To think if you can only have telephone GP appointments, they shouldn’t call three times in the space of a minute before crossing you off the list?

[AngeloMysterioso]

Had a telephone consultation booked with a GP, had to wait over a week for the appointment. They never give you an exact time, so I was just told it would be after 4pm. Normally they ring once, if there’s no answer ring the next person on the list and then try you again, but not today!

I’ve been by my phone the whole time except for a roughly 90-second window when I was in the bathroom. Of course it had to be then that Dr rang me three times in the space of a minute. I rang back literally a minute later and was told the Dr has taken me off the list and I now have to wait another 8 days for another telephone appointment.

AIBU to think that’s a bit unreasonable?

Update, not that it really matters.

My appointment was rebooked for today, again no time slot given just “probably late morning”. I’ve had my phone on me all day including when I’ve been in the bathroom, and even made DH stop working and put DS down for his nap in case they called then.

It’s now 1pm and guess what... no phone call!

At our practice you fill in an online MY G.P form then the G.P rings you later that day.
My husband has just used this service and it was very efficient.
He missed the G.Ps first call for similar reasons to you and they left a message saying they would ring back in 30 mins which they did.
It is unreasonable for them to take you off the list and make you wait eight more days when you didn't have an actual appointment time.

This is the bit I don't like about the telephone system.

I'd be all for it if I could book an actual time slot. Our GP surgery just say it will be between 9am and 5pm. If pushed they may say morning or afternoon. I teach and can't have my online on me, so it's really difficult.

My rheumatology is even worse as the phone call can happen anytime within 48 hours. You call up, leave a message on an answer machine and they will return the call within 48 hours. However, they call ONCE. If you miss the call (toilet, shower, teaching) they don't call back and you have to start the process again. It took me almost 3 weeks to finally speak to someone last time - 3 weeks of being in pain and discomfort.

Wow. Ours only try once before giving up. I have no faith in GPs whatsoever!

I phoned the GP enquiry line this morning for some blood test results, which would have arrived a couple of days ago. I was told to phone back between 2 and 5, as that's when the staff have access to blood test results.
I mean really, WTF? The whole system needs an overhaul so that there is at least a modicum of convenience to patients' lives.

Ours won't even give a time slot. They will call any time between 9am and 6pm. So I've had to just hope they don't call when I have a work meeting.
Ours give it as "before lunchtime" and "after lunchtime". Also the same logic, three calls one after another and then you are considered a no-show.

I actually found private GP apps amazing for this. It does not cost an unreasonable amount of money, but they are extremely punctual and call you with a second's precision. Twice or three times as long as NHS appoinments too, and you are seen by the NHS GPs.

Probably not a good solution if you have to have recurrent appointments or continuity of care, but for everything minor and one-off it has been a lifesaver during the remote times.

Ours give you a slot between 8:30 and 12:30, and they never call by then. It’s a minimum week wait for a phone appointment and the whole thing sucks. I’ve been on my knees with anaemia, I’ve had it before and thought that’s what was up so waited a week for a call, told to book a blood test - minimum 2 week wait and tests being done at a shopping centre (I nearly cried and the lovely receptionist took pity and booked me in at a different surgery miles away), a week for the doctor to look at the results, another week to speak to her and she told me I needed urgent medication and had no time to lose getting on it as I was in a very bad way

Well indeed.

Another update... eventually got pissed off and rang the surgery at half 3- my appointment wasn’t on their system .

So I now have an appointment with a “physician’s associate”- whatever the hell one of those is- on Thursday afternoon.

I’ve just called my surgery as I cal feel a lump in my breast...I’m getting a telephone appointment tomorrow between 9&12. Not sure how exactly they can assess my lump over the phone?

This is all so depressing and ridiculous.

Who can people complain to? If enough people complain, will it change things?

Interesting. I put a request into my GP on Thursday PM relating to antihistimine tablets (pg and need a prescription to get anything). Completed the form and received a note that I'll receive a call today before 6.30pm. No call as yet; phone has been by my side all day including when going to the loo. Completely ridiculous.

Yanbu, that's ridiculous.

@BashfulClam

Hope you're ok

YANBU at all. It shows complete lack of common sense.

Makes me appreciate our lovely GP surgery all the more.

YANBU op. My surgery is the same. You have to phone by 7.30am if you want a phone appointment otherwise there are none left. They tell you you'll get a call "sometime today" which is any time up until 6pm. Funnily enough I don't think many people can sit glued to their phones for potentially 10 hours straight. If you miss the call they don't call back but move you onto the list for the next day.

DP is a GP and he makes 3 calls but spaced out by fifteen mins or so. He also sees patients if he deems it necessary - lumps, specific limb complaints, rashes, etc. He usually sees 3/4 patients per day in person. I guess it must really vary from surgery to surgery!

I got one call- while I was driving- rang back 5 min later when I could pull over and the GP had gone home for the day. So helpful.

Our surgery always give you a day but not a time for them to call you back. I WFH and you can always guarantee they will call back when I'm on a Zoom call to a client. I always ring the surgery back and tell the receptionist why I missed the call and tell them to get the GP to ring me back but not at blah blah time when I've got work calls booked in. Its such a faff

I'm sorry to hear this, OP. That sounds very poor. I had to call my GP surgery today. I called at 8am when they opened and got through straight away. Receptionist was very helpful and said a doctor would call back over the next few hours. I kept my phone with me and a GP called at 09.50. He then arranged an in-person appointment at 10.20 and gave me a thorough examination. I was so impressed with such excellent service - especially right after the bank holiday weekend. It's a shame that such service isn't replicated elsewhere, although I do appreciate that GPs are under enormous pressure. I hope things improve soon, OP.

All these people complaining - why not pay to go private? Problem solved!!!

@Soontobe60

All these people complaining - why not pay to go private? Problem solved!!!

People shouldn't have to pay to access their GP. Not everyone can afford private.

It's not asking too much surely to ask for a time slot, so that we don't have to take a day off work to be able to speak to a GP.

@eatsleepread I’ve lost a stone so I’m hoping it just means I can feel the inside tissues a bit more. Refusing to think it’s anything else just now. Thank you 😊

My GP surgery is absolutely crap. They were crap before but COVID has given them the perfect excuse to get worse.

There are no booked in advance appointments. You have to ring at 8.30. Took me 154 times to actually get through. Spoke to dr later that day for my dd. He arranged blood tests. They came back ok. She’s still ill, what now. I had to ring up again at 8.30 the next day and start again with another dr. No continuity. Absolutely rubbish.

I work in secondary care and the number of patients who ring me because they can’t get through to their GP is absolutely ridiculous.

@BashfulClam I had similar - in our area you are either offered a face-to-face appointment or a 2ww appointment with the breast team at the hospital. Please don't worry, I was seen at the hospital within 48 hours.

I would say if you go the hospital route take water, snacks, phone charger and a book. I was in there for 8 hours seeing various people and teams. I hope you are OK.