to wonder what the government has done to make it so damned hard to get DD vaccinated?

[vladthedisorganised]

I need to have a rant!

DD is due her preschool boosters; I had a letter through from our surgery reminding me to make an appointment. Obviously we're in no particular hurry to have the vaccination done on the same day, so I call the surgery expecting to make an appointment for a few weeks' time. Apparently vaccinations are available once a week at a set time; the appointments are released on the same day, so I have to call when the surgery opens to 'see if I can get an appointment' for the same day. If not, I have to try again the following week, and over again until I'm 'lucky' - as 'it does get very busy'. Each time I do this, it will mean taking a day off work and taking DD out of nursery for the day 'in case'.

All appointments at the surgery are released on the same day - if you can't get an appointment, you have to call the following morning to try again, and so on until you manage to secure one. I've spent three days trying to get an appointment for myself as it is a busy surgery. Reception staff are generally good and the GPs are excellent, but it's extremely difficult to get seen.

It seems that if the surgery are measured on same-day appointments, they will have the stats that say all patients were able to see a doctor on the same day they made the appointment - never mind all those who were turned away without being able to make one. It also seems as if this applies to everything, even predictable areas such as vaccinations where the demand is known.

AIBU to think there is some ridiculous government target at work? Or is my surgery BU?

How very odd! I'd complain to the Practice Manager and probably move practice. This isn't the government's fault, this is down to bad management at the practice level.

It might be your surgery as ours doesn't work like that. Ours releases emergency appointments on the day, but you are expected to book in advance if possible.

Can book for vaccinations in advance too, although admittedly they are only done on certain days.

At my gps the vaccinations are all on the same day, however they send out an appointment day/time in the post. Seems a bit silly to do it the way your gps do.

Your surgery is being unreasonable mine issue the appointment well in advance. You can also book appointments up to 6 weeks in advance getting a same day appointment is a nightmare though.

I think this is a problem specific to your surgery. All surgeries have different rules around how to make appointments - they make their own rules so I wouldn't necessarily blame the government for this one.

In fact I thought there was a financial incentive for the GPs for vaccination rates to reach a certain percentage and so if you can't get it done then the GPs may lose out. I could of course be very wrong.

Maybe the GPs themselves do not know how difficult it is for you - write a letter explaining that you cannot take time off in the hope of getting an appointment and give it direct to one of the partners? Maybe it is a rubbish practice manager.

That sounds bizarre. Our practice runs a baby clinic every Thursday afternoon. You don't make an appointment - just turn up and be seen in turn. One room with 2 nurses for vaccines. One room with nurse practitioner for queries and weighing and 2 drs available for checks.

I think I'd complain in writing to the practice manager saying exactly what you've said above.

I think its just your surgery. Ours only does one day a week too but we can book over the phone well in advance.

Not all surgeries are like this. Ours has immunisation sessions and you can book those in advance.

The manipulation of the "24 hour target" was huge thing in the Blair years (I remember him being caught on telly about this, looking genuinely rabbit in headlights). It was meant to have been phased out in the later years of that administration othugh. I'm surprised vestiges have persisted - but that'll probably be more about your individual practice finding it convenient than anything to do with current monitoring.

That's weird. Ours sends out an appointment and if that one does not suit you, you ring in and book a different one. No restrictions on when you can book it for. They do have all their vaccination clinics on set days, but will do out of hours if you really can't make it.

I would switch to another practice. Our gp surgery has its vaccination clinic on a Tuesday. They send an appt letter through the post and it's usually with a good 3 weeks notice.

It's your surgery. That's just weird.

I would complain as well. I think you're right that it is done precisely to massage their statistics. Some surgeries used to only offer 'turn-up and wait' appointments for the same reason and they were banned, so I think they're skating on thin ice here.

I'd change practices and possibly even contact my MP, depending on how stroppy I was feeling.

My practice only does same day appointments as well (except for predictable things like vaccinations and monitoring of chronic conditions). However, I think there's only been two occasions where I haven't been able to get an appointment that day (and I've been to the doctors A LOT). On one occasion I had a telephone appointment instead and on the other as it was non urgent I phoned back the next day. So it can work, and actually I find it much better than my previous surgery where you can only get emergency appointments the same day. After all, the majority of the time I want to see the doctor because I am ill, when I can't pre book an appointment.

However it doesn't sound very practical to not be able to pre book vaccinations and I would complain in writing.

Also, do you have to take the day off work? Can't you let work know what is happening and phone from there, if no appointment then no day off needed, if there is an appointment then you can make arrangements and leave. That's what I do as I am not allowed to book time off work whenever I want (I work in a school).

How is that the Government's fault?

Just your surgery. Ours has vaccination clinics but you can book a slot weeks in advance. They send you an appointment with the reminder letter for a vaccine and if it's not suitable you phone and change it.
You can also book a GP appointment several weeks in advance for something routine, though they do reserve appointments for urgent visits that are only released on the day.

YANBU because you just reminded me that I needed to book a doctor's appt, which I have done whilst reading this thread! It does seem like a barmy system, but perhaps implemented to combat no-shows and complaints about waiting times. I would write to the practice manager outlining your concerns, and mention the specific problems that it causes you as they may not have taken every potential situation into consideration (although it's hardly rocket science to work out that it simply won't work for a lot of people!).

We do half and half on the day/prebookable but not for vaccines which are controlled by the health visitors' timetables.
On the day does reduce DNAs but doesn't guarantee they will turn up. I had 2 patients book in the morning. Booked at 8am and didn't turn up 90 mins later.

Your GP sucks.

The NHS says that although GP surgeries are independent and run their own appointment systems, you should be able to see a GP quickly in urgent situations or book in advance for convenience.

You ought to make a complaint about the system in the first instance to the practice, if the result isn't satisfactory then you can complain to the NHS (with whom your GP will have a contract). See:
www.nhs.uk/choiceintheNHS/Yourchoices/GPchoice/Pages/GPappointments.aspx

I'd also look for another surgery. Ours allows you to book in with the practice nurse well in advance; I was able to schedule a series of appointments for DD's baby vaccinations in one phone call.

Yep ours allows advance appointments too.

Our surgery also has signs up giving alternative locations for vaccinations - including weekend clinics I think! - so it's worth checking if there are any alternatives open to you. You might find a bigger local surgery is more flexible or has a walk in clinic.

Thanks all - so it is just us then! I would be sorry to leave our practice as the GPs are all brilliant, but it does help if I can tell the practice manager that everywhere else seems to allow advance appointments for these sort of things.

It's quite a big surgery so surprising it isn't more flexible - the health centre where I used to live had vaccinations on Saturday mornings and it was all over with in an hour!