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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to have had it with the GP. Won't give me a repeat without an appointment but won't give me an appointment. ARGHHHH

42 replies

foxinsocks · 15/04/2015 12:51

I have bad reflux. So much so that the last few days I have been vomiting. I need a repeat scrip for meds plus the anti nausea drug. Because I haven't had them for a while, the GP refused my repeat request and said I must come in. Fine, I understand that. This was a month ago. Since then I have not managed to get one appointment. I went home early yesterday because I threw up and I called them but there were no appointments left for yesterday and all the prebookable ones after work for the next 3 weeks had gone.

They advised I work from home today and call at 830. Which I arranged with work (who aren't particularly happy) and I called at 830 and by the time I got through, all the appointments had gone. The receptionist was very apologetic but suggested I take another day at home and do the same tomorrow!

Are they INSANE?!

I have the type of job where I need to actually be in the office!

I have given up now and had to book a private GP near the office tomorrow which is ludicrously expensive (£70) just to get this prescription which I then have to pay for as it's a private prescription. ARGHHHHH

OP posts:

Original poster

foxinsocks · 15/04/2015 12:56

oh and apparently the reason for it is they have quite a few GPs off on holiday. Great!

OP posts:

Pippidoeswhatshewants · 15/04/2015 12:58

Change GP practices.
I was getting more than fed up with the treatments offered, or rather not offered, by my former GPs.
Changed to a highly recommended practice and cannot believe the difference it makes!

I the meantime, do you have a small injuries unit you could go to?

TedAndLola · 15/04/2015 12:58

Many GPs' systems do not work.

If I were you I would call back and say if you don't get an emergency appointment, you're going to A&E. Your GP surgery pays towards your A&E visits so this should prompt them into suddenly finding the time to see you. I wouldn't feel guilty about it either, they've forced you into this position.

Pootles2010 · 15/04/2015 12:59

So a month ago, when the gp said you needed appt, they didn't have any appts at all for a whole month? Bonkers.

missnevermind · 15/04/2015 13:00

Our City Centre Boots has a walk in centre. Do you have anything similar near you.

Original poster

foxinsocks · 15/04/2015 13:00

I am not sure if any of the ones around here are any better. I would go to out of hours or walk in but I am not actually that ill if you know what I mean. I wouldn't want to take the place of someone who was properly ill. Really I just need the appointment (and I guess for them to check if they want to re refer me back to the gastro - they did an endoscopy last time and just concluded I did have gastritis/reflux).

There is another one round the corner and maybe I should just try them. I mean they can't be any worse one would have thought!

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wanttosqueezeyou · 15/04/2015 13:02

all the prebookable ones after work

Do you mean you could get one during your working day?

SnotQueen · 15/04/2015 13:03

God that sounds awful.
I take it the receptionists are aware of the whole story? Do they think this is acceptable? I would be writing a strongly worded letter to the manager or asking to talk to someone in charge. That is ridiculous.
I hope you get your medication soon.

ISingSoprano · 15/04/2015 13:03

Contact the practice manager, explain the problem and ask them to suggest a solution.

Original poster

foxinsocks · 15/04/2015 13:10

the only ones during the day are the ones you phone for in the morning

you can pre book ones after work (on one day) or before work (on another) but all of them are taken

the difficulty I have is that my commute is 1.5 hours and I need to be at work around 830/9. You can only phone for an appointment at 830. So if I take a chance and stay at home and call and there aren't any (like today) effectively I've wasted a day as I then don't get to work till say 1030/11 (by the time I'm on my way) and I need to be in the office.

If you are properly ill and off work it's fine - so say you have a chest infection, you just call every day till you get one. People round here who don't work think it's fine. You can also call during the day on the off chance there are cancellations.

If you work however or need to book appointments in advance it is nigh on impossible

OP posts:

mushypeasontoast · 15/04/2015 13:11

In my opinion yabvu.
It is not your gp responsibilty to ensure you have a prescription when you need it, that is down to you.

Your gp cares enough about your health to want to ensure they are prescribing the correct medication. They have offered you an appointment, just not one you want. If you are unwell enough to need medication then you need to take time out to ensure you have it. If your employer wants you to stay fit for work then they need to allow this- read employment law, pretty sure its in there.
If you are well enough not to need a gp then you could speak to a pharmacist...

