To be utterly fed up at the Doctors Surgery System?

[PinkFishies]

I’ve been trying to get in touch with my GP (NHS in England) due to having abnormal bleeding for a week now.

(I suspect I have Endo or PCOS or some other condition relating to gynea, but that’s another story)

We can’t book appointments in advance, we have to call the surgery on the day when phone lines open at 8:30am.

I work 8-4 Monday to Friday on a busy reception so it’s almost impossible to be free. Luckily today the reception was covered so I took myself to a quiet room to begin calling at 8:30.

I rang 131 times. I was met with the engaged tone every time. On my 132nd attempt after 40 minutes of trying I was put into a call queue. After 10/15 minutes of waiting the receptionist answered and told me “Unfortunately all slots are now fully booked. You will have to try again tomorrow morning”.

I just burst into tears. My issue isn’t something I can go to a walk in centre for. Or ring 111. I wouldn’t dare go to A&E but I can imagine a lot of people will do for certain things because seeing a GP is near impossible.

There is no point changing surgeries. All our surgeries in the local area sit under the same umbrella and all have the same system.

The system is utterly broken. I can’t see it getting any better. Nobody has the answers. Don’t have the money to go private. I really wish I did.

You can’t do this at mine either; you’re told to go away and phone. The last time I sat in the waiting room and phoned whilst looking at the receptionist- she cut me off three times!

The system at my surgery is that you can only get an appointment by logging a request on the online system between 7am and 10am. However, that system is suspended if they get too many requests. Which appears to be every time I check it.

Pre-pandemic I could always get an appointment fairly easily by calling (and like a PP thought I could never move, knowing how friends and family struggle). During the pandemic they moved to an online triage system which was better in many respects - you could log a request at any time and it would be picked up by someone relatively quickly.

Not sure what has happened since then that means this ludicrous new approach is deemed best. I have had sinusitis since July and am just putting up with it. If it were more serious, I guess I’d shell out for a private or online GP.

I'd like an appointment to just chat to the GP about a few health things and HRT - face to face - after I've had a blood test - I don't think it's too much to ask, but apparently so! Check online tomorrow she said....😡

Question from somebody foreign

If something is definitely a gynae problem, why not go directly to the specialist?

That’s rubbish op; feel for you
Our gp has started letting you book online through the nhs app for same day or next week appointments- I was very impressed and naively thought that must be the case across the country until I read your post 😕

because the system is one whereby you need a GP referral - they write to the specialist and tell them the issue. I suppose for some things you wouldn't know who to see

We aren't allowed through the front door of our surgery without an appointment with a doctor or nurse, or to collect something prearranged. It's like Fort Knox. If I shouted through the intercom that I wanted to make an appointment, I'd be sent away and told to call them.

@OP we have the exact same GP system as yours. It's crap and doesn't work yet they doctors continue to say it is working. Worst part is when eventually you get someone on the line, they tell you the doctor will call you back - no specific time is given, you just have to wait all day! if you miss their call because you were in a meeting, doing a presentation whatever you can't call back, you have to ring back the next day to start the whole process of bringing all over again.

If the doctor calls and you are available and take the call, they will tell you when to come to the surgery - you cannot choose a day & time when you are free. It's that nothing.

I don't know what the answer is. Amanda Pritchard hasn't said anything, the minister for health hasn't said anything, health secretary and the GMC are all silent. (Happy to be corrected).

I'm sorry it's so bad.

Do you have a friend or family member who could keep calling at 8:30, on your behalf, to book an appointment for you.

I'm a SAHM and I'd happily do this for a friend on one of the three mornings a week when we're free at that time. Even if it took a few mornings to get through.

Our surgery opens at 8.00. I start phoning at 07.56 and hang up as soon as I get the surgery closed message, then redial, repeatedly. Doing this tends to catch the switchboard as it changes over, so I'm 1st-5th in the queue.

The NHS system is not built up for individuals to directly approach a specialist, it just doesn't work that way. You can't walk into a hospital and grab a gyneacologist. The only gateway to a gyneacologist is via your GP or you go through private healthcare.

