP three times in the past two weeks and I've had a reply within an hour every time.

We get a response, usually from a GP, that day.
If an appointment is then needed that would also usually be that day as well - unless for routine check up type things which would be scheduled in as appropriate.

Three weeks for a non urgent call back to discuss X ray results my DH discovered.

We used to have 9 GPS now it's 6 and two of them are on long term sick. Three nurses quit the same month, so bloods done at the hospital now.

It's a mess.

There is practice level data here on time between booking and appointment. It might help people when deciding to switch practice or if moving area.
https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/appointments-in-general-practice/august-2025

The process starts with having to fill out an online form detailing my symptoms or concerns, which then goes to the reception team. I find this frustrating as it feels like there’s very little patient confidentiality, sensitive medical information is being reviewed by non-clinical staff.
While responses occasionally come within the hour, more often I don’t hear anything until the following day. Almost every time, the outcome is a telephone appointment scheduled for around three weeks later, even when I’ve clearly stated that I need a face-to-face consultation. For example, when I needed a mole looked at, I specified this required an in-person appointment but I was still booked for a phone call.

Ours requires you to call at 8 am; there will be a waiting queue. I have waited for 40 minutes to be told to call back tomorrow unless it’s urgent. Strangely, if you call nearer lunchtime, they will have a better idea of that same days workload and may be able to squeeze you in, even if not urgent.

Appointment books are only open for 9 working days ahead, so once that full you are out of luck.

Repeat prescriptions may require an in person review, which they can’t actually offer, so there’s often an argument about why ‘computer says no’ would over-ride ‘Dr says I must have them’.

It is an absolute shit show.

Seen the same day.

if It’s urgent for that day you can call anytime and the duty dr will call you and either discuss over the phone or ask you to come in that day.

For non urgent you can either call in fill in a form online and they call you the same day. If it’s a routine appointment with your named GP it is normally a 3 week wait - sooner if you don’t care who you see.

Submitted an online form requesting a new medication Monday morning about 8am, had an email and hour later saying the medication would be ready to pick up from pharmacy the next day . My GP surgery is v efficient and nice .

Our surgery is very poor. Nearly impossible to get an appointment within the two weeks slots they have open. As soon as another day opens it's gone. What's worse is that if you do see a doctor and the doctor wants to see you again you just have to go on line and hope that you can somehow get a slot with that doctor again. My DH had surgery and has an appointment with GP regarding it. Doctor said come back and see me again in two weeks. We rarely go and did think that if the doctor has specifically asked to see you again a few slots would be kept open for that ...but no ... just st take pot luck on line. At my dad's surgery, if the doctor has specifically told you he/she wants to see you again in two weeks, she just tells the receptionist who finds a slot. If there isn't one she will open the following week's appointments which are not yet available on line. Seems sensible if the doctor has asked to see you again.