Doctors running late...

[Leehanne]

Now I know doctors get a lot of stuck. My dad is a GP and he's explained the reasons why they run behind. I don't mind them running late at all. For all I know someone had a heart attack in their office or they were attending to a baby which of course takes longer.

I'm sat in my docs surgery however and they're so far running an hour and 40 minutes late. The appointment is for my 9 week old DS who isn't well and also for me to ask a question about my own health. I've booked a double appointment.

Nobody can tell me how long they're going to be and I feel like I can't leave because it would be unfair on DS.

AIBU to think nearly 2 hours is a bit of a piss take with no apology or explanation?

Sorry, just here to rant. I'm so bloody tired and just want to be seen within the hour preferably...

Has your baby been seen yet? Sorry I know that isn't the point of the thread really but I'm wondering how the baby is.

My G.ps are as bad. Just as well i only live next door.
Booked for 4.10 not seen till 5.
And there was nobody else in the waiting room.
Plus the jumping through hoops just to get said appointment. It's awful. The worst it's ever been.

Agree with the comments about people management. I also think that with modern technology you could be advised if they are very late (over 30 minutes say), so you would not have to sit around and wait if you live locally, or at the very least could be doing something else near to the surgery.

I expect if lateness figures per surgery had to be published, delays would reduce as more emphasis on people management would take place.

Can you see your dad if he’s a GP?

Are GPs allowed to treat relatives?
Even if they are, the OP might not want to discuss intimate details of her health with her dad.

Oh man, my dad would be in big trouble if he saw me as a patient. Especially if he needed to prescribe.

Also don't really want to be talking about my vaginal prolapse with my father 🙈

Well as it was for her 9 week old son I thought he might be able to give her advice. But yes I don’t think they can treat family.

Oh sorry I thought your son was unwell not you!

Yes I can see why that might not be good!!

I thought your appointment was for you?

My patient recently went into cardiac arrest during my morning clinic - pushed my patient back a good 1hr30-2hrs - had the usual people kick off and get off but they don’t tend to run over for the sake of it.

My GP practice does tell you when there’s a delay when you sign in though

She had booked a double appointment.

Is your baby ok?

My GP surgery generally always runs about an hour or more late (apart from that one time that I was a couple of minutes late for an antenatal appointment, of course, and the doctor was so unpleasant about it that when they took my blood pressure it was sky high) it's very frustrating. Particularly so if I need to take my toddler to the doctor as waiting that long with a small child is a right PITA.

I have also had the misfortune to arrive at the surgery in the morning BEFORE the doctor I was booked to see even turned up (I saw them walking in after me) and then they still kept me waiting a further 45 minutes. No apology either!

I totally get that sometimes it can't be helped, and patients turning up late / emergencies, etc. cause delays. But when a surgery routinely runs late by such a large chunk of time, I really feel there must be more factors at play?!!

Thesubtle.....
There certainly are more factors at play:
-The urgent home visit that comes in 20 mins before morning or afternoon surgery is due to start.
-The psychiatry crisis worker that returns your urgent phone call about the suicidal patient from earlier, but calls just before you're due to start afternoon surgery.
-The paramedic who rings you from a patient's home just as you're about to start consulting.
-The patient before you, who mentioned her rectal bleeding as she stood up to leave at the end of an already long consultation about her depression.
I could go on....

My old surgery used to run late in the morning because my GP did overnight at the police headquarters so sometimes he was held up. He always apologised though. He looked so ill one day after an all nighter then surgery, I told him he really needed to get checked over.

I work 8-6 and once arranged for the first appt at 8.30 ...I was eventually seen at 10.00 as apparently there was ‘a practice meeting’ off site so everyone was delayed. If I just didn’t turn up for pre-arranged meetings or didn’t let people know in advance then I’d be in big trouble so why can’t Drs extend the same professional courtesy to me that I do to them by arriving in time. What on earth is the point of having to confirm all my details when I make an appointment if they don’t use my number to inform me of the delay and ideally rearrrange at a convenient time for me (seeing as they are the ones that changed things)

Notageek thst will be the practice managers fault rather than the doctors

NOTthepinkranger ..quite possibly but that doesn’t get me back my time or make it acceptable for a whole range of reasons. .

I never said it does but it’s not about doctors being professional it’s about the practice managers having the decency to block out the time when their GPs are on training/meetings etc

I’m not arguing but unfortunately given I make an appointment with the Dr not the Practice Manager, the Drs are being let down by the people they employ to fulfil a role.

How’s your baby?

So when you make an appointment you make it directly with the doctor do you? If so that’s strange.

Oh dear ...please - I have no axe to grind, just made a simple observation I ring up ‘The Doctors surgery’ and make an appointment with whoever answers the phone . They belong to a generic body of people (GPs , Practice Managers, Receptionists, Nurses etc) who provide me with a service . I refer to this as ‘The Doctors’ making no assumptions on roles, responsibilities or otherwise. On one occasion I was badly let down by this collective service which from my prrspective is headed up by a GP.

Our GP receptionists are great. If they're running behind, they actually ring you and give you an ETA, or will ring you approx. 15 minutes before you will be seen so that you can leave home.