To be quite annoyed with my doctors surgery?

[TheCunnyFunt]

For years my doctors surgery was the same 5 GP's, for years and years it was just the 5 of them, no-one left or retired. I had the same GP for 21 years until he retired a couple of years ago. Since then I have had 4 different GP's. Four. It seems that since my old one left, the surgery haven't been able to keep anyone in his job for longer than a few months. It's ridiculous, every time I go there I see someone new. The last GP I saw, I really clicked with, she was lovely, really understood and listened carefully to everything I told her. Just got a letter from them about a flu-jab clinic and her name is gone (letters from the surgery have each doctors name at the top of the page), replaced with yet another new name. This will make GP number 5!

What is going on? Why can't they keep anyone for longer than a few months? Did my GP's retirement somehow curse the job? it is really puzzling!

I'm amazed that so many of you never see the same GP twice, there are 3 doctors surgeries in our town and each of them books patients in for appointments in the same way, 'You'd like to see a GP? Your name and DOB? Ah you're with Dr X. He has Y time and date available, is that ok?'

So I call up at 9am. I would like to see a doctor. Reply- we have no appointments. Me-can I make an appointment for another day. Reply- no we only release appointments 2 weeks in advance at 2pm each Friday- call back then. Me- but I am ill now not in 2 weeks. Them- the on call doctor will phone at some time today.

So if you are very ill you have to convince the on call doctor to see you that day. If you have a non urgent issue (I have a life limiting condition but rarely acute) you can NEVER get an appointment. I work- I can't call at 2pm on Friday. At 2pm you go onto a call waiting (you are the 97th in the queue) until all the appointments have gone- they go on the Friday pm.

I have a named GP and always see him unless an emergency appt and he has no slots available

I don't even know who my GP is. I just see whoever is available at the time.

I don't know who my GP is. I know them all though! Fairly lovely bunch.

Haven't got a clue who my gp is. See a different doctor everytime I go

Absolutely essential for chronic conditions to see the same GP - you waste so much time going over the same stuff with a new GP, so frustrating for everyone. The only GPs with appointments available are the shit ones that no one wants to see. My surgery is in crisis - need a smear, can't make an apt because they don't have the staff - they tell me to phone back in a month - when I call back I'm stuck on hold for 20mins, it's a mixture of poor management and excess demand - would like to move but is it better elsewhere?