To think that doctors sit and wait system is a joke.

[CAK111512]

My son is quite poorly and needs to see a doctor. He has autism and cannot tell me whats hurting or in pain.

Doctors reception opens at 8.30. I actually manage to get through at 8.33 but all the appointments were gone but they could offer me the sit and wait appointments.

All the appointments gone by 8.33??

I asked How long she’d think it would be and said she couldn’t say but if my son was in distress they could offer another room for him. Which I am grateful for but to think it’s a joke that you can’t get a proper app at 8.33??

They are building more and more houses where I live and it’s becoming such a pressure on our local resources!

Bouffalant

I’m giving OP the benefit of the doubt that she’s just venting her anger at the wrong target due to worrying about her child. But the level of entitlement shown here is breathtaking and if it’s indicative of the attitude of many towards the NHS then it’s shocking.

Go to America, start paying for your healthcare and then realise what you’re moaning about here OP. YABU

The NHS is great in theory. The fact is for many people it's not working.

Our doctors is awful. You phone at 8am, if you don't get through straight away, you won't get an appointment. You can pre book appointments 3 weeks in advance but there's never any available. They don't have a sit and wait system so it's almost impossible to see a doctor. The really confusing thing is that if you do actually go to the surgery it seems to mostly be empty. We have friends in the same surgery and their experience is the same. We have friends in local surgeries and it seems to also be the same there so no point in changing. We have private healthcare now which really helps.

I hope your son is ok OP.

Waiting is a big issue for some people with autism. My son wouldn't be fit to be seen by anyone if he had to wait an hour to be seen although it is likely we would have left before then because of the level of self injurious and aggressive behaviour.

The really confusing thing is that if you do actually go to the surgery it seems to mostly be empty.

Obviously that's because the doctors are all out playing golf and laughing merrily at the thought that they're defrauding the NHS.

Yes, I mean this as a joke.

Do you seriously think the doctors are closeted in their rooms, twiddling their thumbs and deliberately not seeing patients?

That is WELL out of order. And they wonder why people go to bloody A & E?

Absolutely. It makes total sense to protest at a sit-and-wait system by going to a, er, sit-and-wait system. That WELL makes sense.

Woah. I didn’t mean to offend anyone. I’m not against the sit and wait system but I was appalled that I had rang and actually got through 4 minutes after they opened and all the bookable apps had gone.

I would have liked an app where I knew which doctor it was (not that I mind which doctor) but DS likes to know everything in detail in advance. The name of the doctor, their gender etc. I knew this could have ran late.

We arrived twenty minutes early (10.40) hoping to be one of the first in (for the sake of DS and the other patients who would have to put up with me, DS and a toddler in the waiting room?)

We went in at 11.45 so a 45 minute wait after the sit and wait thing started. The waiting room was crowded full of people waiting.

I actually think the 1.5 hours I waited with DD was appalling as she as very tiny at the time and very poorly. She was the last in because despite getting there early a small child was put at the bottom of the list.

The one and only doctors surgery in my area covers the small town it’s in (about 3000 people) and all the surrounding villages so an extra couple thousand plus the tourists this time of year (alot of them too) so it’s all shambles. I know it’s the doctors nor the receptionists fault.

Just to add, despite the fact that DS has autism it’s the first time he’s had to visit the doctors in about 3 years. He’s rarely poorly and we don’t waste their time for minor problems. He’s generally really poorly but we are unsure why (he’s sleeping constantly the last week with still no explanation even after going to the doctors) so he’s having further tests.

I understand that having to wait is difficult for your son, but you are still pretty lucky to have a sit and wait system. I have been trying for 4 days to get an appointment with my GP, but the line is constantly engaged and by the time I get through all the urgent appointments have gone and I just get offered either a pre-booked appointment in 3 weeks time, or told to try again the next day. I have a chronic condition that has flared up badly and I really need a steriod to nip it in the bud. It could be sorted by a quick phone call which has happened in the past, but they have also stopped doing telephone triage/advice so that's not an option either. I just know I'm going to get worse and end up in A&E, but I don't know what else I can do!

Obviously that's because the doctors are all out playing golf and laughing merrily at the thought that they're defrauding the NHS

Did I say that? It's probably far more likely that there only one doctor at our surgery and the other doctors are at another surgery as its part of a huge group of practices.

I sympathise, it's a desperately bad situation. I saw a locum the other day who told me to go straight to reception and make an urgent appointment with my own GP, as the problem I had needed to be seen by him ASAP. The receptionist couldn't offer me an appointment any earlier than two weeks' time.

Did I say that?

No, of course not.
But their still using their time seeing patients.

Do you think there's some benefit to them from being at the other surgery?

Or are they just spreading out their time as best they can?

(By the way, if your face always looks like that: you should see your GP.

Oh, hang on...)

