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.

My gp has a similar system. I gVeup in the end and found I had better luck going into the surgery to get an appt sorted x

I'm really shocked to read all these accounts. Our surgery has the same system- call in the morning at 8:30 to speak to a doctor that day- but I have never ever failed to get through, waiting time on the line is 5 minutes at most and I get a 1 hour window in which they will call me back, always before noon. Outcome is either prescription straight to my local pharmacy or they book me in to visit in person that afternoon.

My practice is in North London. I'm sure it must have a lot of patients. I wonder what is going on with the systems that mean it works for ours but is so hopeless for others? I'd really love to see the actual stats for how many people are trying to ring each day vs how many are able to speak to the surgery. Surely nobody with a shred of moral conscience could sit back and do nothing if they knew that hundreds of sick people were not able to access help?

The story of the man in his eighties being sent home to call the next morning is shocking.

Does anyone on here work in systems and processes and is able to shed some light on what might be happening here?

Change your GP surgery?

I find it easier to call in at the doctors rather than phone.

Do they not have any prebookable apps?

We aren't allowed to make appointments in person any more. No idea why not, but post covid that service has been stopped.

Was waiting for an appointment a few months back and a man was told this. He stood outside and called them to make an appointment instead!

Ive got an infected c section scar and can't even get in the queue for an appointment as whatever time I ring I'm told the queue has reached its maximum if 100 please try later. I can't drive to go to walk in and by the husband gets in from work I'm just too exhausted to go sit for hours with a five week old in a walk in centre so I've been treating it with savlon!

You tell them your on a PAYG phone at 40p per minute and you cannot afford at that price to hang on the phone. Tell the Practice Manager. That will do it.

All the GP surgeries in my local area have the same system. I have friends and relatives at many different surgeries that have the same problem. It’s a lottery if you’re lucky enough to get through the phone lines in time before the appointment slots are booked up.

I honestly wish it was as simple as finding a different surgery.

I don't use our GP unless I absolutely have to as I hate bloody booking system. Last week I had to call on Tuesday (135 calls, managed to get a face to face appointment for DC3 who had an infected finger and was given AB) and again on the Friday (250 calls, no appointments left. Wheezy DC2)

Phone-lines open at 8am and we don't leave for school until 8.30 so I can make the repeated calls but it is such a hassle. And sometimes I am still on the phone when we leave. Last Friday was not the first time I've got through and been told there are no appointments left (thankfully DC2 had some Salbutamol left from her last wheezy cough and recovered over the weekend)

I have a health condition and DC3 is disabled so we rely on the NHS more than the average person. At present we are both well and just see our respective specialists at scheduled appointments. We don't rely on the GP !

Although to be fair my surgery are fine with repeat prescriptionsIand we have a few of those between us (I am on a weekly medication, DC3 has a daily medication and touch wood we've never had an issue getting our repeats).

If we turn up in person the receptionists tell us to go home and phone.

This happened to an elderly gentleman a couple of months ago.

No apps available to book. We must do so via telephone. We can’t book GP appointments in advance. We must phone everyday at 8:30am in order to try and get a same day slot.

Same for us , pre covid we had a lovely service , post covid the main interest seems to be keeping people out of the surgery . You have to ring between 8:30 - 10:30 but usually by 9 it’s just a message saying try again tomorrow , no pre bootable appts at all . If you are lucky enough to get booked in they then invariably text you - so far this year I’ve had Achilles tendinitis ( not resolved) and a UTI diagnosed by text - it’s amazing . If you call in to pick a prescription up there is never anybody in there . They obviously aren’t that busy as I put in my monthly repeat online at 4:30 yesterday and had an email from my online provider to tell me they had the prescription by 5 . I know it sounds like I’m moaning about a good system but I actually need to see a Dr and am going to end up paying £95 to see one at our local private hospital .

Mine are the exact same. I've been trying to get an appointment for ages now.
They stopped this stupid system during lockdown, it was so much easier but now they've brought it back again.

I find to get through to my gp I have to try ringing at 8am from the landline, my mobile and dps mobile at the same time.
That normally gets me through but it shouldn't be that difficult. I'm utterly terrified what will happen over winter the system is broken.

To all those suggesting E-Consult - our GP was an early adopter, it was great. They have turned it off "as it is too popular". Couldn't make the shit up. This is why we now use Babylon GP.

OP, I feel your pain. Please see a GP privately. Costs about 75 pounds. Id eat less and not have aholday but need access to GP. The system is broken and the NHS now is namesake only. Its not fit for purpose. Whatever the reason for the NHS to be broken, you cant let your health fail.

You tell them you have a payg phone at 40p per min and can't afford to hang on the line.

My surgery is exactly the same. Phone at 8am for a same day appointment but there’s no queuing system just constantly redialling. Phone isn’t answered once all the appointments have gone. No e-consult, door kept locked and they only allow people who have an appointment in the surgery.

I went on holiday earlier in the year and bought a small stash of antibiotics, decent pain killers and the like to keep at home just in case. Don’t even bother with the GP any more.

Sadly that doesn’t change anything.

An elderly gentleman was turned away from the surgery reception to book an appointment, he had gotten rid of his mobile and didn’t have a landline. He was told to use a family members/friends.

My GP used to allow online booking but that was discontinued because of Covid. They then had an email system but that is no longer in use and they will no longer be using Livi. I also have Babylon and they have been great. I got a direct referral and I was also able to get advice from them when I broke my toe.

Same at ours! Tried to make an appointment on Monday for an urgent medication review - no appointment available until 23rd December!

One thing you can try is to write an old fashioned letter giving chapter and verse about your health issue, symptoms and your experiences with their systems and staff.
Address it to your gp.
Legally they have to read it.
Send it first class recorded delivery.
That places the ball firmly in the gp's court. I have a couple of friends who have had success with this.

Every patient should write to their MP, if MP's get enough hassle then maybe they will do something about it. Failing that contact your local newspaper & get them to grill the surgery as to why patients can't get seen.

Just to let you know, if you do register with Babylon/GP at Hand, it’s not a one-off. You will be deregistering from your current GP. Which might be fine for many. But some people don’t realise this and are shocked when they cannot attend their normal practice anymore.

I have written to my MP (Ed Miliband😂so here’s hoping)

Also drafting up a complaints letter to the practice/PALS. & will urge all my family/friends in the same boat to do the same.

These stories are awful and heartbreaking. Today I rang our GP as I suspected my 4 yo had an infected chicken pox. Got through in 10 minutes to the receptionist, was given a link to upload photos, the on call doctor had triaged by 10.30 and had sent a prescription to the pharmacy for collection. Antibiotics collected and in said child by 12. I knew this was a great level of service but reading these makes me appreciate it even more.