To turn up 30 mins late for a GP appointment

[Kasterborous]

I had a GP appointment today and turned up five mins before my appointment time, booked in it said only one person before me. So why did I have to wait 50mins with a bored 14 month old!! It pees me off every time I go its the same, so why can't I turn up 30 mins after my scheduled appointment time!?

disclaimer I know I am being a bit unreasonable but i didn't sleep well last night because this sodding eczema is itching like nobody's business

It's frustrating I know. But I'm sure you wouldn't want to be rushed out of your consultation to save time.

I get more pissed off the surgeries are over heated and you roast in the waiting room

I'm confused - did you turn up five minutes early before the appointment? If so, then YANBU for the long wait. Hopefully the GP apologised.

If you did turn up 30minutes late, then YABU and were lucky to be seen. GP's have 10minutes to see patients, diagnose and write up their notes plus prescriptions. Whilst the waiting room may be quiet, the paperwork is never ending plus there are potential emergencies which may have to be dealt with. Did you know you were going to be late and ring ahead to let them know?

I worked in general practice about 10 years ago. When a doctor is delayed it is normally due to an emergency.
If you were the one ill with the urgent condition it is reasonable to queue jump. Doctors triage based on severity and urgency, not first come first served.
I find your attitude pretty selfish to be honest.

You do realise that your GP was probably dealing with a patient either in front of them, by phone or fax who had an urgent problem? Nobody likes waiting for appointments but when you are visiting your free GP for an irritating but non-life threatening problem you just need to suck it up.

NORTHERN absolutely right. If you do not like urgent cases jumping in front of you, go private!

I like going to a GP who is running late. (Even when dd aged 3 is starting to run amok.) It means I know that when I go in I can be confident that he/she will take his time and work out what is wrong with dd rather than trying to get us out the door.

I do wish they'd turn the heating down in the waiting room though.

My gp is always late and sometimes it's n hour, but he's worth the wait :)

It's nice if they apologise and explain once you get in, though. I once had a MW appt run over an hour late. The receptionist told me the mw was running late, as she had an emergency and I could rebook if I wanted. I was quite happy waiting (what, an hour on my own with a book while DH had the toddler ) but lots of people wouldn't be. The MW herself then apologised and explained to me - mind you, seeing the ambulance turn up was a clue in itself.

As in so many things, communication was the key!

It's not FREE!!!

No one came out of her room the whole time I was there the patient before me went in after 30 mins then us so don't know what they were doing for those 30 mins. I agree that someone might be really ill and need longer but it doesn't mean I can't be a little bit irritated. Then they didn't give me long and messed up my prescription anyway.

No I wouldn't ever turn up late. I've got raging PMT and just completely pissed off today.

It's 'free at the point of delivery' and thats the whole ethos of it. Obviously it's being paid for. But the whole mantra of the NHS is 'free at the point of delivery'

I'm a practice nurse.

I can understand you feeling irritated that you had to wait so long but contrary to popular belief when we're running late we're not behind closed doors eating biscuits and watching TV!

I often have to catch a GP between their own patients to see one of mine. My patient might need a doctor's input - for example last week I had a patient booked in for a dressing, but when she arrived it was apparent she had an infected foot and a necrotic toe and she needed admission to hospital. I can't admit patients, only the GP can do that. So I had to interrupt her clinic to sort out my patient which would have made her late.

That's really quite irrelevant though
We do pay for it, even if not at the time

Okay so I am being unreasonable and deep down I know it. I was just irritated today.

I dont mind them being late. Having read the horror stories on MN about waiting times to actually get an appointment, I have nothing to complaint about. I have always been given a same day appointment if I ring our surgery first thing. If I'm lucky, I get an early appointment and theres no delay. If I ring a bit late, I can get a later appointment where I normally end up waiting at least half an hour for my allocated time. Its just the way it is. It is flipping hard work with a young child in tow though, I agree.

You are not unreasonable to be fed up about it. But I'm sure there was a good reason.

Take plenty of toys and a book. Sometimes the GP has been called out on an emergency, so may not even be there. Sometimes they are advising on an emergency. I'm sure you would be damn grateful for the time spent if it were your dc with a life threatening condition.

YABU.
I would like to see anyone who complains about the NHS banned from using it!
So, the patient prior to you, took 30 min instead of the allocated 10, and you are blaming the Dr for this?!?
i wonder when no one will want to be Drs anymore because they are fed up of being sued/complained about when all they are trying to do is help.

Okay I am being unreasonable. No one went in or out of her room for 30 mins so she was in there but like you say she could have been on the phone to the hospital or something it was just one of those mornings and I posted in haste.

I do take kasterborous point though, i've been there, feeling incredibly ill with a toddler on the verge of complete anarchy because they want a wee but the appointment is overdue and the kerfuffle involved in getting keys means it'll take 15 mins to wee and the receptionist is telling you they're not over running by much and no, she can't tell the Dr you've just popped to the bathroom if he calls while you're off even though it's already 40 minutes past the time you should have seen the Dr and no she doesn't know how long you'll have to wait, but you;re hot, sweaty, a little bit faint, worried about a change of clothes if the toddler just gives up waiting and there's a big sign saying how horrible it is and evil you are/ wasteful of the increasingly scarce services to be late/not cancel your appointment.

and then you see the Dr and get to earwig what is obviously an emergency to do with their son's access to some sports kit. (i don't see this as being a life or death emergency)

I don't mind Dr's being strict about non attendance but since the entire system appears to be automated, they should be able to keep track of the patients they have seen and have yet to see and surely they can let you know how late they are running and if any emergencies are clogging up the system

I would like to see anyone who complains about the NHS banned from using it!

Are you serious?!

My doctor's are always behind. But they do have a sign up saying that each Dr will take as long as they need to see each patient and this can cause a delay.

But they will always see you. If they have no appointments left they will see you after 6.30 when they are closed.

If you can't get to them they will see you at home. And you can take as long as you want to discuss things.

Private practices can be just as bad.

I once went for a scan in a private practice, was the first that morning and still had to wait about 50 min.

Doctors!

Not really didileaveiron but I do think we are lucky to have such a good service, and people are ungrateful