To ask how long you have to wait for a GP appointment at your surgery?

[Ocsic]

Currently 6 weeks to wait for an appointment at my GP surgery - offering appointments for 27 March today.

I can’t imagine many people are able to wait that long to see their doctor.

(I work for the NHS btw, & am aware how hard the majority my colleagues work - not trying to apportion blame, but sadly I think this service is broken, & no longer fit for purpose.)

Same day or next day.

Same day if an emergency or they'll do their best to get you in as soon as possible and ring if they get cancellations.

If i phoned during normal hours it would be 3 weeks. If at 9am then providing i can get through then the same day with my preferred dr.

The wait for the nurse is 2/3 weeks if the dr orders blood tests. Smallish surgery, High elderly area though.

I have always been given a same day appointment when I ring first thing in the morning (both here in Ireland and when I lived in the uk) the difference being here in Ireland I have to pay €50 for the pleasure 😆

I booked my appointment for tomorrow 3 and a half weeks ago. It was the only day available and I've had to take half a days annual leave to attend
My surgery used to be brilliant but appointments are like gold dust these days unless you want to go to their other surgery which is too far for me to walk to when I'm ill.

I struggle to even get an appointment with my doctor. We have an Walk in session every day between 815 and 1015 but I’ve been one turned up at 820 and was 27th in the queue and didn’t get seen. I can’t afford to do that multiple days due to work. Online appointments are few and far between if you’re lucky to get one it’s a 4 week wait.

Same day , just turn up , give name at reception, say which Dr you want to see , then wait and get seen

Drop in clinics four days a week. If you're there for 8.30am you'll be seen by 10am.

Within 2 days, same day for urgent ones

Same day. You phone, get a call back within 1 hour and discuss with GP the problem. If GP needs to see you you get appointment that day. Works a treat.

On the same day, if the GP thinks you need to be seen.

There's a triage system where you phone up and the GP rings you back, discusses your problem and then either books you in for same day apointment or gives you advice/prescription to pick up.

Emergency ones om the day, doctors release some appointments everyday so you can be seen within a couple of days but if you book online they can be booked weeks in advance

If you're happy to see the male GP who "doesn't do wimmin's stuff" you can get an appointment the same day, unsurprisingly. 🤔 Any other GP 2/3 weeks.

Last week I needed to see the GP for a non-urgent matter and got an appointment the following day. Sometimes the wait will be a lot longer.

I much prefer the system my surgery had in London where there were no appointments. You would go and sit and wait and eventually be seen by the doctor.

Same day at ours, they have a walk in and wait every morning ( weekdays) from 9-10.30 , you don’t actually have to stay once you’ve checked in you can come back at an approximate time and most days you can select the dr you want to see . If you actually want a properly booked appt you wait 2 weeks normally , I booked one on Monday for Feb 26 th. it’s the best practice I’ve ever been at and most of the drs are excellent .

Sounds like the wait varies massively depending on practice.

6 week wait at my surgery is not to see a specific GP by the way - this is the first available appointment with any GP. They supposedly offer same day emergency appointments, but I have never been offered one & don’t know what the criteria is. Walk in centres are OK, but sometimes you need to see your GP - for continuity of care, test results, referrals etc.

Think I need to get a new GP.

Thatsnotmyotter I agree - I can’t think of any scenario where I need to see my doctor, but can wait a month or so.

Same day for anything urgent (and they will triage you) but they only release those at 8am that morning. Otherwise between a week and 2 weeks unless you want to see Dr Blunt who has zero tolerance for time wasters and has weeded out those from her list as they won't see her any more. You can usually get an appointment with her within that week. She's a good Dr. Diagnosed me with something the other Dr had repeatedly missed. I know several people though who won't see her and wait longer for the other Drs.

Usually same day even if I phone in the afternoon. That's for urgent things. If I tell them it's not urgent it might be a week or two which is obviously fine.

I find if I tell the receptionist my health problem and ask them what I need to do/who I need to see, I feel like I get an appointment much sooner.

Duty doctor for anything urgent same day, specified doctor for less urgent things 2/3weeks

Same day phone call guaranteed.
Normally get same day appointment if needed

First available appointment with any GP - three weeks. Really urgent matter (eg when DS had scarlet fever and needed anti bs ASAP) same day over the phone after much back and forth getting on a call back list (about an hours worth of phone calls). I’m originally from NZ and decades on I still can’t fathom how people in the UK tolerate this.

I work for a gp.

If you are fussy about the doctor or time then you may have to wait a few weeks.

If you will see any dr at any time you will get an appointment mostly the same day.

It's much the same where I'm registered too.

Same day if urgent for me and have always been offered same day for my 2yo. Able to book a couple of days in advance for more convenient time if needed.

ruth

Depends on the surgery

Average 4 to 6 weeks for ANY time and ANY doctor