To tell you I can get a same day doctors appointment

[caulicheesey]

Reading threads on here and in the media where people mention three week wait for doctors appointments.

I call my doctors at 8am on the dot, usually around 37th in the queue, on hold for 20 mins then I get an appointment same day (I prefer telephone appts but have also been offered face-face).

Is it regional? I'm just outside London (inside M25).

Where are you and what's your wait?

It massively varies even within quite a small geographical area. Our village surgery has seen patients face to face all through covid, were desperate to go above and beyond for all their patients and appointments could be had on the day or in advance. 10 miles away at a family member's surgery they still can't get a face to face appointment and will wait weeks for any crumbs thrown.

I'm in London and can get same-day urgent appts but routine appts are more of a week/week and a half wait. Lots of referrals to A&E for treatment. Referrals for anything are taking ages - 6-9 month waits for children's allergy services etc.

I also really like the online/phone call system. I've got myself sorted for a couple of things I'd probably never have bothered to go in for - including mental health, I just had a moment where I knew I needed help and I filled in the form and the doctor rang me within ten mins . If I'd had to make an appointment in person I'd probably have ended up cancelling .

I’m in South Wales and have had 3 same day, face to face appointments recently (health issues!). Two were telephone appts first but then asked me to come in straight away for face to face. In one case they added me as an emergency call back as they were full but it was a serious issue, I still got seen the same day.

my current GP surgery has a better telephony system than my previous one, you just automatically go into the queue. With the prev one you got a busy line and had to keep calling over and over until you got through which was more annoying.

GP receptionists have all been lovely too! Helpful and sympathetic.

I called today at 8.30 then on and off til I got through around 9 40. Prev telephone consultation, abd was told to review in 2 weeks (today). Initially told nextcappointmrnt was 12th August. Put on hold, appointment offered for 11.45. Norfolk.

Haha! I'm not boasting at all. I'm merely enquiring as to whether the stories of long waits mirror the experience of other MNs and if it's regional.

If you want to hear a boast, you'll love this: I spoke to my doctor as was feeling a little down and they sent me off for bloods and also told me to have a think about the HRT I'd like to go on, gave me some interesting stuff to read and then put me on the HRT of my choice. I'm early 40's, I hadn't even considered peri. There was no push back, no challenge, it was encouraged. Now you don't hear that everyday do you!?

So, no I'm not sad at all. Not for posting this thread or in general now, and I'm very aware how lucky I am.

I've not had anything "unplanned" for a while, so not needed urgent appointments, but I was unwell last year that took a few weeks to sort out, no problem getting same day appointments - usually phone, & would then be asked to nip down to the surgery if in person apptmt necessary.
GPs are fine, but one of the nurses gets a bit miffed if I insist on telephone rather than face to face.

@caulicheesey

North Midlands.

When it's busy, we get a 'we have a high volume of calls' message for about 5-8 minutes, then you get put on to Number 10, then 9, etc, til you're answered. Normally a 25 to 35 minute wait when it's busy... When it's super busy, you can't get in the queue and are asked to ring back. This only happens for about 5-7 hours of the 45 hour week they are open though. First thing in the morning, for about the first half hour to 40 minutes, and then again just after lunch - ie, when it's one or two minutes past 2.00pm... Again, it only lasts about half hour or so...

The longest I have waited to be answered is 33 minutes. If you ring DEAD ON 8.30am, or 2pm, you will get through within half hour (sometimes 10 or 15 minutes or less,) and you are guaranteed a call back before 1pm (or 6pm if it's afternoon.) You will get a face to face appointment that day or the next morning, if the GP feels you need one.

If you want a face to face one for definite and it's not hugely urgent, you can book a 'routine' appointment. Normally a 2-3 week wait, but some days there are cancellations for the next day or later that week.

I can usually get a blood test within 5-7 working days. So if I rang tomorrow (the 2nd,) I'd get one for next Tuesday or Wednesday. (9th or 10th.) If I rang Friday 5th, I'd get one for a week on Monday (15th.) Again though, I have rang for a blood test a few times and got offered one the next day as they have a cancellation, or just simply have a free slot as the week is not too busy.

Also, some points in the week you get through on the phone within 5 minutes.

Our doctors triage so I can’t get a same day appointment unless it’s an emergency. What I can do though is email and they send me an appointment so it’s pretty simple.

