AIBU - I have called the GP over 200 times this morning

[IAmADancer]

Just that. I need to get a blood test referral for menopause symptoms but I can’t get through. I started calling at 8am and have called over 200 times. It’s still engaged.

I know that if I call back at 10am when it’s quieter they will tell me there are no appointments and to call back tomorrow. Then you go through the same routine all over again. I just want to access basic care. Feeling very frustrated

OP, had similar issue about 6 mths ago.

I ended up going via push doctor (free NHS eligible, link below) who listened to me, set up a plan of action which was then sent through to my GP practice and also sent a bloods request form for me to collect the next day which I did. I had a face to face appt within a week for a physical examination, by that time my bloods were back and another two weeks I'd been seen by radiology. It was found to be something else that was an issue (not menopause) which I'm now receiving treatment for and it's working well but as a result they also came across something else and I'm now with a consultant at the hospital. They could not have acted quicker once that initial appt was done and dusted.
I've also had two lots of bloods taken in the last 6 weeks and no issues with timings/delays.
www.pushdoctor.co.uk/

I hope you get some resolve. I was at my wits end and though my outcome was certainly not as expected, I've received excellent care.

we waited till after the surgery closed and called 111 which got him an out of hours appointment.

This is what I’ve had to do a couple of times toddler DD has had an issue. Clearly not ideal but it’s the only way to get anything checked as I can’t get through to the GP.
I’m lucky enough to have access to a private GP through work.

@Namechangenumber23

OP, had similar issue about 6 mths ago.

I ended up going via push doctor (free NHS eligible, link below) who listened to me, set up a plan of action which was then sent through to my GP practice and also sent a bloods request form for me to collect the next day which I did. I had a face to face appt within a week for a physical examination, by that time my bloods were back and another two weeks I'd been seen by radiology. It was found to be something else that was an issue (not menopause) which I'm now receiving treatment for and it's working well but as a result they also came across something else and I'm now with a consultant at the hospital. They could not have acted quicker once that initial appt was done and dusted.
I've also had two lots of bloods taken in the last 6 weeks and no issues with timings/delays.
www.pushdoctor.co.uk/

I hope you get some resolve. I was at my wits end and though my outcome was certainly not as expected, I've received excellent care.

I always get so hopefully when people post things like this. But then I check and my surgery is never partnered with it!

[quote girlmom21]@longtompot she hasn't tried calling late afternoon - which was my suggestion. If she does, she's highly likely to get through to someone and can put a bit more pressure on to get a call back. [/quote]
No that's not 'highly likely' to happen because as OP as (I don't know how she has done it so patiently) explained, that's not how it works at her practice. It's the same at mine.

Yes, it's ridiculous. Yes, it's a flawed system. Yes, it's frustrating. OP knows all those things because she is the one experiencing them.

Do you honestly think if she could just give them a ring in the afternoon she wouldn't just have done that? She was specifically complaining about the 'call at 8am' system that loads of surgeries now have. Including mine. And many other people on the thread.

Stop being so patronising. You also sound very angry, I hope you're ok. Maybe ring your doctor (mid afternoon, obviously) to discuss anger management

@cuparfull - not only does her surgery not make appointments for 4 weeks time, she can't even get through to the surgery at all. Whether to make an appointment for today OR for 4 weeks time.

My old surgery was like this too. If I waited until a quieter time and ring up they say - call the appointments line to make an appointment. I would say - I tried but can't get through and I don't want an appointment for today. Oh, well you'll still have to call tomorrow at 8am then because I can't make appointments on this system and the booking line closes when today's lists are full. Well can I book online? No, that's only if the GP has decided your issue can wait, so we send you a link to pre-book your appointment in a few weeks/months time. Ok how can I see the GP - ring tomorrow at 8am...arrgh!!

Luckily my current one is more reasonable - you can call anytime to make an appointment, though all the same day ones go in the first 10 mins or so. You do have to ring at least 30-40 times just to get into the telephone queue though.

There is a national shortage of blood test containers and only essential or urgent bloods are being done

I'm having non urgent bloods done on wednesday,

@HarebrightCedarmoon

It's not an urgent appointment so doesn't need a call first thing in the morning. If you need a telephone appointment with your GP, fill in the online form on their website. At my practice they will call you back by the end of the following day. Or register for their online appointments and book one of those instead.

At the GP I go to, the blood test would be at the local hospital instead. Used to be a walk up thing but requires appointments now. I rang after the busy period in the morning when I need a test (after 11am) and got through in five minutes- there was one person on a call before me..

Read the posts!

@youvegottenminuteslynn if you think my post seems angry I'd suggest it's your reading comprehension that's the problem.

Yes the receptionist will repeatedly tell you about the 8am system they have in place but they'll make exceptions where you have a valid point. They don't just stop working at 9am after they've dealt with the call queue.

@IAmADancer

I live in a very small village. I am registered with the next village dr as we don’t have one in ours. They are also responsible for the surrounding villages and are paired up with another surgery. Believe me, if I could move I would

For your own piece of mind, try writing a letter, giving the GP as many details as possible and stating the outcome you hope for.

