To think not having any pre bookable dr's appointments is very inconvenient?

[SweetElizaRose]

Apparently my GP is changing so you have to phone on the day you want the appointment and can no longer pre book even for routine type stuff like medication reviews.
Why? If you are working this will be very difficult to manage because you won't be able to book or arrange any time off. I don't understand why they are doing this?

I think most GPs do a good job with the limited resources they have.

Open surgeries are hideous and unhelpful for those who can't stand or who are just too ill - often the people who need to be seen the most. When my DD was little, she got repeated chest infections that required antibiotics. To get an appt, we'd have to queue for 30-45 mins outside in the cold before the doors opened at 8.30. I was a single parent, had nobody to leave her with and the car park wasn't close enough. She'd cough till she puked, often in the flower beds! We moved shortly after and we are still at out great surgery.

Because lots of people don't show up if it is a week in advance. I think a deposit system should be in place for no shows.
There are a huge number of time wasting appointments apparently.
In the end because the system is abused we will all pay in the end. It is just a matter of time.
I would be interested to see how other countries manage. From experience of Greece and France you pay up front and get reimbursed. The NHS isn't going to exist in its current state soon.

bluecarpet I did query it a lot at the time but got fobbed off with if you feel you aren't ready then go and see your GP.

Probably didn't want the hassle of writing the note and wanted me out as quick as possible - I had already refused to go home the afternoon I had the surgery at 10am, was offered an extra night if I wanted given I had a 16 month old at home I took the extra night!

Luckily work didn't expect me back within a week!

As the GPs on here said, it's about increased demand and inadequate resources to meet that, and no system being ideal for everyone.

I am overseas. My GP is all prebooked appointments. Even with that I can always be seen within a week, often within a couple of days. Appointments are always 10-15 minutes.

Sounds great - and it is - for me, as I have a GP.

The reason they can do that is once they decide their list is full, that's it.They're not forced to take on more patients. The downside of that is I live in a city where lots of people don't have a GP. There is a list of practices supposedly still taking people on, but in reality when they are contacted they often say they are full, or they won't take on complex patients. I work in old age services at the hospital. I have frail elderly patients who travel miles across town after moving house to see their old GP as they can't get a new one in their new location. I see lots of people with chronic conditions who end up going to walk in clinics or ER for routine problems and prescriptions as they don't have a GP, so they don't get continuity of care for their diabetes, heart failure etc. I have patients in a panic as their GP is about to retire and they don't know how they'll get a new one as there is no obligation for another Dr at the practice to take them on. My old GP moved away and his replacement interviewed his patients before deciding to take them over, it wasn't automatic at all.

So I think, be careful what you wish for. It's fine to say look at other countries and other systems, but you have to consider that funding arrangements are different elsewhere. The system is great here if you have a GP, not so good if you don''t. I'm not in the US, it's not about paying or insurance coverage, it's free at the point of (ab)use here too. If you overburden GPs here and make them take more people on, then everyone has a GP, but not such a good service as some of us get now. Nothing will make everyone happy!

Musical I get that, but I still think it's the tail wagging the dog. I don't need to be told not to smoke - I have had cancer in the recent past FGS and the GP in question knows me personally (my DH's ex-SHO!) so it's nothing but a box ticking exercise. I am not criticising the surgery but I think it's nuts to prioritise my appointment to be told not to smoke over all the ILL people who are trying (and failing) to get an appointment simply because that is how the practice gets cash. The system of rewarding certain things - even where pointless - is utterly ridiculous at present and surely takes some of the judgment and skill out of general practice?

There is also no consistency - other surgeries are told not to give appointments for "just" early pregnancy and you can self-refer to the midwives. Others (like mine) insist on seeing the newly pregnant so they can patronise them give them advice. But what is the point when a woman has waited 3 weeks for an "in person" appointment? If I hadn't known to take folic acid before then, the poor baby would be screwed anyway!

As I said, I have no problem with paying for a GP appointment and like Kennington I think we are heading that way whether we like it or not. However, I think surgeries - like universities when fees were introduced - need to be prepared for patients to become a whole lot more demanding if they feel there is a direct financial impact on them, even though it is unlikely to cover the actual costs of delivering healthcare to the patient.

They're forced to take on more patients

sorry, I meant they are NOT forced to take on more patients once they decide they are full!

I would love a 50/50 system. I asked for a callback between 12 and 1 as I was in class teaching and the receptionist brought the phone through at 10.30. She babysat the class for 5 minutes while I whispered answers about my smear test history in a corner of the classroom!

My surgery has quite a good system - a first come, first served system between 8 and 10:30 and then bookable appointments thereafter until 7pm.

It means if you have an emergency you can be seen on the day but otherwise can make an appointment in advance.

bograinger we try very hard to call back when asked for people like teachers, bus drivers etc who really can't answer the phone when at work - teachers usually give us their break and lunch times and we ring then.

Yanbu. I love our GP surgery. They have a system which has only failed me once in 9 years.

You ring at 8am and they will do their best to get you in. If they have no appointments and you feel you really need to be seen on that day, you are put on the ring back list and the on call GP will call you back. If they feel they need to see you, they will. Even if it means everyone else's appointments end up running late.

You can book online about 3 weeks ahead. If you're not fussed who you see, you can often book an appointment the same week.

