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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Annoyed by Doctors Surgery

32 replies

CheshireGirl38 · 05/09/2016 16:11

Tried to book the teenager a (non-urgent) appointment at the doctors surgery for tomorrow, but told 'you have to book on the day of the appointment'. This is a complete pain as tomorrow morning I'm on the motorway and she's at school, and all our mornings are a mad rush anyway! By the time I'm able to do it, chances are there won't be any appointments or you we'll get the most inconvenient time available. AIBU or is the system weighted for people who have plenty of time in the morning (that excludes anyone with kids or a job)?

OP posts:
MummyJobo · 05/09/2016 16:13

I agree definitely seems weighted for those who don't work for whatever reason there must be a fairer way

123rd · 05/09/2016 16:14

I had this with my old surgery. It got beyond the ridiculous. I ended up speaking to the practice manager and complaining. She just said its the only way they can mange with such few gps at them surgery.
I didn't want an urgent apt -meaning that someone who was ' ill' couldn't be seen but also never had the chance to phone first. Thing in the morning and be told by 8:10 am that all appts had gone for the day anyway!

Myusernameismyusername · 05/09/2016 16:15

It doesn't work very well at all for non urgent patients especially school aged children - secondary school my DD's attend are not happy for them to leave school to attend non urgent appointments and nor was my previous boss. It's really hard and I don't know what the answer is. Demand is so high but surgeries should really have some slots available to book ahead

Birdsgottafly · 05/09/2016 16:17

My GP used to have this system, but after complaints to the Practice Manager, there's now bookable non Emergancy appointments, as well.

If Patients don't complain, it won't change.

SantasLittleMonkeyButler · 05/09/2016 16:17

YANBU, the appointment system is screwed up by the targets imposed on GPs practices. The government dictates that same day appointments must be available so, for busy practices, the only way to do that is to make most appointments bookable on the day.

Say there are 50 appointments technically still available for tomorrow at your surgery - if it's a busy surgery & they released an appointment today to everyone who was too busy to call up at 8/8.30am but wanted to be seen tomorrow, all 50 would be gone within a couple of hours.

So tomorrow the practice would miss their target of having same day appointments available.

I agree it's infuriating but it's all to do with the way practices are funded nowadays unfortunately.

Sirzy · 05/09/2016 16:20

The call on the day thing is so people can get the appointments when they need them. I would be annoyed if I couldn't get an urgent appointment when ill because they were all booked in advance.

If it's non urgent why not just phone and book the next non urgent appointment?

Rememberallball · 05/09/2016 16:21

Our surgery has the option to book appointments online. You can book up to 4 weeks in advance for non urgent appointments with specified Drs; can book from 5am for same day appointments or can wait to ring them at 8.30am. There is also 'duty Dr' appointments where you see whoever is allocated that list that day, get a call back if it is urgent. Lastly, there are 2 sit and wait clinics a week where there aren't allocated appointments which you just turn up for. Works really well with that combination of options and I think it might work well at other surgeries too.

Discobabe · 05/09/2016 16:25

It's a pain. We used to leave for school at 8.40, I could ring as soon as lines opened at 8.30 and get an appt. We moved house, we now do school run at 8.20 and by the time I get in all the appts are gone. I live just round the corner and often drive round to the surgery, line up at opening time to ensure an appt, then drive to school (we normally walk). I used to love the system, now I hate it. Overall though I do think it's better than being offered an appt in two wks time.

Discobabe · 05/09/2016 16:26

Our pre-bookable appts are all at school run times Hmm

glueandstick · 05/09/2016 16:38

I've been asked to ring back in three weeks for a non-emergency appointment hopefully for October. I tried this month but none available. Oh and to see a specified GP... Well that's looking like November when they release appointments. If you can get one.

RunningLulu · 05/09/2016 16:41

My surgery allows you to book non urgent appointments, and telephone appointments. I think this is a NHS requirement so I'd check to make sure you can't do the same.

