to think I should not have to try doctor surgery 50 time sbefore they answer phone

[yellowflowers]

My gp surgery is crap. The phonelines are always engaged or left to ring off. This afternoon I rang over 50 times until they answered the phone. I have just written a formal complaint letter to the practice manager saying their phone system is not fit for purpose - is this unreasonable. I feel really pissed off.

dont you know they are busy talking about the patients and each others lives answering other phone calls and dealing with patients

50!!! Are you serious!

That really takes the piss. Complain.

Maybe it's the fact that people keep ringing and ringing that blocks the phone? Just a thought?

yes 50 times!!

BooBooGlass - well I wouldn't block the phone if they answered it - I only rang 50 times to get an answer. It's not like they answered it and I asked for an appointment 50 times!!

you must go to the same surgery as me then. It is a nightmare getting through for an appointment and it is a nightmare when I get there as you are never seen at the appointed time. Very busy place

so it was ringing and ringing with nobody picking it up over 50 times? bloody hell. Unless the fire alarm had gone off and they'd evacuated the building that's not really good enough!

About 40 times it was engaged and about 1o times it rang and rang until it rang off - until the last time when they picked up. I have just written a complaint letter though - it;s not fit for purpose. Last time I saw a GP there I told him how hard it was and he said he sympathised because he was sick one day and couldn't get into work and had the same problem letting them know!!

Is there an online way of getting an appointment?

Sounds like my place, only they have the joy of you pressing buttons to choose options which all go to the same phone which is then ignored.

Yanbu. Completely unacceptable. You are quite right to complain.

no online way no. I think they should answer all calls and have a system telling you where you are in the queue so you know roughly how long you will have to wait.

When I finally did get through they said 'hello can you hold?' and I said 'no not really because i have tried 50 times' and they said 'well you have to'. So 'can you hold' was not a question. It is possible I shouted at that point!

Could be even worse. Some surgeries around here have gone to those wretched 0845 or whatever numbers that charge you if you normally get free calls. Apparently the surgery gets a cut of the profits from the phone companyand justify it as good business.

The way I look at it now is that if either of my children need to see a Dr, I take them to A&E. Children get seen first in most hospitals.

I took my DD to my GP for 3 days running (she was 2), he said she had constipation and gave us stuff to make her go. During these 3 days I took her to a&e, they said because our gp was treating her they couldn't act.

When her temp was reaching over 40 and she looked a bit dead, they took her in and treated her for swine flu.

She had a burst appendix. She kept saying 'tummy mummy' and that's why I didn't give up. You know when they are ill. My poor daughter spent 5 days in agony with the hospital saying swine flu. I kept on and on and on, and eventually she passed out and I shouted and it was a general surgeon who saw it for what it was and had her down in surgery within 20 minutes. Thank God.

yellowflowers That would be great, I hate having to sit there just hitting redial over and over again. Guess what I'll be doing at 8am tomorrow

40 engaged tones means that they were incredibly busy. That will be why they asked you to hold and I'm sure you shouting really helped their day too.

I know it's frustrating for you but being a GP receptionist is the classic thankless task. Unless you know they were ignoring the phonbe whilst buying holidays on line yabu i mo.

To MsCrafty your poor DD, good on you for persevering but of course it should never have reached that point.

Our GP practice is terrible too, you ring and ring and ring and it's busy, then when / if you finally get through they answer the phone with "GP practice please hold" and immediately put you on hold for another 10 minutes or so, you have no chance to even speak to them. Chances are (esp on Mondays) by the time they get back to you all the morning slots have gone and they tell you to try again in the afternoon. Grrr .

If I really need the appointment then I've found the solution : I turn up in person. They do give precedence to people at the counter over people on the phone. Top tip is to time it such that you get there 3-4 minutes before the lines open and you can get an early(ier) slot. And then you just take what time you're given, then turn up and wait some more -- lots of stern warnings about not missing appointments but generally end up waiting at least 30 minutes past the allocated time before being seen.

Yes it's a pain to actually have to go there, especially if having to drag ill child along - the appointment is invariably at least an hour later, don't know who bags the early ones. Luckily I live close by as it's the only guaranteed method.

you are right northern lurker that I shouldn't have shouted but I don't think I was wrong to be annoyed. IN my GPs especially the receptionists are pretty rude and unhelpful - no doubt they are put upon but given people go to them when they are sick they do not help matters. I have watched them work while I've been in the waiting room and they are not efficient and rarely polite.