Doctors appointments, rare as hens teeth round here. .I just wondered if it was the same in a lot of other areas. We really struggle in this area to get doctors appointments. I'm not just talking about my own practice, but at many other practices in the area , and I mean within a 30 mile radius as have talked to friends about it. There are never any appointments on line , or if they are they go within seconds of being put on.
In detail...I have been trying to get a follow up appointment for a problem and have been checking most days on line, no appointments.
If you phone as soon as the lines open you rarely get through , and when you do all the appointments are taken. OMG I hate the waiting music too , especially when you are 7th in the queue!
Other option, which most people I know resort to if they can, is to go and stand in the cold outside the surgery which opens at 8am. Obviously you can't do this unless you are
a) well enough to do so
b) have someone to look after your children whilst you stand in the queue
So, in detail, I went the other day, my day off, and I am lucky enough, and well enough, to be able to leave the house and queue. Doors open at 8am so always be certain to be there a GOOD 10 minutes before, preferably 15 minutes. There is normally at least 7 people in the queue by 8am when the doors open. I was 3rd in line at 8am as the door opened.
The first gentleman, about 60 years old, asked for an appointment with a specific doctor. and was told there were no appointments with him. He asked if there were any appointments,they looked and offered him one, which turned out to be with a female doctor. He said he wanted a male doctor as it was a male problem. There are at least 4 male doctors in the practice to my knowledge. They said there were no appointments. Meanwhile the whole queue are listening, and the bloke in front of me makes a hurried phone call telling someone that he's just heard this particular doctor has no appointments.. The first gentlemen, who has queued for 20 minutes prior to this, turned round and left, without an appointment, and was told to try another day.
Next person, also a gentleman, second in line, asked for an appointment with said doctor , told there was none. Said he'd have anyone then. I couldn't believe what I heard then, as the receptionist told him there were NO appointments with ANY doctors. At all. That day. By now it was t the latest 8.05am He got cross, understandably and asked how on earth he was supposed to get an appointment, and yes he had been trying on the phone and on line. Also ended up going out without an appointment.
My turn. Told no appointments. I asked why and explained I'd been trying for days and was a follow up appointment. They offered me a nurse practitioner at another practice a car journey away. I took it as I was desperate. Yes, I saw her later on that day. No, she wasn't any good really, and I basically told her what medication I thought I needed (have a friend who also has same disorder and she was shocked they hadn't put me on this particular medication to sort it) Nurse practitioner prescribed it. Job done and lets hope my condition isn't an indicator of anything more serious. I was probably unlucky or unfortunate as I am sure there are many excellent nurse practitioners out there, I know there are as I am friends with some of them! However the one I saw showed no interest in me and I didn't feel there was any continuity of care. She typed away slowly with 2 fingers and didn't really seem to know what to say.
In a lot of cases there doesn't seem to be a continuity of care as you never see the same doctor, or the lack of appointments ends up costing the NHS far more as things become serious. One friend recently had an operation, was discharged early ,yes I can see why,, to avoid infection, but no aftercare at all and the wound did become infected.. She phoned her doctors and told them, and they said perhaps she was getting flu! Next day she was worse and there were still no appointments and if she was concerned to call an ambulance. Surely this costs a lot more than seeing a doctor? When paramedics arrived they said she needed antibiotics for her wound and ended up phoning said doctors. Funnily enough 2 appointments, yes TWO were suddenly available for her to choose one. She ended up in hospital a few days later on intravenous antibiotics anyway..surely if the doctor had seen her earlier this may have been apreventable..cost and suffering and timewise.
People I know, don't go to the doctor unless they are ill, or seriously concerned. They wouldn't go to A&E or calling an ambulance unless it WAS a serious emergency. We keep being told to go to the Drop in Centre, in town so a car/bus/taxi journey where you wait for HOURS. As I say, not just our doctors but all practices in the area.
I worry for our beloved NHS, what has happened to it? My sister and mum work in it so I know how stretched they are, and they say A&E /Walk in Centre are choked with people who can't get appointments at their own doctors. What has happened? Is it a new booking system creating the problems in our area (my son doesn't have a problem living in Leeds) Or is it common to a lot of areas?