NO i will not accept your apologies, and no i wont call back at a less busy time!

[Lucyellensmum100]

my daughter NEEDS to see a doctor today, i have been asked to accept your cuntin apologies for the past 15 minutes and have had to ring back 55 times or more (ok may be an exaggeration) but its now 10 past eight and the likelihood of my getting an appointment is slipping through my fingers! This system has got to change!

What do you suggest?

I often have to try more than 20 minutes and constant redial then ask for a doctor to call back if no appointments left.

could a pharmacist help?

What do you suggest they do?

It is very annoying. Once you do get thro tho often they can magic an appt if you say its a poorly child. My surgery does anyway. Deep breath and persevere.

that i dont have the answer too - it is just soooo frustrating

OK, hush my mouth - I have an appointment! Gosh, this system is a blardy good idea!

Seriously though, it could be run better - the policy seems to be that you can't book an appointment for a non emergency unless you are willing to wait five days or more so they recommend you phone on the day for an emergency appointment - so the appointments are being taken up by people with conditions that could wait until the next day or day after, but not a week. These are obviously taking up the emergency appointments, which mine is. I am often one of the non emergency patients though having to ask for an emergency appointment. So yes, it really does have to change in that respect.

No trixie, not this time - im all for utilising alternative HCPs but i suspect we could be looking at a hospital referral :(

They can only see so many patients. If they let everyone book in advance for whatever they would have no appointments left for emergencies.

I think the ideal is the practices who have a triage system whereby they can weed out time wasters make sure people have an appropriate appointment if needed.

I agree it's very frustrating, particularly if you have a poorly child.

That said, my surgery almost always manages to get us seen when they know it is a child appointment. They give us one with the duty doctor.

However my surgery is a fairly big one with about 6 regular Drs and then I think a couple of duty Doctors as well [locums?]

When I was at a smaller surgery with only a couple of Drs I also had problems getting appointments.

My surgery now also has a contract with an OOHs service. You then ring them, a Dr calls you back to hear your ailment and invites you to come to the clinic. You then are seen on a first come first served basis [with emergencies seen first of course]. Have used this a few times for the kids and have never had to wait very long to be seen. Would this be a possibility for you if unable to make an appointment during the day?

Is there a walk-in clinic you can use?

Sorry, just seen you've sorted it. I agree that they usually find space for a poorly child so the system does work on the whole. And walk-ins are a godsend.

Hope your DD is ok, OP.

Sirzy i think thats a good idea, but then of course you'll get the folk who dont want to tell the receptionist their problems. I wasn't asked this morning, appointment just made Our receptionists are lovely

I have to say that my own surgery is great and I've never NOT got an appointment when I've needed it, however I agree that many surgeries need to change their systems. I also think that there should probably be a drop in at every surgery. I hope you get your DC sorted out quickly OP and that they are ok.

I'd suggest that they don't have so many people on their books that they can't actually see their patients when they need to be seen.

I dont mind being on hold, its the being on hold having taken part in the phone lottery and knowing that as time goes on, the likelihood of getting an appointment diminishes. Id wait an hour if i thought id get an appointment.

To be fair, 75% of the time we get an appointment - i really would have had to be saying today that if an appointment wasn't offered i'd have to pitch up at A&E. And i hate people that do that.

Employ more doctors, reduce the GP salaries so that they can afford more doctors?

The surgery I know that does that has a gp or nurse call you back to triage.

Yanbu at all. And there is a better way! My gp surgery guarantees a same day appointment to anyone who calls before 11am, and I've never had to try for more than 5 minutes. Even if I don't want same day the wait is only 2 or 3 days. Problem is I don't know how they do it!

And I live a few miles out from Birmingham city centre, so if its possible in this densely populated area it should be possible any where!

I hate these systems. Where I live the average is over 2000 people per GP. So there are over 14,000 registered at my practice. I know that not all 14,000 are trying for appointments, and some are effectively "dead" patients (like my partner who would probably prefer to wait until he requires hospital treatment before going to a GP). That said they are usually really great when it comes to child appointments.

My major problem is that their number is 0844, which the NHS was meant to have outlawed but our area has changed since the outlaw. So in order to get an emergency appointment, it can cost about £3 a call sometimes only to be turned down. I wouldn't mind if it were a local number but these "lo call numbers" are anything but.

Oh, this is a pet hate for me. The nhs can be so brilliant. My surgery is fantastic - if you ring up on day you get an appointment and at worst, they give yoh an emergency appointment that you have to wait for. They follow up whenever necessary, process automatically things like vaccinations etc and you can ring with a question for your dr, leave a message and they will ring back. They also do early and late appointments which if you commute is a godsend. On top of that, all the doctors are lovely and I have never had a bad experience.

My best friend however, who lives a few miles down the road but who is part of same Trust and had her baby in the same hospital as me, had the same health visitor etc, has an absolutely awful surgery. Registering her baby after she was born was a nightmare, appointments are few and far between and half the doctors are dismissive. She has a "woman's problem" herself that she's not dealing with because she started a new role recently and getting an appointment in a way that allows her not to muss most of a day's work is impossible.

So how can one surgery be so good and another do bad? It MUST come down to management.

Our surgery has the morning phone lottery too, but they always offer an appointment with a nurse or they will ask if you want a phonecall from a doctor. Then if the doctor decides you need to be seen they will invite you in.

The doctors can pre book appointments and they have a limited number of appointments that you can pre book, but thise are harder to get. I have never not got an appointment for any of our family.

I cannot fault my GP for how hard he works.

Appointments are bookable, nearly always within three days, but upto two weeks ahead, if needed and there are emergancy appointments available as well.

Everyone cancels if they don't need the appointment and this is because you see my GP out from 7am and upto the evening doing house calls for the housebound/elderly and the very ill.

The walk-in system in my city is very good, wth a seperate one for childeen with X ray facilities etc.

Depending on how busy your A&E is, that may be the better route straight away, rather than take a GP's appointment, tbh.

That isn't an option for very ill adults and elderly, as much as it is a hassle with children, they cope better with a hospital visit.

My surgery is exactly the same! So YADNBU

Do you have a walk in centre? Or somewhere else you could go? Or ring NHS direct just to see what they recomend?