I find it near impossible. I phone the doctor at 8am when the phones open and usually can’t even get through into the queue, I just get an engaged beep and then the phone hangs up so I have to keep trying and trying. Eventually I will get through into the queue but this can take 10 or 15 minutes of getting the beeps and hang up and then once in the queue by the time I actually get through to someone on reception the appointments will all inevitably be gone and I’ll just be told to try again tomorrow. There’s no option to book into the next day’s appointments even if they know you’ve been sat in the queue since 8am and missed out on all the available appointments, you just have to try again. Eventually I will have a lucky day where I am able to get into the queue early enough to catch an appointment but it can take days so obviously only really useful if it’s not something urgent. And even if it’s not urgent there is no option to book a doctors appointment days or weeks in advance unless the doctor has specifically asked you to book one. I did receive a text message today from my GP asking me to book an appointment following an A&E visit last week, phoned up and first appointment they could offer was Friday 19th August.

Same day appointments here in Devon. On Monday last week my youngest had had a high temp 39.3 fluctuating to 40 for 4 days with sudden mouth ulcers. Triaged on the phone by receptionist. Dr called and told me to pop in at 5.

For non emergent you can usually get in within a couple days. Plus our Gp surgery has an open clinic running 2 mornings a week.

Urban Yorkshire here. Phoned at about 10:00, explained that, following a c t scan abroad, told I'd got a v small brain tumour. I had an appointment within an hour, two follow up phone calls the same day, hospital appointment within a week, ditto second ct scan, with results, again, within a week. Turned out to be a very small cyst.

I think the NHS can still pull it out of the bag.

My concern is the number of health.issues that, at the start, seem fairly innocuous and are not treated with the same sense of urgency. These can easily turn into serious issues. Which, in their turn, lead to even more work for the NHS.

don't get me wrong, I'm not calling out the workers in the NHS, it's the chronic lack of funding that has led to this situation. And, in my opinion, the lack of funding has been quite deliberate. Softening us up for a complete privatisation of the NHS. Also called "privatisation" .

Meant to add, you can get through quickly most days (2-5 minutes,) if you ring between 11am and 12.45-ish and after 4.30pm. Not that many are ringing through then as they know that is too late to get a call back from the GP.

Good for you. I've been trying for weeks to get an appointment. We can't book them in advance. You have to call at 8am. And then the phone is nearly always engaged. By the time you get through all the appointments are gone. Then they tell you to call at 8am. Like you didn't try that.

The one time I did get through (once in 8 months) they gave me a telephone appointment. Then decided I needed to be seen. But the only appointments available were at the other surgery we've just partnered with. Which is 2 bus rides away. So really helpful when I'm sick!

The only other surgery near me isn't taking new patients.

My gp has improved alot. They hired someone new. I typically wait 2 weeks for normal appointment but same day for urgent appointments (like uti). They answer the phone quickly.

Dm gp, she normally calls me and others to help her get an appointment. They only give appointments twice a day and they are oversubscribed. I personally been queueing up to 40min a go. We are also used to, someone randomly disconnecting the telephone line. That is why dm asks people to help her get an appointment. But her gp are superstar. She loves them very much and this includes the support staff there.

8.30am here, and you can get a same day phone (or face if it’s needed), or a one for two weeks time (they run on a two weekly basis for some reason) so for something like a regular medication check etc.

If I forget and it’s after 9 I usually can’t get anything unless it’s super urgent. If it’s for my DS who is 3 they usually will ring for sure and see him if needed. I quite like this system tbh, the telephone triage situation.

I managed to get a f2f appointment for my DS last week on a day when they'd had 2 doctors phone in sick. Couldn't believe my luck as i'd started at 16 in the phone queue.

Also my doctor phoned me back the day after i'd had a blood test to dicuss it with me even though I didn't have a phone appointment booked.

They're massively overworked at the moment but doing a great job so no complaints from me.

NW and no problem with getting same day appts. Ring at 8am

I can, normally have to ring a few times at 8am but never not got one. They even offered a face to face for DD at 8.30 last time she needed one ( it may help we live practically next door to the surgery!)

I’m in Manchester and always get a same day phone call or appointment. But that’s due to my medical history I believe not being lucky.

I can't even get an appointment half the time.

I had to get my blood pressure checked, managed to get an appointment and the next day they called me to say they had changed it to a telephone appointment.

I asked how that would work? How would the Dr do my blood pressure over the phone.

They said it's a phone appointment or nothing. Wouldn't let me re book so I had to then call at 8am
For about a week to get a face to face.

OP my GP is exactly the same.

call at 8. get through fairly quick and I’m normally being seen within an hour. Iv never had a problem getting a face to face app.

When you call at 8 though you have to be ready to go straight away. If you are the first they can ask you to be there by 8.20.

Im in the SW near Bristol.

Our doctors is pretty good. Phone at 8 and they will get you a same day appointment if it's urgent.
We used to have to wait for a phone call where they'd decide if they needed to see you or not but they have stopped that recently. You can still choose to have a phone consultation if you wish though.

City in the North

No difficulty getting an appointment. Blood tests, Xrays etc all carried out without delay. As it should be

Sorry it's not like that for everyone

Same day here in Northumberland.