Our GP surgery now requires you to fill in a form and they get back to you within 48 hours to get an appointment. I did this on Monday. Had no response so I filled in the form again this morning at 8. At 8.35 I had a text confirming my F2F appointment at 8.45. I rushed there just in time and got straight in as there was hardly anyone else there. GP (which is literally next to the hospital) told me to go for a blood test but I had to phone for an appointment. Was on hold for 15 minutes to be told that they were no longer doing blood tests from GP requests, only consultants and I had to go back to My GP. Phoned GP, on hold for 20 minutes. Receptionist was aware of the new policy but they had been told it wasn’t in force yet but also that they didn’t have capacity to do blood tests so they had no idea how anyone in my large town were now going to get blood tests. She squeezed me in with the Practice Nurse this lunchtime as they CAN do them in some circumstances but they don’t have capacity to do them in general
Good Luck OP, the system is completely broken

Even through Private healthcare you generally need a referral letter from your GP

It's awful isn't it? Our surgery is the same. So if a person is usually on the train to London at 0800 they have to stay home just in case they can get an appointment (not everyone can WFH), then lose a day's sick leave / AL to no result. I don't get WHY we can't book in advance.

I have to be referred to one by a General Practitioner.

I wish it was as simple as being able to go direct to a specialist.

maybe not helpful as depends on your area but have you tried a gynae scan at window to the womb? they can refer you onto a gynae team if they find something is wrong

@PinkFishies
They tried to install a referal system here in the last century - it did not work and was expensive for the system and took up GPs time.
But gynae, eyes, teeth, and children were never included.

@Prokupatuscrakedatus out of curiosity which country are you in, if you don’t mind me asking?

And mine refused to refer me privately during lockdown. Thankfully I now get access to the Babylon app (similar to Livi) so I don't have to bother with my GP unless I need a face to face appointment and I doubt I'd get one anyway!

Ooh thanks for this! There’s a window to the womb bang next door to my work place. Had a quick look on their website and it’s just pregnancy scans starting from £50.

I can definitely ask about other scans they may do but would feel a bit daft as I’m 100% not pregnant 😂

You can call 111, and not have to go to a&e. call, explain it is urgent, and will become an emergency if you cannot see a gp, they will find you an out of hours (but of a misnomer, these are just appts held back for urgent care) and it will probably be a phone call type appt first.
they may ask if you have tried your gp. Don’t just say yes- explain thorough and they will be sympathetic.

The whole system in some areas is ridiculous. I had a recurring UTI in pregnancy earlier this year. It hadn’t cleared so
needed a telephone consultation for a doc to reissue them. I cleared it with the head teacher (teacher here) to be able to answer the call in the corridor if they called when I was teaching. I hooked my
hands free up in the car and everything. But of course, they called as I was unloading my
one year from the car from nursery. I couldn’t get to my phone in time. I called straight back but was told I would have to call at 8am the next day. I cried. I said I could but every time I called I never even got connected to the queue before I had to start teaching and I just needed the antibiotics renewing as the previous doc said they could be if it wasn’t cleared up on the first set. I tried to call the next day and was lucky to have a free period in the morning, so had from 8am-10am…I couldn’t Even get it to the queue in two Hours. Called again at 4pm, got through at 5pm, so explained the situation and was just told to try again. I told them that unless it is half term there is no point as I never even get connected in the time I have to call in a morning. They said can I not have the morning off work to call!?!?! I said “on the off chance they I’ll get connected in leas
rhat two hours and that you’ll actually be able to give me an appointment? I don’t think that would go down well with my head teacher or the parents.” I was told to set an alarm at 1am as that is when the online appointments are released and I might get one that way. As I needed the loo all the time, I was up at 1am and did get an appointment but that was a face to face one and I just needed a telephone call! Such a waste. Why can’t they call twice! Most people will answer the second time if they miss the first.

Anyone who has to phone a doctor has my sincere sympathy and should also check their blood pressure before and after!

The average number of patients on a GP surgery list is over 9,500 according to the British Medical Association, it was 7,500 in 2015. There are 1800 fewer full time equivalent qualified GPs than in 2015. Despite this, there were 32m GP appointments in October this year (72% face to face apparently) compared to 28.5m in November 2018.

www.bma.org.uk/advice-and-support/nhs-delivery-and-workforce/pressures/pressures-in-general-practice-data-analysis

I'm really not trying to diminish your experience - it is horrible not being able to get help, but just wanted to redress the balance/provide some data as well.

I think it's crazy that not all GP surgeries are using e-consult though. It's really beneficial.

@SereneSemolina ours in Bath has same system. I have been having an ongoing situation and tests , filled in my app questionnaire and doctor called me back an hour later- went through my history (as we've just moved there and it's my 1st contact with this practice apart from registering) and booked me in as a priority tommorrow morning. All good- but I can't see anyone who struggles with tech or didn't have a smart phone being able to do it -

Op its the same system at my surgery- i find ringing on repeat from 7.59am gets you
In the queue and an appointment. All appointments are usually gone by 8.15am