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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To want to be able to make a GP appointment for tomorrow today?

29 replies

bubblesinthesky · 20/05/2013 14:26

DS was diagnosed with thrush in his mouth about 2 weeks ago. I went to GPs had it treated and it went away but its back again. He's refusing solids as a result. I popped into GPs earlier and was told I could have an appointment at 3pm. I said that unfortunately I was doing school run then so would it be possible to have a later appointment or one for tomorrow. No that was the only one available today and its not possible to make an appointment for tomorrow.

I have to phone at 8.30am tomorrow morning in order to make an appointment. I know from experience I'll have to dial 20-30 times (whilst doing school run) jsut to get through as its endlessly engaged and by the time I do get through they'll have run out of appointments and tell me to do the same on Wednesday. Meantime DS won't be eating or sleeping and will be miserable :(

Any other day Id have asked a friend to pick DD up but I'm already picking up DD and another girl as their mum has to work late tonight so it won't work.

AIBU to have wanted an appointment for tomorrow. DS is 9 months if that has any bearing on it I know my arrangement to do a school run isn't their fault but I just feel so irritated.

OP posts:
SlumberingDormouse · 20/05/2013 14:28

My GP's surgery has the same insane rules. YANBU!

EuroShaggleton · 20/05/2013 14:30

Mine used to have the same bonkers rule, but has now introduced a limited online booking feature, which allows you to book ahead. It's much better, although the signing in is a faff.

ALittleBitOfMagic · 20/05/2013 14:33

YANBU . My surgery has this rule too . Its drives me absolutely bonkers . I can never get an appointment I usually have to wait about a week - and thats supposed to be an emergancy appointment !!!Hmm

Wishiwasanheiress · 20/05/2013 14:34

GP surgeries are the bane of my life.

Wishiwasanheiress · 20/05/2013 14:34

Makes mil look positively rosy!

WeAreSix · 20/05/2013 14:35

We have the same rules too. There just aren't enough GPs to cover the size of the community, and still more houses are being built with no extra provision for healthcare.

If I can't get an appointment then I ask for a telephone triage call from the duty doctor or nurse practitioner.

Is there no one at all who could collect from school for you?

sue52 · 20/05/2013 14:38

My surgery is the same. It makes life very difficult. You can book a forward appointment but only for 3 weeks in advance. Daft.

Kaekae · 20/05/2013 14:39

Same rules at my surgery, have to call at 8.30am just about the time I am doing the school run. I can never get through ever. Nightmare!

popcorner · 20/05/2013 17:08

Give your health visitor a phone, oral thrush is something they can easily deal with and they are able to prescribe the nystatin.

Seenitall · 20/05/2013 17:13

I thought I was the only one!

The reason this is happening is because when asked for data and stats on how quickly patients have been seen, by operating this system of only releasing opts in morning, on paper the surgery has seen a large percentage within 8 hours of booking their appointment

Yanbu

SanityClause · 20/05/2013 17:13

It seems a reasonable system to me.

You can book appointments in advance, but they leave some slots for emergencies on the day.

You were offered an appointment today - it's not the surgery's fault you couldn't attend at that time.

What if they just booked up all the slots, and left none for emergencies? Would that be better?

twofaceshenanigans · 20/05/2013 17:22

Can you go to OOH?

Caitycat · 20/05/2013 17:24

It drives me mad, wouldn't be so bad if they had a call queue like banks etc have but the endless ringing of an engaged number only to find they've run out of appointments when you get through is ridiculous. Wanted to get an appt for dd and they told me the soonest pre-bookable one was in six weeks time!

eastmidlandsnightnanny · 20/05/2013 17:25

My surgery will see under 2 the same day... Generally if we need to be seen same day i say ok then will go to walk in center n suddenly they can offer me an appointment or a telephone consultation as they get charged n audited on walk in center attendance when patients tick reason for not going to own gp as couldn't get appointment

Sirzy · 20/05/2013 17:27

Exactly what Sanity said.

GPs only have limited appointments and already have to fit in more than they have time for in that time so they have to make sure they have appointments left that people can book on the day.

Feelslikea1sttimer · 20/05/2013 17:51

Daktarin can be bought over the counter and I'm sure it's for babies over 4 months... It works well too.

Hope that helps.

LaChaiseVerte · 20/05/2013 18:03

I can see both sides tbh. I can see that is frustrating to not be able to organise everything so that it is ideal for your circumstances etc. I hate not being able to plan routine stuff, and dealing with the inflexible NHS can be a wearying experience.

However, they offered you a same-day appointment. They prioritised seeing a small child today. You have stated that your son is not going to eat or sleep and be miserable until he is seen. I would have bent over backwards/called in favours to make the 3pm appointment.

So, imo, YANBU for wanting to book appointments in advance, but YABU in this instance for not taking the appointment offered to you.

CloudsAndTrees · 20/05/2013 18:15

My surgery is like this too. Eventually they changed the time you phone in the morning to 8.00, as lots of people complained about being unable to phone while doing the school run.

It's not ideal, and it would be nice to book appointments for the next day, but if they have a system where they save some appointments for the next day, then it messes the whole thing up. Either appointments on the day or a couple of weeks in advance is the best out of all the options IMO.

3littlefrogs · 20/05/2013 18:19

Not unreasonable, but I think it is all to do with being able to state that all patients get an appointment within 24 hours or something. It is difficult with everyone phoning at 8.30 on the dot. Impossible if you have a job or a school run.

CalamityJ · 20/05/2013 18:22

YANBU drives me nuts too. However if you know what is the problem and you can get it sorted with a telephone call you could ask for one of those and then pick up the prescription at your convenience?

cansu · 20/05/2013 18:22

Can you not arrange some child are for the end of the day and wait for the duty doctor to see him? My surgery has this as an alternative if you really can't get in on the day. You usually have to sit and wait at the end of the day for your slot.

NoelHeadbands · 20/05/2013 18:23

Our practice has the same system and it works.
In all the time I've been with them I've never struggled to book a same day appointment ever, although the times are usually pretty limited.

PearlyWhites · 20/05/2013 19:13

Couldn't you just go to the surgery in person at 8.30 and book the appointment that is what I do to save ringing

Original poster
bubblesinthesky · 20/05/2013 19:18

thank you everyone.

I did phone the health visitor but because it had come back so soon after treatment she asked me to see GPs he was the one who sent him t o gp in first place as she could not prescribe.

Any day but this I'd have bent over backwards to change the school run but other girls mum was uncontactable (I tried) and she'd have needed to give permission for someone else to pick up her DD so unfortunately it had to be me.

HOwever receptionist clearly more helpful than I expected because the GP phoned me and said he'd leave another prescription for me to pick up but if this didn't work he wanted to see ds again. Its clearly working as ds just ate his dinner :)

Thank you whoever told me about daktarin I didn't know

OP posts:
Original poster
bubblesinthesky · 20/05/2013 19:21

thank you everyone.

I did phone the health visitor but because it had come back so soon after treatment she asked me to see GPs he was the one who sent him t o gp in first place as she could not prescribe.

Any day but this I'd have bent over backwards to change the school run but other girls mum was uncontactable (I tried) and she'd have needed to give permission for someone else to pick up her DD so unfortunately it had to be me.

HOwever receptionist clearly more helpful than I expected because the GP phoned me and said he'd leave another prescription for me to pick up but if this didn't work he wanted to see ds again. Its clearly working as ds just ate his dinner :)

Thank you whoever told me about daktarin I didn't know

OP posts: