To think GP system is broken?

[moutonfou]

My morning, or, Getting a doctor's appointment in the UK:

• Wake up at 8.30
• Call doctor's 28 times and get engaged tone
• Finally get a ring tone and wait 9 minutes for someone to answer
• All appointments for the day are gone, try again on Monday

And it's not even cold and flu season yet.

As much as I love the NHS, this element just doesn't seem to be working? Or is my surgery just specifically not great and others have better experiences?

I can't comment on your GP surgery of course, but called yesterday (probably a similar number of times to get through).

Got got through at 8.40. Sat in front of GP by 9.10am

Have always got an appt same day.

Not my experience (in Scotland if that makes any difference). Can always get a same day / next day appointment if emergency (and often if not an emergency), never have issues getting through on the phone, and can also book online. My doctor has also been moved (to a very nearby) swanky new health centre which looks like an art gallery.

So it's not the same everywhere.

Mine is exactly the same though the thing I hate the most is explaining to the receptionist why I’m calling (just to get put on the doctors call-back list) Slightly intrusive

Not the way it works at my GP - yes for very routine appointments you might have to wait a week, but they usually see you the same day or next. They book in advance so none of this phoning on the morning in a fastest finger first contest. They do appear to keep back some on the day appointments as when on the few occasions I've needed to see someone quickly i've been able to do that.

I was going through diagnosis with doctor at the time, i didn't know what was wrong and was scared (now confirmed CFS) and the receptionist told me i didn't haven't a, quote 'real' illness and i had to wait 8 weeks for the next appointment. I get i wasn't an emergency, but I was in a really bad place and needed help there and then. I wait on average 8 weeks for an appointment. It's awful.

My GP is brilliant. But that is because there are no vacancies. The issue is too many GP vacancies, so those in work, need to cover too many patients.

My surgery will always see you the same day.

And we have a new gp who isn't yet jaded and disinterested

I can usually get a same day appointment - but I have to ring several times at 8.15 to get through. Interesting actually, as I'm now on the school run at 8.15.....so don't know how I'll get through in future.

My doctors have started doing 'call backs' too - where you have to talk to a doctor first - then you usually get given an appointment about 5pm that afternoon. For non-urgent appointments, it a 2-3wk wait. It's not ideal. But considering I see people at the doctors for 'a cold' it's hardly surprising.

We've also just had a note from DS's school saying they need 'medical evidence' - presumably a docs note/appointment - if off sick for 2 days or more - fat chance! I've told DS that he'll have to be at death's door to have any time off school!

It might depend on the surgery. I've always managed to get a same day appointment if I've needed one. Can usuallly get a non-urgent one within a week too.

Used to be easy but now it is the 0830 thing. Cannot book in advance. Often get to see health care person which then leads to GP if they cannot sort it out.

No ear syringing at surgery which used to be done by nurse so have to go to hospital in 2 months

I think the system is broken & why so many people end up in A&E.

Re the time wasters haven't they always existed though?

Can you ask a pharmacist, do you have a 'walk in centre' nearby (NHS choices website is good information on services) or phone 111

I agree it is very difficult and frustrating.

I'm on the school run at 8.15 so don't know how I'll get through in future You take your mobile and shout really loudly while walking to school so all the other parents can hear about your personal problems. That's what everyone else seems to do!

Having tried for twenty minutes last evening to get through to the bank and being given the run-around by various "automated" systems, I don't find GPs inaccessible by comparison.

metalmum - yes probably! god save me!

Shoes 😂 You need to invent something really embarrassing, keep the playground gossips going for months 😉

Shoes 😂 You need to invent something really embarrassing, keep the playground gossips going for months 😉

Mine does an open surgery every morning, from 8-11. But the reality of it is that unless you're queuing from 7.30am and get one of the first appointments, you get told a ton to come back, and then you can expect to wait anywhere between half an hour to two hours once you come back and 'check in'. I have no idea why you can't do that by phone either It's the pits! Plus the surgery has an extremely low income catchment, but semi rural. So if you didn't drive - you could have to walk for half an hour up a huge hill to get there, get told to come back in 3 hrs, so have to walk home and back again, or choose to wait all that time. It's very impractical, and feels like an all day event to see a GP.