Then the GP can prepare the conversation before ringing you back so the call is kept as brief as possible, not tying up the doctors time unduly. It might just work, you never know!
Good luck.

We are all going to have to find ways to work with the current system given there are going to be GP shortages for several years

@Bigtruth

You don't need an emergency same day appointment for menopause symptoms. Call at 9 or 10 and book yourself in.

It's people like you who cause the whole backlog I'm afraid, desperate for same day appointments for stuff like this.

As op explained (and my surgery is exactly the same), if you call when it's quieter they will say sorry no appts for today. Call tomorrow. Then the whole thing starts again. Call at 8 am, can't get through and so on. Op hasn't said she wants an emergency appt, she just wants AN actual appt.

My surgery had a lovely online booking system which is no longer working so everyone piles in the phone. It's bloody ridiculous. GPS need to be open!

@BoredZelda

There is a national shortage of blood test containers and only essential or urgent bloods are being done

I'm having non urgent bloods done on wednesday,

Im going tomorrow

[quote girlmom21]@youvegottenminuteslynn if you think my post seems angry I'd suggest it's your reading comprehension that's the problem.

Yes the receptionist will repeatedly tell you about the 8am system they have in place but they'll make exceptions where you have a valid point. They don't just stop working at 9am after they've dealt with the call queue. [/quote]
Of course they don't stop working after that, nobody said they did. They do lots of other parts of their job including (when people call after the morning window has closed) telling them to call back at 8am the next day. Do you think people are lying when they say that this is how it works at their surgeries? How odd.

[quote Xiaoxiong]@cuparfull - not only does her surgery not make appointments for 4 weeks time, she can't even get through to the surgery at all. Whether to make an appointment for today OR for 4 weeks time.

My old surgery was like this too. If I waited until a quieter time and ring up they say - call the appointments line to make an appointment. I would say - I tried but can't get through and I don't want an appointment for today. Oh, well you'll still have to call tomorrow at 8am then because I can't make appointments on this system and the booking line closes when today's lists are full. Well can I book online? No, that's only if the GP has decided your issue can wait, so we send you a link to pre-book your appointment in a few weeks/months time. Ok how can I see the GP - ring tomorrow at 8am...arrgh!!

Luckily my current one is more reasonable - you can call anytime to make an appointment, though all the same day ones go in the first 10 mins or so. You do have to ring at least 30-40 times just to get into the telephone queue though.[/quote]
So write a letter and drop it off or have someone drop it off !

You have to accept this is NOT going to change in the foreseeable future so patients are going to have to work round it. Infuriating I know but you can't just magic fully qualified GP'S from nowhere.

And wait for it..... having more women GP'S in the system, many electing to work PT due to family responsibilities doesn't exactly help either.

@Namechangenumber23

OP, had similar issue about 6 mths ago.

I ended up going via push doctor (free NHS eligible, link below) who listened to me, set up a plan of action which was then sent through to my GP practice and also sent a bloods request form for me to collect the next day which I did. I had a face to face appt within a week for a physical examination, by that time my bloods were back and another two weeks I'd been seen by radiology. It was found to be something else that was an issue (not menopause) which I'm now receiving treatment for and it's working well but as a result they also came across something else and I'm now with a consultant at the hospital. They could not have acted quicker once that initial appt was done and dusted.
I've also had two lots of bloods taken in the last 6 weeks and no issues with timings/delays.
www.pushdoctor.co.uk/

I hope you get some resolve. I was at my wits end and though my outcome was certainly not as expected, I've received excellent care.

Argghh. Just checked and my surgery isn't signed up. Sounded like such a good idea too......

My GP surgery isn't signed up to PUSH doctor either.

But the PUSH doctor website says I can register and pay.

A) anyone know how much £££?

B) could my NHS GP practice use it as an excuse to de-register me, because that would, frankly, be a bit of a fucking disaster tbh.

[quote MagentaRocks]@cuparfull I don’t know how many times it needs to be said. OP cannot make an appointment for 4 weeks time as her surgery does not do this. You can only ring up on the day.[/quote]
Write a f....king letter and have it delivered.

@BoredZelda

There is a national shortage of blood test containers and only essential or urgent bloods are being done

I'm having non urgent bloods done on wednesday,

Having my non urgent ones done tomorrow.

@youvegottenminuteslynn that's how it works at my surgery too, officially. There's even an automated message saying that all the appointments are full before you actually get through to a receptionist.

However, if you wait to get through to the receptionist and say "I've been calling every day and can never get an appointment. I don't need to see a doctor but I just need to speak to someone, can you please help me?" they'll generally try and get a doctor to call you.

I know you're frustrated with people telling you to call in the afternoon but hear me out OP. If I were you I would call at a quieter time to explain that you're having problems getting through at the 'correct time', you don't need an actual appointment yet but need a call back from a GP. If that is refused then ask to speak to the Practice Manager. If that is refused tell the receptionist you want to know what their complaint procedure is. Don't worry about the people on here saying you're tying them up. It is part of the receptionist job to direct you to the correct people. If you need to speak to a GP he/she should be telling you how to contact them. If that contact is near on impossible to get then he/she should be helping you get access. If you can't get access then the receptionist should be helping you with your complaint about the service by directing you to the right person. That's his or her job. The Practice Manager or GP with responsibility should be dealing with a complaint. That's part of their job.