If a small baby is having an immediate emergency then a GP surgery is not the right place. But I am sorry 1.5 hours to be seen is not awful in any way. If you rang 111 you might have to wait for a call back. If you went to A&E you would be triaged and have to wait. You could be in a queue behind people with serious illnesses as well.

I sympathise, it's a desperately bad situation.

Waiting 90 minutes to see a doctor for a non-urgent issue is a pretty brilliant situation.

First "their" should be "they're".

Proof read, LaM!

Its is a terrible situation. There aren't enough GP's. GP's are leaving in droves and not being replaced. The population is aging, therefore less paying taxes and more requirements on the system. Its at crisis point. Our surgery has half the GPs it had 5 years ago, appointments are offered 3 weeks in advance and a handful of appointments available on the day, are gone by 8.35.

LaMarschallin

No idea if there's a benefit to them being at another surgery. No idea if they are even at another surgery. No idea why there are rarely appointments available but the surgery is empty. I said it was confusing, because it is. They advertise the surgery as having 4 regular doctors and say that patients will be seen on the same day if necessary. That doesn't very often happen, we have been advised to go to walk in centre or a & e by receptionists as they've agreed we needed to be seen but don't have any appointments. We sometimes get offered an appointment at another surgery which can be a 30 minute + drive, but the appointment is often in 15 minutes time. It's very frustrating. I'm very glad we have private healthcare now but not everyone has that as an option.

A 45 minute wait is brilliant. You do realise that right?

I actually think the 1.5 hours I waited with DD was appalling as she as very tiny at the time and very poorly. She was the last in because despite getting there early a small child was put at the bottom of the list.

1.5 hours wait to see a doctor is appalling? Are you for real?

No idea if there's a benefit to them being at another surgery. No idea if they are even at another surgery.

It's a mystery then

If they're not at another surgery, it's hard to imagine where they could be.
Maybe some are part time.
Maybe some are on visits.

If they've vanished without trace and are not doing the work they're contracted to do, there's a problem.

I’m genuinely trying to imagine what you would see as not appalling.

Perhaps a service that’s specifically only for you and your children, where a GP sits and waits in case you need them, and doesn’t see anyone else ever because if they did they might have sicker patients to see or a few to get through before you. So you can walk in, not even sit down and go straight in.

I’m kinda only semi joking tbh cos 1.5 hours to see a GP on the same day you need them is excellent and it’s so far off the mark to call it appalling I can’t think what else other than a private on call GP just for you would make you happy

My surgery is one of the biggest in the country and seems to have it under control. Yes its impossible to get through when you ring up (unless you know the sneaky way to get an appointment) but they have a system where the majority of appointments are only available on the day so if you're ill then you get seen. Consequently if you need an appointment to see a Dr without too much urgency it can take months or you phone on the day, as book-ahead appointments do not w make up the majority of the day unless it's for the nurse. It works! Also, they have locums who's job it is is to call the batch of patients who missed the morning flurry (no sit and wait) and assess if they need to be seen that day. If they do, then there's a space. If they don't - advice or 'call tomorrow'. Easy. I don't get why other surgeries have such issues.

I'm not being funny but I think at least part of the problem is the name "sit and wait", it already sounds annoying before you've even got there (you'll just have to sit and wait!). I've not heard that one before but judging by the above comments it seems to be pretty common.

At my local GP it's called "walk-in surgery". Sounds much better to me because you don't need an appointment, you can just walk in during the walk-in surgery hours in the morning! (Obviously then you sit and wait ).

A one hour wait to see a fully qualified doctor for free for a non-urgent issue is NOT a terrible situation. This thread Is farcical. At least 10% of posters have said an hour long (give or take) wait is ridiculous. What the absolute fuck? What on earth do you think would be acceptable. This folks, is why the NHS has no chance whatsoever. It could be absolutely marvellous with no faults whatsoever, and still people would complain.

LaMarschallin

I'm sure they are working, but obviously as patients we don't get told where. I don't think it's too much to ask to see a doctor, any doctor within 3 weeks, but apparently it is. Its very annoying when we're constantly told we are lucky to have the NHS when we can't see a doctor. That's not what I call lucky. Like I said before, the NHS in theory is great, but it's not working well for many, especially primary care.

I have reasons to call gp surgeries on a professional basis. Some I can get through to immediately - these tend to be the smaller places with one receptionist. The larger ones with several receptionists take much longer to answer the phone. Can't help but think that the phone is interrupting their conversations (plus what the patient has said)

Like I said before, the NHS in theory is great, but it's not working well for many, especially primary care.

You're right.

And that's because there aren't enough resources (as had been discussed upthread).
By "resources" I don't just mean money.
I mean enough doctors.

And the trouble is, if there aren't enough doctors to cover all patients' needs, then, despite thinking:

I don't think it's too much to ask to see a doctor, any doctor within 3 weeks

very, very sadly it might be.
However hard you think it.