GP waiting times?

[halloumi2019]

How long would you wait for your appointment if your GP is running late? What’s a reasonable amount of time before leaving and rescheduling? Especially if you need to be somewhere eg head to work.

Note, this isn’t a one off. My practice runs over every single time, over the years the standard wait is 20-30 minutes but has been up to an hour - once there was even a 2 hour delay! (I had to wait as it was important).

Good question - I always allow a wait of 30 mins. After that I’d first check with reception what was happening and then it would depend on my commitments. We should really be kept informed if it gets over half an hour - my surgery could use the screens it has up or a receptionist could pop into the waiting room. I try to be understanding but would like that to be mutual

It’s varies on how experienced the GP is and what patients they’ve had in before you. We had a delay in our practice the other day as two GPs and a nurse needed to attend to a patient whilst waiting for ambulance. Which made three clinicians patients list run late.

I think our surgery says let them know if you've been waiting for more than 20 minutes after your appointment time.

I think if there are big delays they should let you know so that you can do something else in the time. As an example we once waited 45 minutes to see my son's orthodontist. I did say to the receptionist that they must have realised how much they were overrunning but their argument was that the next appointment might have only taken 5 minutes so he would have made up time. Well maybe, but not 45 mins worth.

It really depends on how urgent my need is.

I have waited over an hour before, but I have also waited 20 mins and then rescheduled.

If you have an early appt about ten minutes, later in the day half an hour is entirely normal at mine

At my surgery the doctors run a minimum of half an hour behind. There's nearly always at least a ten minute wait between one patient coming out to the next one being called in. I don't know what they do in there in that time! It depends on my day and how urgently I needed to see them as to whether I'd wait more than half an hour but it's bloody annoying either way.

If I can I always try to see the nurse practitioner as they are always on time and generally much nicer!

Up to 30mins on a normal day, is what I'd plan for, just in case... but the waiting area has signs saying to speak to Reception if you're waiting more than 20.

If there's an unusual event then I guess that's different? Poor chap once had a heart attack while I was there, obviously that takes priority and several staff members were called over while the ambulance arrived, but that's not exactly a regular situation.

I’d wait as long as it takes as it’s so hard to get a doctor’s appointment where I live. I had to wait 6 weeks for one this Summer, then by the time I had the appointment o had 2 extra medical things to discuss and ended up in the survey for about half an hour so would have caused a delay.

I must be in a really great area/ GP I've never had to wait longer than a few minutes.
It wouldn't bother me if they were running late (however long) as long as they told me once I'd come in.. if they hadn't and it was longer than 15 minutes I'd be annoyed.

I work 9-5, practice is open 8:30-6. However the receptionist refused to give me an appointment before/at 9am or after 5pm and the “best she could do” was 9:30am. The GP then ran 30 minutes late.

I waited 20 minutes after my appointment slot, then asked her to reschedule it as I had to leave. She was most put out by this request and was so rude, she made out that I was being extremely impatient. I had an important meeting that I couldn’t cancel so had to leave, and to be honest I was annoyed at how frequently this practice runs late! As we were talking, the Gp called me in so a 30 minute wait in total.

What are people with 9-5s supposed to do lol? I can’t constantly book days/mornings off work for what should be a quick 10 minute max appointment. Again a one off is fine as I know things out of their control etc happen - but this is EVERY TIME which works out to several appointments a year.

I’m the one who gets reprimanded at work or has to take unpaid time off due to them running so behind. My manager wouldn’t mind a one off, but every month or so? It’s so shit.

@halloumi2019 it is shit and I don't really understand why they get so far behind. Yes sometimes things can happen and appointments can overrun but not every single time surely? As I said in my post, the doctors don't seem to be in any rush to get the next patient in after one has come out and I know they sometimes arrive late in the morning which must set the whole day of appointments behind before they've even begun. Very frustrating

I once had an appointment with the nurse and waited around 40 minutes in the separate waiting area (on my own). I was worried I'd missed being called in so went downstairs (GPs was in an old building) to check with reception and they basically told me off for asking and said I just had to wait and then bitched about me as soon as I turned to go back and wait. Their attitude was appalling, was glad to move to another GP in the end. When the nurse did call me in she was super apologetic and explained she'd had to deal with an emergency on the way to work.

I think delays etc happen, but I hate the fact GP surgeries (esp the receptions) are not set up to communicate wait times and are rude when you question any wait.

In other aspects of life, there are screens informing you of the wait or messages played if you're on the phone so at least you know the length of delay.

Problem is you wait so long to get an appointment you just end up being grateful to have one and put up with a bad service.

Depending what the appointment is for, can you ask for a telephone appointment? Much less disruptive to a working day.

The doctors aren't sitting on FB between appointments though. A huge amount of admin is generated by many appointments. Phone calls, referrals, letters, notes, coding. Then looking up the notes for the next patient to be prepared.
Some GPs leave some of this to the end of clinic, but that is not ideal.
For an on call doctor, dealing with the 101 'must be done now' things that came in between patients.
Cases can be complex and take more than 10 mins, particularly now many receptionists are asked to signpost less complex cases elsewhere if appropriate.
I don't really mind and try to assume in my planning that they'll be late if at all possible.
I used to pay a fortune for healthcare in the US and the doctors I saw there ran much further behind so half an hour doesn't bother me too much.

Some GPs of

There's nearly always at least a ten minute wait between one patient coming out to the next one being called in. I don't know what they do in there in that time!

I can answer this. They aren't just sitting in there drinking coffee and twiddling their thumbs, they will be writing up the person who has just left's notes, they will be organising referrals, writing prescriptions, and ordering investigations etc. There is a lot of paperwork that has to be done for everyone who comes through the door, and the ten minute time slots most practices allow for seeing each patient really don't allow for that, so most GPs run behind as standard. Then all that's needed is for a patient to arrive late, a complex problem that takes more than 10 minutes to work through, or an emergency and that will lead to significant delays. Blame the system, not the individual doctors.