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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

That GP waiting times are unacceptable?

232 replies

frustrationfrustration · 26/02/2018 17:39

I very rarely visit the doctor, I have only needed to visit once in the past year. I have rang up for an appointment today and apparently every single pre bookable appointment to see the one female GP at the practice has already gone, she apparently only sits on a Thursday morning and a Friday afternoon. The earliest I can ring up in the morning for an on the day appointment to see her is the 16th of March. I was interrogated by the receptionist who demanded that I tell her what my concern is as apparently this dictates who she should book me in to see, she was sharp with me and asked why I couldn't just see a male gp with a chaperone provided. Has anybody else had similar experiences with GP practices recently? I can't help but feel that this is the reason that a+e's are being overused. This is a busy practice that serves a large council estate so I can't help but feel that the female GP provision is inadequate.

OP posts:
Original poster
frustrationfrustration · 26/02/2018 17:59

This is the only practice that will take on patients in my postcode. I got forcibly removed from my last GP practice as I moved out of their catchment area a few miles up the road.

OP posts:
cadburyegg · 26/02/2018 17:59

You don’t have to wait 3 weeks for a gp appointment though, you are having to wait for an appointment with a gp of your choice. Tbh I think being able to get an appointment with a gp of your choice is a bit of a luxury these days.

lemonsandlimes123 · 26/02/2018 17:59

YABU - the waiting times for YOU to see a female GP of your choice may be unacceptable but you have other choices, you could choose to see another one of the GPs.

Like other posters if I wish to see a specific GP for a non urgent appt then I need to book a number of weeks in advance. If something is more urgent I can book same day online or by calling up in the morning, so it is not a GP problem or an NHS problem, so much as a problem specific to your needs and your surgery.

cleofatra · 26/02/2018 18:00

W
e don't have any pre-bookable appointments at all in ours. You basically have to turn up to "open clinic" and wait in a queue to see if there will be an opening. Not very good if you work.

Original poster
frustrationfrustration · 26/02/2018 18:01

I don't think it should be a luxury to want to see a female GP at all. What about women who are anxious around men? Domestic violence victims? Rape victims? Sexual abuse survivors? Should they just be forced to see a man? Try telling them that they are asking for luxuries.

OP posts:
cleofatra · 26/02/2018 18:02

Should add...no one bothers with ours anymore. We go private or go to the after hours.

khajiit13 · 26/02/2018 18:03

I had to phone every morning for 3 weeks, waiting 20-40 mins to get through each day before I could get an appointment. They had no on the day appointments and no pre bookable appointments and told me to go to the walk in centre when I asked after 10 days of being unable to get an appointment.

MatildaTheCat · 26/02/2018 18:03

Serious question, what if the doctor you are referred to is a male? When I had a breast lump I saw a man and I wouldn’t have cared either way as I was pleased to be seen quickly.

For the third time why not ask if the nurse/ nurse practitioner could see you?

WipsGlitter · 26/02/2018 18:05

I know it's maybe preferable to see a female gp but it's not essential. Male GPS are professionals who have the same training as the women. They really have seen it all before.

SluttyButty · 26/02/2018 18:05

I’m fairly sure that GPs no matter what sex are fairly used to breast examinations. I didn’t want to discuss my uti/ gynae problems with a male doctor particularly because I knew they’d probably have to do an internal to check for prolapses but it was wait for a few weeks with a female doc or deal with seeing a male one much quicker. I chose the male Gp without a chaperone because he was qualified and I didn’t want to wait.
I’m not sure where people that don’t like the system expect doctors to be magically be found? The nhs is crumbling and the government appear to be quite deaf about it all.

Original poster
frustrationfrustration · 26/02/2018 18:05

Can nurses do referrals? I didn't think they could.

OP posts:
Nikephorus · 26/02/2018 18:06

The problem at our practice is that all the doctors work part-time hours (probably so they can have private practices elsewhere!) & the ones that are decent doctors get booked up quickly so the only ones left are the dross that no-one wants to see. If the practices employed decent full-time doctors it would work fine. Not the govt's fault, not the NHS as a whole's fault - it's the practices themselves. At my parents' practice (which I'm just outside of) they have no problem getting to see a doctor whenever they need one (but the admin staff are absolutely shite)

welshweasel · 26/02/2018 18:08

Why wouldn’t you want to discuss your breasts with a male GP? Most breast surgeons are male! Either it’s an urgent problem (breast lump) in which case most people would be sufficiently worried enough to see the first available doctor or it’s not a lump in which case waiting a few weeks to see the doctor of your choice is entirely reasonable. Soon you’ll be lucky to be able to see a GP at all, if things continue in their current vein.

