To ask if other peoples’ GP surgeries are this shit or is it just mine?

[Whatisthisfuckery]

Every day, multiple times a day for the last couple of weeks I’ve been trying to call the GP surgery. Every time apart from one I have been told the phone lines are at capacity and to call back later. The but one I was told that they were shut for staff training. Our doctors is one of a chain of about 8 in the area, so my guess is that they have one person on the phones taking calls for what is more or less the entire town of 150,000 people, it’s a disgrace.

I can’t use patient access because it’s for my DS who isn’t old enough; I don’t want to call out of hours because it’s not an emergency; I can’t find an email address to email them instead and you can’t just walk in off the street to talk to them.

I literally cannot contact the doctors, at all.

Is this unusual or are we just unable to access a GP anymore?

Just yours.

I'm able to get through easily on the phone and can email with a reply the same day or next. They suggest ringing after the work day starts because of the volume of callers. I've rung at 10/11am or the afternoon with no issues.

I can get a GP appointment (outside covid) in a day or so, but longer if we want a specific GP as that one only works part time so means limited slots.

Either you're at my GP practice, or there's at least 2 out there who are absolutely shit.

People in my local area regularly joke that it's Fort Knox without phone lines. Getting in is almost impossible, and the chances of anyone answering the phone must be lower than winning the lottery. I could understand if things were difficult due to the current situation, but it's always been like this.

Joking aside, i'm really sorry that you're having so much trouble, I hope your DS is ok.

Our surgery is great. Helpful receptionists. Same day appointment if medically appropriate. Can't always get through by phone on first attempt, but generally ok

Pre Covid, I was seen at local hospital clinic within a couple of days for a minor issue, all test results available within 7 days

I was beyond impressed

I live in a small town and can always get a same day appointment. Where we used to live in a city it was a struggle. So I think it varies a lot.

If it's not urgent i tend to ring our practice late afternoon as the morning rush of people trying to book appointments has passed and I often manage to get one for the first thing the next day. I suspect they hold appointments for emergencies but if they haven't filled the first couple by the time they're due to close they book them up as the phone lines don't open until the 1st appointment time.

Are they not on e consult via the NHS?
patients.econsult.health/

I have done many of these for myself and my children

I’ve been calling every couple of minutes for the last hour. Thankfully I can press 2 and skip the interminable covid messages, but each time I’m told that the surgery is having very high volumes of calls right now and the phone system is at capacity. I can’t even go in the queue to wait for an hour. This has now been the same for two weeks, and that’s just been since I’ve been trying so It’s probably been much longer.

Mine is so good it would be a consideration if I wanted to move house. Many people do seem to have trouble though. Online booking makes things much easier especially if you find out exactly when new slots are released, it’s not always first thing in the morning.

Also learning to judge the exact (to the second) time to call the surgery for the 8am bunfight.

Ours is similar. You just can’t ever get anyone to pick up the phone.

@CombatBarbie

Are they not on e consult via the NHS? patients.econsult.health/

I have done many of these for myself and my children

My surgery isn’t on there. It’s very frustrating to just not be able to contact anyone.

@CombatBarbie

Are they not on e consult via the NHS? patients.econsult.health/

I have done many of these for myself and my children

I got hopeful for a minute there as I hadn't heard of this service, but unfortunately my surgery isn't on there.

GP provision has dried up now. They've had a year off from having patients and dont want us back. I can't get an appointment either.

Sadly ours is this shit too.

Mine's great. Has an "ask my gp" online thing so you can send in a query and they ring you straight back to book an appointment, give you a prescription, or advice. Big city. Sorry OP!

I'm amazed by the difference between surgeries - in particular how the COVID recommendations are being interpreted. There's been posts about people unable to get appointments for potentially serious conditions, whereas other surgeries seem to be operating almost as normal, although trying phone appointments in the first instance. My surgery has been amazing - I really hope they keep the online service, as we have dealt with a couple of issues that way, and it is so much quicker and easier. I don't think the guidelines have been clear enough - some surgeries seem to have all but shut down!

@CombatBarbie

Are they not on e consult via the NHS? patients.econsult.health/

I have done many of these for myself and my children

My surgery is also missing from that.

CombatBarbie Thanks for the link but no, they aren’t on there.

I literally cannot access my doctors.

Can't you use eaccess for your child? That's what I do.

Mines actually improved since covid as now they very rarely do face to face but have increased their telephone triage and ask my gp.
previous to that you would have to start ringing at 8am to try and book an appointment. line was always engaged and if you didnt get through before about 8:30 all the appts had been taken and you got told to call back the next day and try again. this could literally go on for days. if you ask to book an appt for routine stuff like repeat prescriptions or test results they were often 2 to 3 weeks away.

I think you will have to call out of hours and explain why. Awful thing to have to do but it will get the result you need.

Not an issue with my GP surgery.

I would call 111 and tell them. They can arrange a gp appt for you.

If you do the online thing at mine a receptionist calls you back and reads out what the doctor wrote. If you try to ask a question they snap that they are not medically trained and can't answer questions, so you need an appointment anyway so it's totally futile.

I called Monday for an appointment, took me ages to get through, appointment is 12th April. This is for an issue I've had since Nov and had three sets of blood tests for (which don't show anything).

Ours is the same , it hasn't helped because they just keep building hundreds more houses and we had a GP close down after a poor CQC, even though most of the patients were happy . But apparently we are all so much more safe not being able to contact a GP all all

Nope it’s not just yours it’s mine too (East Midlands) .
I think they have seen how nice it is without all of those pesky patients with their horrible bodies and don’t want to see them any more.
I assume they still get paid even if they don’t see patients?

My GP Surgery is equally shit.

They used to be good and, in fact, if you can get to talk to a doctor, they are still fine. The problem is, you cannot do that. We are essentially without primary care, and I often wonder what would happen if we had ongoing conditions.