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?

Ours is ok. Has a dr only doing telephone consultations and can often give advice without seeing people, or give out a prescription.

I agree that loads of people go to the GP for rubbish reasons. And not sure how we stop that, unless the NHS are prepared to take more risks and be firm with people.

I'm very lucky. My practice has a system where some appointments are bookable up to 4 weeks in advance, but most are only bookable on the day. Getting through when lines open at 8.30 has never taken me more than 20 minutes. If it's something where the doctor doesn't need to examine you, you can book a telephone consultation. You can book online as well, but I can never remember my login details.

The reception staff are friendly, respectful and helpful, and the nurses are lovely.

This may well change though. There are 2 other practices and town, both dreadful, and when a huge new housing estate is built, there will be a new health centre that all 3 practices will share. I'm just hoping that the systems used by my practice will be then be used by all of them.

Omg are you me I've had red watery eyes with discharge and pain for over 4 weeks now and been trying to get an appointment for three of those weeks I ring at the correct times but it's always engaged until half past and then all the slots are gone no idea what to do lol

Thank god for modern technology. Imagine trying to get through these days with one off these

I heard that the huge shortage of GPs is because most work part time. They do that because it's a stressful job but they're paid so well that they can afford to only work short hours.
Unlike teachers, whose work is also stressful but they don't get paid enough to work part time.

Possibly, and your solution is what?
Pay them less and thus compound the problem with recruitment and retention.
Force them to work full time and thus compound the problem with recruitment and retention.

I'm not sure part time GPs actually work short hours, do they? Many part time ones are probably still working close to full time hours.

And plenty of teachers do work part time. Probably for the same reasons GPs do.

Apart from that I suspect you heard wrong. The shortage of GPs has less to do with working part time and more to do with the current ones leaving in droves and newer ones not wanting to touch the specialty with a barge pole.

You can get an app at my surgery but you have to see a GP 3 times before they take your compaint seriously. Breaking down in tears can fast tract you.

Fastrack

They don't see patients all day. I suspect a 2 or 3hrs max the rest paperwork.

Tattyrose have you tried your optician or pharmacist? They may be able to help.

Yes, the system is broken. In my area, 1 in 3 GP's are over 55 and will be retiring in the next ten years. There's nobody to replace them as most doctors dont want to be GP's any more. The GP training places in our local deanery are usually under filled. "Part time" GP's often work equivalent FT hours compared to other jobs.

Shoveller - if you think it's a cushy, part time and highly paid job, have you wondered why nobody wants to do it any more?

Lavender are you kidding?? In my surgery, we have 6-7 hours per day seeing patients - that's BEFORE signing scripts, doing house calls, dealing with blood results and hospital letters, and a pile of other stuff as well!

Yep couldn't agree more! Abit TMI but I've had some sort of a UTI problem for over 2 weeks and still have another 2 weeks to go until my GP appointment. I know I could have rung up every morning since until I can get a slot but it would be a waste of extra sleep as I can never ever seem to get an appointment 😳 Never have been able to in the 6 months I've been at this particular GP. It is ridiculous. I'm now just waiting hoping that it doesn't get worse 😂Stupid system.

Getting an appointment with a nurse is relatively easy if you don't mind the 20 minutes pressing radial while trying to get every one ready then another 10 minutes listening to greensleeves. Then you get an appointment with a nurse.
Getting an appointment with a Dr however is impossible. Last 2 times I have seen the nurse they have told me I need to see the Dr (repeat prescription issues) yet I can't make an appointment there and then. If I want to see a Dr I have to phone on e.g mon to get appointment for Wed. But when you phone up all Drs appointments are gone and they only have nurse appointments available
Bizzarly one of the reasons they want me to see the Dr is to get bumped up from 1 monthly to 3 monthly supplys so in effect that would free up 1 extra appointment a month. But no still have to sit and radial

They don't see patients all day. I suspect a 2 or 3hrs max the rest paperwork.
Really? I take it you're a GP then. Let me know where you work as I'd love to work where you are.

Ours is a disaster. I rarely even use it now and pay a private GP £45 and actually get to see a doctor quickly and easily

Thank you peach! A trap to find out how many hours you spend in surgery.

I'm a GP Receptionist and on the phone at 8am booking people in. It seems I book in the same people all the time, I know who they are by their voices, I don't need to ask. There are people who won't see another GP if their favourite one is full up. They are clearly ill because why would they ring for an appointment?

I get people complaining they have been on the phone since 8, so have I. People who say they haven't been able to get an appointment. Who are these people? I don't speak to them to offer options when they get through.

The most frustrating thing is once the GP's are booked up, I get the people with uti's, earache, chest infections, eye infections who have to wait until late afternoon to sit and wait in the urgent surgery session. These are the people who should get a morning appointment. It doesn't help that we have 3 GP's for 3 sessions and 2 for the other 7 as we've been unable to recruit a GP partner 4 years since one retired and we rely on Locums.

I'm a 'part time' GP working 40-44hrs per week. My patients are extremely cross with me for not working on Wednesdays. They get even more cross with me when I dare to go on holiday.

My surgery are pretty good actually
Can you ask around and use local Facebook for a surgery that has better availability ??

We have a nurse practitioner managed surgery which actually means for most ailments I get seen

Think like having stitches removed , chest infections , referrals etc

You are not allowed to leave the building Can'tchoose. I thought you just kipped on the consulting table of an evening.

I work for a gp surgery. I understand the frustration but at the same time no one takes responsibility for their health any more. Got a cold? Better "get it checked out" got back pain "better get it checked out and don't take analgesia as it masks the pain"
It's not broken as we do a great job. Often urgent cases aren't urgent though.
And receptionists have a hard job- better to appreciate than moan about them.
Also Stop voting the tories in. It makes a difference

My old one was like this. I switched and new one is pretty great. Worth trying to move if it's possible?

If you see your GP coming in late with a Costa cup, they have probably already been at the local hospital and picked it up there. Seems like Costa have a monopoly in hospitals in the SE.