Monochromecat · 05/09/2016 16:42

I now self-diagnose and buy drugs online Smile

Soubriquet · 05/09/2016 16:44

It's mad!

How are people supposed to book a routine or non emergency appoitment if all slots are taken by 8.10?

Even emergency appointments are hard to get if you have to call by a certain time. They are all gone

It's understandable people are going to A&E for silly things

WankingMonkey · 05/09/2016 16:46

You are so lucky to have this system. Only time we get a same day appointment is if its an emergency. All of the time, you call for an appointment and they have nothing at all for a MONTH. Obviously by that time you have either died, been taken to hospital, found some way to cure yourself, or its just gone away naturally. Last time I was at the doctors I got a lecture on 'self medicating' but I had had to wait just over 3 weeks to see her and I didn't fancy going to A&E with something I could manage at home..so got a box of dihydrocodeine from a friend to last til docs appointment. Was nothing on my usual oramorph mind, but it helped :S

elderberryflower · 05/09/2016 16:46

Is there a minor illness/nurse practitioner clinic that's easier to get an appointment at? I make an appointment there and if the nurse can't deal with it she calls in the duty doctor so it gets sorted out either way.

HunterHearstHelmsley · 05/09/2016 16:47

Mine are a total farce. For an appointment you must call between 9am and 11am. I told them I'm at work and it's not possible so they said to get someone else to call. What's the bloody point in that if they can't check you can make it?! Best I can get is a telephone appointment in 3 weeks. Ridiculous thing is I'll still need an appointment so I'll end up taking an emergency one.

RichardBucket · 05/09/2016 16:48

My surgery also has this system. I leave at 6:30am and get home at 5:30pm from a job 30 miles away, so can I get an appointment? Can I fuck.

honkinghaddock · 05/09/2016 16:49

I think it's pretty standard that if you want a non urgent appointment you have to book at least a couple of days before. Unless you are saying that all appointments have to be booked on the day.

honeysucklejasmine · 05/09/2016 16:55

Ours is also a "phone on the day but they are all gone" place. However they can usually do telephone appointments that day, and the GP usually does what I need (e.g. lets me come in, prescribes, etc)

Original poster
CheshireGirl38 · 05/09/2016 16:58

Yes, all appointments have to be booked on the day, with doctors and nurses! There is no facility to even book anything three weeks in advance

OP posts:
Barksdale · 05/09/2016 17:00

Tried to book the teenager a (non-urgent) appointment at the doctors surgery for tomorrow

I think that the "you have to book on the day" thing is a red herring here. It's the fact you've tried to book a non-urgent appointment for tomorrow that's causing problems.

If you need a non-urgent appointment it's standard to wait 2-4 weeks, or you have to phone and book on the day.

Goingtobeawesome · 05/09/2016 17:02

Ours seems to change the system every time you ring.

Our old GP was great. You'd ring and if they were full you were told to come at 11 and sit and wait and everyone would be seen.

RainyDayBear · 05/09/2016 17:03

That's ridiculous. I used to belong to a surgery like that (they never answered the bloody phone either) - moved house and have luckily ended up at a great one that does same day and telephone appointments, but also has online booking for non urgent appointments. Its brilliant, but I imagine it works so well because it's in a small town so there's less demand.

Piscivorus · 05/09/2016 17:16

It must be difficult for the surgeries too though. Our doctors used to have a lot more of them but several retired or moved and they cannot get enough replacements so the waits have got longer.

Unfortunately there are still irresponsible idiots who book then don't turn up (the notice in the waiting room said about 270 appointments missed last month) and, apparently, others who take up time demanding emergency appointments for things like referral requests and running out of medicines which is not helping.

Part of the problem is the systems but a large part is the public

Barksdale · 05/09/2016 17:23

OP, are you sure you didn't misunderstand the receptionists? There is a legal requirement to have same-day and 48 hour appointments at least.