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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think it shouldn't be this hard to get a GP appointment

91 replies

LadyBaelish · 15/12/2016 12:33

Onto the fourth day and 7th 'session' (morning, afternoon) of trying to get appointment to see my GP. I start calling as soon as the surgery opens for bookings, inevitably end up having to make 30+ calls before actually getting through to someone (rather than 'the surgery is busy, please hang up and try again' message) by which time the appointments have gone. ARGHHH Angry

I know it isn't the surgery's fault, they've had cuts etc but it's just SO frustrating when you're ill and just want to see someone who might be able to help.

Hoping that posting a venty thread will change my luck when the next session opens at 2:30, I'll get an appointment then look a bit silly for ranting here Grin

OP posts:
cx5221 · 22/12/2016 17:51

They wouldn't do that for me at my GP when I phoned yesterday just told me to go to a walk in centre, even though the GP had advised me to do this Confused so that's why I used the online GP.

Becles · 22/12/2016 17:52

Same morning, evening or prebooking for a future appointment when convenient for mein say another couple of weeks for follow up with any GP - usually with a GP of my choice can be less choice.

intheknickersoftime · 22/12/2016 17:54

That's rubbish. I think so much depends on where you live and how the surgery is run.

EwanWhosearmy · 22/12/2016 18:03

This is how the surgery was where I used to live. We had no walk-in centres either and I did take my DD to A&E several times in desperation.

Where I live now you can ring any time of day and get an emergency appointment, even if it means sitting and waiting at the end of surgery and not getting your normal GP. Plus you can book routine appointments in advance.

I often wonder how many serious illnesses are being missed until it's too late because people just can't get an appointment so don't bother.

The80sweregreat · 22/12/2016 18:11

Since our practice went on line its a lot worse now.
Tried to ring for ds to see the nurse today ( he isnt on line for appointments , i need to sort this out! ) was told nothing till new year ( light on nurses) and all the GP ones had gone at 8.05 pm, phones open at 8.
Told to queue at practice at 7 pm next day!
Wasnt this bad a few years back.

TroysMammy · 22/12/2016 18:19

Only 33 calls before you get an appointment? I get told by people that they ring at least 207 times before they get through.

It's shit not being to get a GP appointment and it's equally shit being on the other end of the phone looking at appointments booked by people who are regulars when the person with a chest, urine or eye infection finally gets through and there are no bookable appointments left and you can only offer them to turn up 7 hours later for the urgent session and wait their turn.

Redglitter · 22/12/2016 18:29

Our surgery does online booking now. It's brilliant. I do everything on the app. The biggest advantage is at 0830 all the new available appts show up on the app so you don't need to keep calling. You can order repeat prescriptions too. It automatically transfers your appointment to your Google calendar and sends you a reminder.

Why more practises don't use it i don't know

The80sweregreat · 22/12/2016 18:31

Told to queue at 7 am, not pm!

glueandstick · 22/12/2016 18:34

Our GP (if you get through) can offer same day appointments at a drop in clinic 8 miles away.

Which is great if you don't wake up with raging mastitis, at home alone 3 week post c section and baby and get told to be there in 10minutes time. Oh you can't? Well you're not sick enough are you? Call tomorrow.

We are down to one GP and locums for the entire practice. Don't get sick here.

DeeNR · 22/12/2016 19:13

Same here. If it's life-threatening MAYBE you'll get health care. If you have something that makes living nasty put up with it or kill yourself. As if anyone cares!