Also a nightmare if you're working, because you can't give your employer a specific time that you'll be in, since your allocated appointment could be, say, 2pm. YANBU Op, it's a shambles!

Well I had some worrying symptoms last weekend. I went into the GP surgery first thing on Monday morning (as I knew I would take hours on the phone) making me late for work .

I was offered a callback on Wednesday afternoon from the doctor or a nurses appointment immediately. I wanted to see the doctor but couldn''t say it was "ugent" as I didn't feel ill, just had some quite worrying symptons so went for the callback..

I was quite stressed actually as in my experience if you miss the call from the doctor, you don't get another on and have to do the whole make an appointment again, which would have delayed matters even more. All they could tell me was that it would be likely to be between 2pm and 6pm on Weds. I work in an open plan office and finish work and leave by car at 4.30pm so was really worried about missing the call or having to take it surrounded by colleagues. Even though I have bluetooth in the car, I car share and did't want to discuss my symptoms in front of a work colleague so I had to tell then I couldn't give them a lift home that day in case the call came then. As luck wouldhave the call did come while I was driving home, so just as well I was able to answer it then. Based on my symptoms the doctor gave ma an appontment for the Friday. He examined me and has referred me on the two week referral system used for people where the doctor wants to rule out cancer si it obviously was important to see him if not immediately urgent (IYSWIM) and I think a week's delay in being seen and referred by a GP iin this instance is actually quite a long time but that may just be me.

Sorry - 'told a time to come back'

Yes. It's terrible. When I liv d in Australia I could call at any time before three and get an appointment that same day. When I turned up the surgery would be clean, the reception staff polite and the doctors competent. There are many things I like about Britain but the healthcare is so horrifying that it makes me want to move back.

Otoh my surgery this week.

Monday:
Ds (longstanding glue ear) suddenly cries out in pain at 5:45 and we're out. By 5:58 he's holding his ear in pain saying it's popping. Surgery closes at 6pm. I phone at 5:59 and speak to the receptionist, who patiently listens to me and says there aren't any more appointment s(obviously) but she feels I should speak to a doctor, so could I hold on and see if she can find one available.
She comes back and says they're all busy, but one will give me a call back.
6:10 Gp calls back, apologises for keeping me waiting, and listens to me, says she needs to examine him, and can I come straight down, and how far away am I so she knows when to expect me.
6:15 I enter the surgery and go straight through to the doctor, who examines ds and says his ear drum is bulging and needs antibiotics (from his history) and phones the pharmacy to ask them to get the antibiotics ready as they closed at 6pm.
6:25 I pick up antibiotics and go home.

Wednesday: Ds wakes up crying because his head is hurting round his ear just in front up to his temple. This is not a usual pain for him, but after calpol he doesn't seem too bad. So I phone the surgery at 8:30 (it opens at 8:00) and ask for a non-urgent phone call at some point during the day. They offer an appointment for 10:30, but I say a telephone call will be fine, and ask when they're likely to call back. They say call back is lunch time (1:00-2:00) but if he gets worse at any point give them a call and they'll slip him in to be seen as quickly as I can get there.
1:02 I have a phone call from the GP who decides he probably needs to see ds as it almost certainly is minor, but he wants to check. I take appointment at 3:30.
3:30 I go to surgery and wait about 2 minutes before being called.
He checks him and says he thinks it's referred pain, but to return if I'm worried.

This is and always had been typical of our surgery. The strange thing is as well is that you do occasionally have to wait for your appointment, but it's rare to be more than 20 minutes late in.

Yes broken. Can't even get through on phone to get one of these elusive appointments. A friend who did get through was offered a slot six weeks later. Really worries me as I am rarely ill but have no idea what to do if I am.