Astrid2 · 26/02/2018 18:09

The fact is that there are generally more male doctors then female. It's unfortunate that your preference is female but that is just the way it is. It's not the surgery's fault that they only have a part time female doctor. I don't really see what you want to come out of this? If you're absolutely determined to see a female, you just have to wait it out. Otherwise you need to swallow your pride and see a male. Or go private. There is nothing the surgery can do.

DoraMilaje · 26/02/2018 18:10

It's not so much a luxury but in the current climate, a GP is a GP. You either have to see whos available at the earliest or wait until you see the GP that you want to see. That fact that you're holding out for a female is pretty much irrelevant. The whole system would be in a far worse state than it is if everybody got to cherry pick who they'll see.

TheVanguardSix · 26/02/2018 18:10

I think the norm is to ring up at 8:30 on the day and usually you can get in to see a GP the next day. However, this is tricky if you wish to see a specific GP. Knowing your GP's days she's on duty will help. So if she's in on a Thursday, ring up Wednesday morning as soon as the surgery opens to book in with her the next day. It's not ideal and I can't stand this system, but it's the one we've got.

niccyb · 26/02/2018 18:13

Yes some nurses can and obviously it depends on the type of referral but may be worth asking.
My practice nurse once saw my for gynaecology reason and sent a request for my GP to do the referral. It obviously depends on the practice nurse/GP etc

donquixotedelamancha · 26/02/2018 18:14

I pay my tax and national insurance so why shouldn't I be entitled to see a female GP within a reasonable timescale?

Because that's not how it works. It's not a private company and you aren't a customer. You elect a government to decide how to spend that tax money.

We elected a government who then gave people who earn over £150K a 10% tax cut and another tax cut to corporations (mostly owned by people who earn over £150K). That money has to come from somewhere.

I don't think it's wrong to not want to discuss my breasts with a male gp!

I don't think what you are asking for is unreasonable at all, unfortunately it is unrealistic as the system currently stands.

Should we all just accept this and pay privately whilst the NHS sinks around us?

No. We should either celebrate the dismantling of the NHS (if we voted for it) or fight harder against it (if we voted against it). YWBVU if you'd voted for the current government and were now moaning.

If/when the NHS is finally gone it will cost us all a lot more to pay for private health care instead of paying through taxation.

TheVanguardSix · 26/02/2018 18:15

If there's a female clinician, like a nurse, on duty, she can act as chaperone while you see a male GP.

cadburyegg · 26/02/2018 18:15

I’m just not sure what you expect the GP surgery to do. They can’t just invent more appointments.

YABU if you think that not going to the GP for a year and paying your taxes should give you priority. Otherwise those unemployed and on disability benefits who might need to see a GP regularly would be pushed to the bottom of the list Hmm

PasstheStarmix · 26/02/2018 18:15

‘What do you suggest then? Unfortunately this government is hell bent on making medicine and working in the NHS as unattractive proposition as possible. Yeah it’s not good but we can’t magic GP’s up.’

This ^

cleofatra · 26/02/2018 18:17

I think the norm is to ring up at 8:30 on the day and usually you can get in to see a GP the next day.

Not in ours.

JaneEyre70 · 26/02/2018 18:17

If I'm worried about my health, I see a GP. Male or Female, they are all trained and I would imagine that there is very little that they haven't seen. You're putting conditions on your visit OP so you can't really complain when they aren't being met. If you're that worried, take someone with you or ask for a chaperone. It's pretty silly to risk something serious being wrong for the sake of the sex of a GP.......all they will do is briefly examine you and refer anyway.

retirednow · 26/02/2018 18:22

They can't make female doctors,become GPS, if I were ill I would see any doctor who can help me, if I really want a female I would either have to wait or ask for a chaperone as suggested.

peony2325 · 26/02/2018 18:22

Trust me, all GPs including male ones will have discussed issues similar to yours hundreds of times. I have pretty severe gynae problems and have had to see male doctors, initially I was mortified but now couldn't care less and am just grateful if someone can help me.

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