WhoNickedMyName · 15/04/2015 13:12

Most GP booking systems are utterly shit. I had a similar issue with persistent UTI's, couldn't get a repeat prescription without physically visiting the surgery to see a doctor, but couldn't get a pre-bookable appointment for 3 weeks and any other appointments were 'phone up on the day' but it could take nearly a week before you managed to get one of those.

One day I turned up at the GP surgery reception at 8.30 when the phone lines opened. The receptionist said she couldn't give me an appointment over the counter, I had to phone up , so I got my mobile phone out in front of her and asked her if she really was going to make me do it?

I complained to the practice manager - ha - as useful as a chocolate teapot, she had no solution to offer.

We've ended up signed up to a private GP service, £80 a month (for our family of 3) with guaranteed appointments within 24 hours and it also covers up to a certain amount of prescriptions per year. The difference in service (and my blood pressure) is incredible. Not at all helpful for those who can't afford it though.

The whole system needs to be pulled apart and rebuilt from the bottom up.

Original poster

foxinsocks · 15/04/2015 13:12

I haven't been offered an appointment at all!

I can't get this from the pharmacist - it's prescription only drugs!

OP posts:

Pootles2010 · 15/04/2015 13:13

So when gp said you need appt, they said it'll be more than a month? If that's really the case, you need to take it to practise manager.

Noodledoodledoo · 15/04/2015 13:15

I would go to the walk in - at my surgery it is the only way to get seen ever. I had to go recently for a non urgent reason but no chance of getting an appointment normally so had to sit and wait for 2 and half horus with a 5 month old (who the appointment was for)

I have written to Practice Manager and MP but all three surgeries in our town operate the same system - I did point out to them the work from home option doesn't work for everyone - can't teach from my sitting room!!

LIZS · 15/04/2015 13:17

Did you try to make an appointment when you knew you needed it a month ago or only now it has become acute?

ImperialBlether · 15/04/2015 13:17

You can buy Omeprazole from the pharmacy. Is that what you were taking? That should sort you out.

Original poster

foxinsocks · 15/04/2015 13:18

I'm sorry that happened for your little one :(, think I'd find that upsetting tbh.

Last time I got an appointment for one of the dcs, I spoke to one of the GPs. I said it had taken ages to get an appointment and he said they know it is bad (!) especially for people who work but it works quite well for people who don't work and a lot of their patients are elderly people who it seems to suit quite well.

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Original poster

foxinsocks · 15/04/2015 13:20

I tried a month ago. But I must admit after I called and they had nothing for 2 weeks, I didn't call back again until after the 2 weeks and then they didn't have any for the next 2 weeks and so on......

I can get 7 days of 10mg omeprazole over the counter but the gastro's repeat script is for 40mg and some other drug that I need to go and fish the form out for (that I think is anti nausea). 10mg doesn't touch the sides.

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JacquesHammer · 15/04/2015 13:21

We have a similar triage system - its bonkers.

You call at 8am. Then someone calls you back between 8.30 and 11.00 to let you know if you've got an appointment. So of course the system completely precludes anyone who works from managing an appointment - like the OP you either stay home on the off chance and miss time off work or you go into work and then get an appointment you physically cannot make.

I need an appointment. I'll probably be seen in May 2017

Original poster

foxinsocks · 15/04/2015 13:22

actually what exactly happened is they called and said I couldn't have the script and could I come in. So I said please tell me when and book me an appointment and they said no, we can't do that, you have to call us and we have nothing pre bookable etc. and it went on from there...

anyway, grrr, will go to private doc tomorrow. I hardly ever go to the GP so even if I had to pay once a year, it's probably worth it for my blood pressure.

OP posts:

WhoNickedMyName · 15/04/2015 13:23

Almost makes you want to book a pre-bookable appointment in advance every 3 or 4 weeks just on the off chance you might be ill and need one.

Pootles2010 · 15/04/2015 13:24

Ah, 2 weeks is about standard I think, it is by us. Ours has a Sat morning service, which is supposedly for working people, but they don't enforce it so it's full of retired people, which is a bit annoying!

Original poster

foxinsocks · 15/04/2015 13:26

maybe that's what people do (prebook them to get them lol) and that's why I can't get one. I obviously don't go enough!

OP posts:

lucycant · 15/04/2015 13:41

Every time I read these, I am glad I am with the surgery I am. Is there another better surgery you can change to?

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