To be fed up at how impossible it is to get a gp appointment

[6catsandcounting]

Have tried for days now but the next pre bookaable appointment is 10 days away, I never seem to get thro in time to get the "daily" apps, been to the walk in centre but they cannot prescribe - it has to be my gp. Ditto with out of hours.
I know the nhs is on its knees but it is so frustrating that I cannot get any help

I work in a GP surgery which has 2 GP's four days a week and 3 one day a week. You'd be surprised how many people we have who historically live outside our boundary area and complain they can't get an appointment but they can pass at least 5 surgeries to get to ours. They've been with us for years but don't think of their convenience when they get older and have to rely on lifts and public transport it's always "I've been with your surgery since I was a baby".

Same goes for people whose lifestyle doesn't fit in with our appointment system. Find a surgery that does.

Our surgery is excellent. I've just rung them and they said GP will ring me back in a bit and chat with me to decide if we need seen today. They are always excellent.
Feel for you OP as so frustrating!

Our gp surgery is a nightmare. They have just "closed" their books but are still accepting people who live in the immediate catchment area and/or live with a family member who is already registered.

Ive been trying to get my coil removed and refitted since september last year,ok not an emergency, but it was causing a lot of pain on a daily basis due to it shifting position. I wait 3 weeks for an appointment and then a further 3 weeks for the scan to locate the missing coil. I go back to go to discuss results of scan 4 weeks later and have two doctors attempt to manually locate the fucker which fails so get told to ring reception to make appointment with a certain gp. That gp is now on holiday. So wait another 3 weeks and try again.

I ring only to be told I must speak to a Dr first. I explained ive already spoken to a dr (twice on the phone) had a scan,had the scan reviewed and seen 2 Dr in person to discuss and attempt the removal. Nope computer says no! Had to wait 4 days for a ring back and a further 2 weeks for an actual appointment with this Dr.

Is it any wonder that it takes so long to get an appointment when it took me nearly 17 weeks to have a removal and refit of a coil. The appointment took 15 mins in the end.

Not to mention the number of times I rang and couldn't get through to the booking line.

It's massively area-dependant in my experience.

I can always get a same-day appointment here. It might not be with my preferred GP but I can always get seen. If I want to see my GP, I can book online in advance but I can normally see her within a couple of days if I'm flexible with times. Luckily I work around the corner from the GP surgery so I can pop over from work.

I had a text 10 days ago saying that my test results were in and to make a routine appointment. I looked on their online system and there was nothing for 6 weeks. I've waited and checked and finally at the end of last week I saw that there was one in the third week of April, so I took it. But I do wonder if it's leaving it too long - there's 'routine', and then there's 'routine', and I don't know whether it is something that actually needs to be seen in a reasonable time, rather than emergency, or whether it literally does mean routine and can be months away!

Do they categorise patients? Is an asthma child or a cancer patient or z diabetic given quicker appointments?

I only ask because I can normally get a next day appointment, without really having to ask, and I wonder why (seriously don't mean to boast) that is?

Friends of mine can't get an appointment at the same surgery, for 2 weeks.

How do they calculate it?

Mine has always been okay up to now. But last week one of the partners resigned and there's now only one partner and as many salaried GPs as she can get hold of, which isn't many (and varies day to day).

Apart from the numbers of GP partners retiring, there is going to be a problem with the next generation coming through with student debt to repay. They're unlikely to want (or be able) to commit to big mortgage payments on premises while they're paying 9% of their gross income over £18,000 pa in student loan repayments.

My surgery is my original one. I tried to move when I got my own home but they weren't taking new patients.

We have a 5 wk wait or phone at 8, keep trying for 30 mins to be rold all appointments gone. I can't see how it fits in anyone's lifestyle unless retired

It's the result of allowing new build right left and center without making provision for GPs (and schools). The surgeries are not working reduced hours, they are just inundated with new patients, they simply cannot cope.

Most of the surgeries around here are closed to new patients, and you still have to wait 3 weeks for an appointment. As a result, people abuse A&E and go there for no valid reason.

The councils should refuse for developers to create new developments and new homes until the medical facilities to go with are in place. It's ridiculous - by the time you see a doctor and your problem gets investigated (add a couple of months at least for an exam in hospital), a minor issue has become nasty, is too late to be treated, or will require stronger treatment, more manpower, longer stay in hospital and will end up costing a lot more.

This is not the only issue, but that's part of the problem

Doryismyname
Is the reason there are no appointments because they only actually have one or two GPs actually at work each day?

Probably. Whereabouts in the country are you? Some practices in certain areas find it impossible to recruit GPs (it sounds absolutely desperate in some parts of Wales, for example). They might only be able to get locums who only want to work 2-4 half-days a week.

The councils should refuse for developers to create new developments and new homes until the medical facilities to go with are in place.

And what if nobody wants to open a medical practice there? GP practices are private businesses. Nobody is going to invest in one unless they know they can recruit doctors to work in it, and at present that's practically impossible in many parts of the country.

then the new development is not being built!
What's the point to encourage families to move in somewhere if they have no GP, no school place and there's no infrastructure? I say family, but it also applies to big retirement developments, OAP need to see doctors just as much.

@Skiiltan
We are in the south east. Seems to be lots of GPs names listed at the surgery but no idea what hours they work. When I do see a doctor it’s invariably a locum, so where are all these doctors and where are the patients when they claim they are so busy