... to ask what the system at your GP practice is for appointments?

[nomorespaghetti]

I've seen a few thread on here along the lines for "should I make an emergency or routine GP appointment for this", and it made me wonder what the system is for getting GP appointments where others live.

My GP surgery has a fantastic system. Between 8 & 9:30 they have a telephone triage system, where you call up and leave a message with a receptionist or voicemail asking for a call back. A GP or nurse practitioner (presumably one is assigned each day to deal with the phone calls) phones you back and you can discuss the problem. Outcomes are that you're invited in for an appointment that day, or you're dealt with on the phone (a prescription issued/referral made), or you're politely told to call back if problem persists, but they don't need to see you.

Me and my family have had same day appointments for things like suspected infections (ear, chest, uti, etc), acute stress, suspected sprains (turned out to be broken ).

We've had prescriptions issued for things like eczema. When I found out I was pregnant I was referred to the maternity hospital after a phone consultation. It's great not having to actually go in when it's something straightforward.

I think this system must keep a fair amount of people out of the surgery, freeing up doctors time for more urgent appointments, but allowing everyone to speak with a healthcare professional. If you miss the triage hours they will generally arrange a call back if possible.

Routine appointments take several weeks, for general things like smear tests, vaccinations, etc.

I think this is a brilliant system. So, being nosey, what's it like where you are?

You phone during opening hours. They give you an appointment. Often same day, sometimes next day. Rarely day after that.

Yes, I realise how damn lucky I am.

Shockingly on the rare occasion when I have been in there are always loads of people who don't turn up for their appointments.
Well, if its that difficult to make an appointment, people aren't going to go through all that hassle to unmake one

I honestly haven't got the foggiest. Same day appointments are released at 8am, but if you want a routine appointment it seems to be pot luck when those are available.

For extra fun, I'm unable to use the phone, and the surgery is unable to offer any other methods of contact, so I'm unable to book any appointments where the doctor/nurse needs to phone me back to arrange the time themselves. I've taken to getting other NHS personnel to email them for me instead, from their work address, because apparently that's allowed .

Call.
The desk takes details 🙄They're not doctors but there you go.
They decide whether a gp will call you back later.
If so, gp calls you after their morning surgery.
If they deem your issue as important enough, they give you an appointment the same day.
I don't like the system because I don't want to tell a receptionist my health issue, I want to tell a doctor.
Also, I'm still waiting over a fucking hour after my time. It's not good enough.
No evening or weekend opening.

Ours is a little hit and miss.

If you ring at 8 and its obvious what your issue is (uti etc) theyll give you an appointment to bring down your pee (as an example) discuss your antibiotic needs and youre sorted. If its a bit more of an unsure issue a dr will ring you before 12 and discuss if you need a face to face appointment or not. If the appointments have "ran out" you can ring at 1 for an afternoon version of above. You can ring any time for an advanced appointment (check up, pill check, blood tests etc) and can be waiting anything between nect day and 3 weeks.

Ours is really good and they've tried various different systems. Currently you can either book online/phone up to 4 weeks in advance for any sort of routing appointment. If you need Same day you can call at 8:30. Morning emergency appts are with the duty doctor and are 5 mins each, or you might see the nurse practitioner. If you call later in the day and need to see/speak to a doctor the duty doctor calls you back and sorts you out. They won't give out appointments for repeat prescriptions you need that day unless you'll literally die if you don't get the medication, I've seen plenty of people get turned away because they weren't organised enough to request in advance. They also have a pharmacist at the surgery now who can deal with most medication issues. When you book an appointment they triage you to see who is most appropriate for you to see. System works well!

At my parents' surgery in Northamptonshire you can't get an appointment for 2+ weeks stuff is always being messed up/lost/missed and it is supposedly choc a bloc and over subscribed. However DDad had run out of antibiotics and was no Weller (prescribing nurse missed his lung infection fuck knows how) GP surgery refused him an appointment as non available. Was told to phone the following morning to make an app. DF started talking official complaint proceedures and asked how he could be sure of an app to be told the receptionist said that He Would (!) Rung up at 8 am to be asked if he wanted one at various times between 8-1pm basically they were nowhere near full.
So why the fuck do they turn people away and claim to be fully booked when they are nothing of the sort? (Waiting room also often empty/near empty when surgery is full. dodgy fuckers probsbly falsifying appointments and playing on x box or Mumsnet all day
My Doctors are bloody amazing, you can always get an appointment, staff who weren't trained by the SS. our 2 local chemists, both Boots, are utter shite, missing items, wrong items, fuck off and die quietly, preferably as far away as possible from here attitude

Ring up and tell them you need an emergency appointment and get given one that day. If there are no appointments left they'll give you a "sit and wait". You arrive at 11:00 or 14:00 and wait until a Dr is free. It can take up to an hour of waiting but you always get seen. I can book routine over the phone too but after 2pm only and it normally takes a week to see a GP (longer if you want to see someone specific).