DeeNR · 22/12/2016 19:19

Locally they're proposing stopping care for chronic pain, IVF, anything cosmetic, even if it's result of cancer so no breast reconstructions. There's fuck all anyway for dementia patients so they can't cut back much there

teacher54321 · 22/12/2016 19:21

Our GP surgery does the 'phone at 8.00am on the dot' thing every morning to get an emergency appt, and its regularly taken me and DH 30+ calls to get through to get an appt. however In 8 years of being a patient there I have never not got a same day appt or a phone back from the GP. Twice I have been quite seriously ill and required transfer to hospital from the surgery and was all done without a hitch. If I want to see my GP then I have to book an appt 3 weeks in advance as she is part time. I am very very lucky.

bertsdinner · 22/12/2016 19:32

Took me two days to get through to my Drs, not ringing continually as I was at work and could only do it on my breaks. Monday, forget it, Tuesday I finally got through. The first routine appointment I could get is in 3 1/2 weeks.
Its always difficult to get through and there's a wait for an appointment, but this is worse than normal. I blame winter bugs, colds and stuff.
My sister is at the same surgery and is in a vulnerable group due to an immunity condition, she recently had to go and was seen that day. Its good that vulnerable groups can still get seen quickly.

DeeNR · 22/12/2016 19:46

How much do we pay for this?

DeeNR · 22/12/2016 19:59

Honestly, service from vet is so good, I don't see why groups of doctors can't come together and have the same service available to humans. I understand the whole being sued thing but even if they were charging double or treble... vet takes bloods there and then, does Xray pretty darn quick, scan in many places very quickly. Don't understand why doc's can't do the same. Dc saw GP and had to go 5 miles and 3 hour wait for blood test (5 miles is 40 mins drive in this area) stuffed if you don't drive - even worse on public transport.

ChickenVindaloo2 · 22/12/2016 20:01

I agree with the £10 charge for failing to attend an appointment.

I am on long term antidepressants (history of anorexia, anxiety etc etc) and think it's a waste of an appointment to be asked to come once every year for them to check I don't suddenly want to come off them.
And don't get me started on having to get repeat prescriptions then having to take the prescription to be dispensed and then pick it up when the chemist is open.

This is why I now buy a lot of medication online.

badhotfanny · 22/12/2016 20:22

I started a thread on this last year. I've forgotten the exact number, but I tried something like 132 times before I got through.

londonmummy1966 · 22/12/2016 20:31

glue how hideous - I had a similar problem - not til the afternoon that I felt totally terrible. Nothing at the GP so I waited a couple of hours and called the out of hours service who came asap on the grounds mastitis can lead to septicemia - GP had to pay more for that house visit than it would have cost to see me.

galaxygirl45 · 22/12/2016 20:40

I need my Mirena replacing, but had to have it done at the hospital last time. So phoned hospital, you need a referral from your GP. Phoned GP, eventually got through to be told you need to see the family planning dr who works part time. No appointments, try in 3 weeks when diary changes. I've been trying since August. Getting bloody sick of having a monstrous heavy period every month and seemingly nothing I can do about it. If there was a private GP locally, I'd pay happily.

ForalltheSaints · 22/12/2016 20:42

Opening phones at 8am is not family friendly. Worth pointing this out to the GP when you finally visit.

Enidblyton1 · 22/12/2016 20:44

That's shocking! I know you say all the local surgeries are similar, but I would definitely ring around and see if you can find a better surgery. At my surgery you can always get an appointment within a week and if oh say it's urgent you can have a phone call with a doctor the same day. Young children are always seen on the same day.
From the comments below, it sounds like we're lucky. Our surgery is always busy, but they seem to make very good use of the nurses.

DeeNR · 22/12/2016 20:45

get your point about charging for missed appointments but honestly, took me loads of attempts to get through to cancel an appointment with the nurse (they did say thank you for cancelling) but thought if I'd been a busier person or a broke person wondering how much all those phone calls cost... then after its so hard to get through there are shifty signs up about how many unattended appointments they had last month. ANSWER THE FUCKING PHONE AND THE NUMBER WOULD DRAMATICALLY REDUCE!!!

DeeNR · 22/12/2016 20:49

Shifty , rude, pAtronising, not shifty 😊

miserablesod · 22/12/2016 20:51

I called our surgery over 100 times one morning this week to get my dc an appointment.

SantasJockstrap · 22/12/2016 20:52

i have waited at the door of my gp, for them to open. been second in line

I get to the front and all the appointments have gone

I swapped doctors after that