aibu to expect a gp appointment within 24 hours of phoning?

[lolaflores]

Sometimes the next available appointment is a week away. Felt quite lucky today that there was one open on wedenesday at 5.40pm. I am past thinking that an appointment on the same day is feasable but would it be really too much to expect one at least the following day? Is there anything saying I should simply consider myself lucky to be on a GP's list.

If I ring tomorrow I may get a cancellation for tomorrow or perhaps Wed. morning.
If this isn't enough, they have been asked twice for a report, not sent it and I have rang and rang but not been able to speak to reception.

How do I get a new GP, might be a better question really?

You might find that it's no better anywhere else. GP surgeries have to see more and more patients, and are required by law to keep a number of appointments for emergencies and a number of appointments to make available on the day, so it leads to very long appointment wait times.

You could phone around a few surgeries nearby and ask what their appointment wait times tend to be like?

At my GPs, unless its an emergency, appointments are a 4-5 week wait. :(

Sounds pretty normal, at least in my experience. 3 days is the best I can get, and usually it's longer than that. I don't know anyone who can get a next day GP appointment.

Where do you live, ChuffMuffin?

It's better plenty of other places.

My GP surgery call at 830, get a same day appointment. Call any other time and get an appointment in a few days if you need it.

I rang Thursday for my son and he saw the GP today.

Change practices. Tell them why you are changing.

If that isn't an option, make a formal complaint.

Nothing will change if you don't speak up.

I always ask to see the nurse practitioner rather than the doctor as I can get a next day appointment and if it is something she can't prescribe for, she will ask the doctor's opinion. So much quicker.

My GPs used to be like that, then they changed to a system where you have to ring up first thing in the morning to get an appointment the same day, and if there aren't any you just have to ring up the next day. It's a pain in the arse because you're always on hold for bloody ages because of everyone ringing up at the same time, but it's better than waiting weeks and weeks. They've also started putting you through to a doctor when you ring up so they can decide whether you need to be seen, or just write you a prescription or give you pointers for getting better at home, etc. Maybe look into changing your GP practice? I'm not sure how you do it but I'm sure it's pretty straightforward, someone else will surely know.

Usually a 2-3 week wait here unless its am emergency

I think the next day is too short notice, so Yabu IMO. BUT I think the 4 weeks wait at my drs is ridiculous. I think 3 days is a fair amount of time to expect.

Ring on the day first thing to get an emergency appt.

My surgery is similar although they do fit in under ones on the same day you ring. My friend's surgery is great, ring up and a GP will call you and diagnose over phone if poss and arrange prescription.

Yeah my one does phone appts - very useful.

Mine is 4-5 week wait, sometimes 6 weeks. If my doctor tells me to make another appointment in 6 weeks and I try I get told they can only make appointments 4 weeks on advance. But when you ring up 4 weeks in advance another receptionist will tell you you can make them earlier, or they will give you an appointment more than 4 weeks ahead.

The receptionists at my surgery are awful. Most are rude, ignore you if you are waiting to speak to them (I know they are busy but all they have to do is acknowledge you and tell you they will be with you soon). My doctor is brilliant so don't want to change surgeries

Depends on how urgent it is. If you just want a pill prescription or something, then a week away should be fine.

My GP surgery is linked with another one in the town and there's always a couple of hours at the end of the day in one of them for people who are willing to turn up and wait on a first come first served basis.

I've not usually had a problem getting an appointment same day though if I'm willing to go to either of the surgeries so long as I call on the dot of 8:30am. By about 8:45am all the appointments will be gone.

When I lived in London my doctor had no appointment system so if you needed to see him, you would go to the surgery, give your name to receptionist to add to the list and sit and wait. Although the wait was sometimes long, at least you knew you would get to see the doctor that day.

I called on Friday and the first available appt is 1st March

I have been ill over the weekend, has turned into a sinus infection and I feel terrible. It feels urgent as I feel so unwell. If it was a repeat prescription or another non urgent issue I wouldn't mind so much.
I am going to go elsewhere as even though they have changed a computer system, there is still a sense of chaos in the place and they have the rudest receptionists ever. They have had special rude training.
I am going to let the practise manager know why we are going elsewhere. I agree with everyone who has said that a phone consultation with the doc would save everyone much time and anxiety.
If my dd was ill, I don't think I would want to wait 3 days to see a GP. I am an adult I can hang on (sort of, am going to go to the local walk in instead).
Though I wonder if the walk in centres are designed for GP overflow? Or to take up the slack at weekends?

I can't get appointments sooner than ten days to a fortnight so I take everything that's not routine to the emergency clinic which they have every morning even if it's not an emergency (ie, I could wait a day or so).

It's really frustrating. I had bronchitis and was ill but not so ill I needed emergency treatment and to be seen that very morning. But the only appointment was ten days away so I had to go to the emergency clinic, wait an hour and a half in the horrible waiting room (actually I went to the cafe on the corner for an hour because it's standing room only in the waiting room). I feel like I'm making the most efficient use of NHS resources by basically having to be treated as an emergency for a run of the mill illness but one that needs seeing sooner than ten days hence.

sorry, that was meant to be I'm not making efficient use...

You can see the nurse for a sinus infection.

Valium there is no practise nurse or no obvious way of making an appointment with her. you only get offered doctor appointments. so off to the walk in with me where no doubt I will be seen by a nurse. FFS.

Without wishing to be being rude, have you actually explained what your problem is to the receptionist? They are not just there to answer the telephone,they will be trained to recognise if something sounds like it ought to be seen quickly.

As a hospital receptionist I was on pain of death for giving urgent appointments unless it was for pre-specified reasons given by the consultants, and I had to ask why people needed them so that I could give appropriate appointments. My mother was a GP receptionist, with similar instructions from her practice GP's.

Also do you specify seeing the GP you are registered to? I just see whoever is available, and usually get a same day appointment. You ring at 8:00 for a morning appointment and 1:30 for an afternoon appointment. Granted you have to keep re-dialling,because of the engaged tone...but it doesn't take that long to get through normally.

Nurse practitioners are trained to deal with everyday complaints. Where's the problem with that? If they are not sure,they can get a doctor to come and look,because you are already there.

If you would be happy with a phone appointment, have you tried calling NHS24/direct?

Or phone the receptionist and emphasise that you are getting worse/desperate "I'll see any doctor and just wait until they are free". Is there a pharmacy attached, you could go and ask the pharmacist for their advice (ours sometimes sends you up to see the locum doctor there and then if it is a prescription needed)?

You don't know it is the same for children, our practice has a priority system and children or chronically ill people get earlier appointments as standard. You are not just lucky to be on a list, unless it is a super-duper in demand GP - you won't lose your place on their list just because you look around at other practices, only when you sign up, so it wouldn't do any harm.

Ask to see the practice nurse, or tell the practice that you'll go to A&E instead.
GP practices have a responsibility (linked with their funding I think) to help lower A&E admissions.

If it's not something you could feasibly go to A&E for, it's probably not that urgent anyway.