What they've started recently is book in advance by 2-3 day appointments. So I could ring at 8am today with something which might wait a day or two but not 3 weeks, and they will make an appointment for later in the week. Saving the day's emergency appointments for those who need to be seen that day but not having to wait weeks either. It makes it so much easier to manage health/life balance.

Our GP surgery nearly always runs late. But because everyone seems to be aware that the person causing the hold up really needs to be seen, no one seems to object too much. Equally, the receptionists are so helpful and you know they are doing their best, I've rarely heard anyone getting angry with them.

In stark contrast, you practically need to be at deaths door to get in at my parents surgery, and only will admittance be granted once the receptionist has your blood group, shoe size and what you ate for breakfast 3 weeks ago!

Yanbu. I love our GP surgery. They have a system which has only failed me once in 9 years.

You ring at 8am and they will do their best to get you in. If they have no appointments and you feel you really need to be seen on that day, you are put on the ring back list and the on call GP will call you back. If they feel they need to see you, they will. Even if it means everyone else's appointments end up running late.

You can book online about 3 weeks ahead. If you're not fussed who you see, you can often book an appointment the same week.

What they've started recently is book in advance by 2-3 day appointments. So I could ring at 8am today with something which might wait a day or two but not 3 weeks, and they will make an appointment for later in the week. Saving the day's emergency appointments for those who need to be seen that day but not having to wait weeks either. It makes it so much easier to manage health/life balance.

Our GP surgery nearly always runs late. But because everyone seems to be aware that the person causing the hold up really needs to be seen, no one seems to object too much. Equally, the receptionists are so helpful and you know they are doing their best, I've rarely heard anyone getting angry with them.

In stark contrast, you practically need to be at deaths door to get in at my parents surgery, and only will admittance be granted once the receptionist has your blood group, shoe size and what you ate for breakfast 3 weeks ago!

Talking to my German colleagues - they get 3 free GP appointments a year, plus any follow-ups. If you need a fourth new appointment, it's €30, and if the GP agrees you should have come, insurance will reimburse it. But the system is different anyway - not just that it's all insured, but German GPs seem to be mostly a referral service to all the different specialists, and don't do as much doctoring as in the UK. I might have misunderstood, though.

Our surgery has just stopped the phone in the morning system and changed to a sit and wait from 8.30am. No pre bookable appointments at all. So if you work you need to book the morning off and just wait for your turn, record so far was 2 and a half hours ( my friend with her little girl) .

You can't even phone my gp for an appointment. You have to phone, they call you back, decide whether you need an appointment or not then either book you in for the afternoon or not.
I'm not one to call the Dr but have done twice. Once I had severe morning sickness and couldn't even keep water down, the Dr told me "even anorexics have healthy babies" and left me to suffer on and the 2nd time I had a bad earache and went deaf in one ear, the doc told me to by a nasal spray. Useless!

mrs fisher thats a real "i cant be bothered" attitude they seem to have there.

For all those who are struggling, I'm sorry. It really is a crap system. I bet your GPs hate it as much as you do. There is no such thing as a perfect system that suits everyone. However many practices are resorting to this because they are forced to take on new patients, cannot recruit enough doctors and many GPs are retiring. Add into this all those patients who abuse the system by not turning up or using appointments inappropriately for things that could be managed at home with a little common sense and this is what you're left. The government has slashed funding. If you're unhappy, contact your MP, your GP is doing their best in a bad situation.

My doctors is a 3 week wait for an appointment. it's ridiculous . I'm gonna swap surgeries . Both our doctors (man and wife) retired together and they haven't replaced full time doctors and now it's run by locum doctors !

Our whole surgery is locums.

Oh and for those who think they can choose when to close their list, they can't. You have to apply to close the list with NHS England and state reasons as to why. I know of many GPs who have asked to close their list because they can no longer safely manage their patients but have not been allowed to. Look at what is happening in Essex.

I've all but stopped my meds I work in a dental practice - have my own patients who've waited to see me 3-4 months themselves. I start at 8 am so 0% chance of being able to sit on a phone waiting to be dealt with by a receptionist Can't get appointment for review = no prescription. It's not great
I know of people who have gone in person and refused to move away from reception without an appointment
Not great for the receptionist. But awful for the patient

mrsfisher there is a product called Betnesol, betamethasone, ear/eye/nose drops used for all 3 of the aforementioned body parts. Was it those you were prescribed?

Well, very grateful for my GP service, then - assumed their service was normal.
You can book an apt for another day not usually much delay unless you ant a named doc (one of them works term time only). If you need to be seen that day, you call at 8.30 and usually only a few minutes wait. Then a triage doc calls you back, and if they need to see you will fit you in that day.

Oldfarticus, I agree with you and in
Scotland they have stopped this. We still have to do certain things but I don't have to reach a target of how many peop,e to tell to stop smoking. However they are now starting new ways of monitoring us which is going to take GPs away from their practices more than before. Allegedly paying us for backfill but then we can't get locums. The whole system is awful at the moment. I've been a GP since 1994 and it is crazy what we do now compared to then. A lot of what we do used to be done in hospital but now we get it all. And all with no extra funding

Why would they do this the last thing you want if your poorly is to be ringing anyone at 8am. Chances are you gave been up all night as well. Utterly out of order. No common sense. It's not patient-centred what so ever.