And ignore everyone who has said blood tests are in short supply. They are. But my GP has a note on their website that says 'we are still doing blood tests. It is our job to determine if you need one at this time so do not hesitate in getting in touch and we will decide if one is appropriate'. That's their job, not MNers.

As for 'it's the menopause, it's not urgent'...ignore that too. Your symptoms could be menopause, they could be something else. It's down to a GP to diagnose, not Mumsnet.

Call the receptionist and ask for a message to get to a GP for a call back and start the process. If that doesn't work, speak to the Practice Manager and escalate.

Good luck.

Why would writing a letter be a magical solution. The system in these places is you can't book an appointment in any way other than ringing between certain hours. Don't get so angry when you have been told this repeatedly.

Not that this helps you OP but I've actually given up on GP care now, I just leave it now till I either get hospitalised or it goes away on its own or I can DIY a solution.🤷🏻‍♀️

Couldn't get through to GP for antibiotics for tonsillitis, gave up trying ended up in hospital with septic tonsils last Christmas and on steroids and drips for days.

Was suffering some hair loss, decided I'd either end up bald or it will go away/regrow. It has seemed to stop falling out now and I have baby fuzzy hair in the bald spot.

I used a safety pin steralised in vodka and then warmed up with a lighter to Lance a cyst and drain it.

I've survived so far. This is the NHS now No Help Sadly.

My mum lives in NI. She needed an appointment with her GP to ask for a referral to secondary care. She was staying with me and explained she hadn't been able to book the appointment because you had to phone at 8am on the day and she could never get through.

Like lots of people on this thread I didn't believe that there was no other way to get an appointment. I checked the surgery website- no online forms and no option to book by email. Then I phoned them at 2pm and did my very assertive concerned daughter act. Nothing doing. Phone at 8am, on repeat. I couldn't believe how incredibly inflexible the surgery were. When I suggested that my mum might end up in hospital if she couldn't get referred- phone at 8am.

I get why people can't believe this happens because most surgeries in England have options for how to get an appointment. But in other places it doesn't work that way.

@LondonJax

I know you're frustrated with people telling you to call in the afternoon but hear me out OP. If I were you I would call at a quieter time to explain that you're having problems getting through at the 'correct time', you don't need an actual appointment yet but need a call back from a GP. If that is refused then ask to speak to the Practice Manager. If that is refused tell the receptionist you want to know what their complaint procedure is. Don't worry about the people on here saying you're tying them up. It is part of the receptionist job to direct you to the correct people. If you need to speak to a GP he/she should be telling you how to contact them. If that contact is near on impossible to get then he/she should be helping you get access. If you can't get access then the receptionist should be helping you with your complaint about the service by directing you to the right person. That's his or her job. The Practice Manager or GP with responsibility should be dealing with a complaint. That's part of their job.

And ignore everyone who has said blood tests are in short supply. They are. But my GP has a note on their website that says 'we are still doing blood tests. It is our job to determine if you need one at this time so do not hesitate in getting in touch and we will decide if one is appropriate'. That's their job, not MNers.

As for 'it's the menopause, it's not urgent'...ignore that too. Your symptoms could be menopause, they could be something else. It's down to a GP to diagnose, not Mumsnet.

Call the receptionist and ask for a message to get to a GP for a call back and start the process. If that doesn't work, speak to the Practice Manager and escalate.

Good luck.

This is all very sound advice except for one point (which I imagine is a practice by practice situation). My GPs literally turn off their phones after the appointments are filled, usually between 9.30 and 10.00am. If you ring the number, it’s an automated message to ring back tomorrow morning. No alternative numbers are available.

It was absolutely infuriating when I was pregnant and having to ring to book midwife appointments (which are obviously booked in advance, anyway). Trying to book them while in work, not having the time to set aside an hour of constantly hitting the “call back” button (no queue in ours) and then having to keep your phone on you if they said they’d “ring you back” because sometimes they just refused to tell you if they had an appointment available.

Same story when booking the flu and whooping cough jab.

The whole thing is a shambles.

@PizzaCrust - that's dreadful!

Our GP practice has the 'call at 8am for an appointment' (and call at 10am for an afternoon one - try doing that when you're at work and just need to get a kid in after school...) but the phones are still on through the whole day.

In fact I've just booked our flu jabs as they asked for bookings after 12pm.

And, if you call outside the appointment times, they will pass on a message to a GP or nurse who will call you back right up to 6pm. So we're pretty lucky.

I had a real moan about not getting access to a GP, physically, on here a few months ago but I have to say ours have taken feedback and
the complaints as a way of improving. We've now got econsult, bookable appointments on the day plus book ahead appointments outside the 8am and 10am windows, a telephone queuing system that tells you where you are in the queue (which is great if you ring after appointment times and don't want to hold on) and our GPs are seeing people face to face again. Pity more aren't like that.

There’s a national shortage of blood containers, even those with cancer cannot get bloods drawn.