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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

How on earth does anyone get a GP appointment?!

81 replies

2023b · 27/02/2023 08:39

My first time calling in about 5 years, probably longer. Moved house recently and registered with a local GPs. Told appointments for nonurgent issues given out on a Monday morning and to call at 8am. I havent been able to do this for a number of weeks due to working at this hour. Obviously this is a non urgent issue but an issue that needs sorting none the less.
Been calling up non stop (37 times so far) since 8am, listen to the automated message which eventually cuts you out.

What the heck am I supposed to do? Ive taken a half day off today (genuinely) just to organise an appointment for a future date then to try and take that date off too. When I went in person to register I was told this is the process, to keep trying on a Monday morning, all other days are for urgent same day appt. I cant keep letting the weeks pass by... Is this what its come to :(

OP posts:
SouthCountryGirl · 27/02/2023 08:40

Does your surgery use e consult?

BeetleyCarapace · 27/02/2023 08:40

Tried econsult? (Only works if your surgery uses it)

BeetleyCarapace · 27/02/2023 08:41

Ha! x-posted with South

FineThings · 27/02/2023 08:42

Ours is the same. I’ve found the only thing to do is to actually turn up in person at 8am when they open and make an appointment directly with the receptionist. There is always a queue of people doing he same but it is much more likely to get you seen. At our one anyway.

TheChosenTwo · 27/02/2023 08:42

I’ve just been connected after trying since 8, it eventually let me join the queue, I’m number 30. I guess they only let a maximum of 30 people join the queue at once. Annoyingly I also really need to call my boss and let her know I won’t be at work today but that’s going to have to wait, I’m in the queue now.
Don’t know what to suggest OP, sorry, and this is how when I turned up at A&E the other day I had to wait an hour in the queue just to get through the door, people are struggling to access the lower line in defence and things are getting bigger to the point where things are actually life or death. It’s just shit.

LadyGardenersQuestionTime · 27/02/2023 08:42

Not at my gp - here there are many ways to book appointments and non-urgent appointments are available to those who need them.

can you change surgery? If not is your surgery overwhelmed (understaffed) or just useless? Can you afford a private gp consultation like Livi?

LizzieSiddal · 27/02/2023 08:42

I’d phone up tomorrow morning and explain you took the morning off to make the appointment today, and couldn’t get through. Hopefully they’ll book you in!

Greensleevevssnotnose · 27/02/2023 08:43

Go to the surgery mine has sit and wait everyday or book in person . mine uses patientline to book appointments, try pharmacy if non urgent.

LizzieSiddal · 27/02/2023 08:43

Also are you phoning them from your mobile phone? If so offer to send them a screen shot of how many times you’ve tried to get through today!

Orangesandlemons77 · 27/02/2023 08:50

Ours has a systmonline wed access where you can make appts for the future- although there are times there aren't any or there are a few weeks wait.

There is also an email address for appointments or a main surgery email address. I have used this once when really needed a same day call back and couldn't get one. I emailed and asked them to ring me.

We can also ask for meds or make custom requests for meds via the online service and this seems to get done the same day / very quickly.

Danikm151 · 27/02/2023 08:51

It took me over 80 attempts a few weeks ago

never any econsult appointments available because head of security(reception) wants to know what your appointment is for

nye11111 · 27/02/2023 08:53

It's honestly blows my mind that some surgeries still work this way when there are so many easier ways to work. The surgery I work in you can either call up anytime, do a e-consult or come to the surgery. Most are same day appts or within the week. No-one is left over a week for an appointment. I don't understand why some surgeries make it so much harder for patients.

Original poster
2023b · 27/02/2023 08:54

The irony is that I work in the NHS (secondary care) myself with early starts and a long commute, I can't just take time off last minute hence why I have waited until I could get a Monday AM off to do this. I appreciate waiting times for everything in the NHS is so long, its really sad. I don't even have an urgent issue and would be happy to get an appointment even if it was in a few weeks time but its so hard to actually organise that in the first place!

When we moved house, before choosing to register with a GP I checked out all the local ones to ask about the appointment making process for this very reason (heard of friends/colleagues struggles even just for routine appts like asthma or contraception pill reviews). Was told you can't walk in, if its an emergency to go to ED or call on a Mon AM. Can call on other days at 8am for an urgent same day appt or a house visit but the routine slots are given out on a Monday. I dont think its anyones fault per se but its just such a rubbish system. I dread to think what it might be like for an urgent issue.

OP posts:
Pickingmyselfup · 27/02/2023 08:55

Mine is the same, I can only ring at 8am and 1.30pm to get an appointment. Fine when I'm not at work but that's only one day a week. I've been known to ring over 100 times and still can't get through. Can't make an advance appointment either which is frustrating when it's a non urgent issue but at some point needs addressing.

A huge issue at my surgery is lack of GPs but a huge influx of patients due to thousands of new houses. I get it but it doesn't help me when I'm trying to access the doctors but can't.

Sunriseinwonderland · 27/02/2023 08:57

Good luck with that. I have a number of serious health issues and haven't been able to get an appointment for the last three years.
I had to go to A&E recently as I couldn't even get a phone call from my GP, I rang 111 and they told me to go in. I chatted to a lot of the dozens of other people there as it was a 7 hour wait for me and most of them were people who couldn't get a GP appointment and had chronic issues.
We all agreed there is no longer a GP service in the UK.

LisaD1 · 27/02/2023 08:57

Our surgery are a nightmare and the receptionists are stereotypically rude.

I had emergency surgery and my consultant wanted me seen 2 weeks later, the receptionist said I’d have to wait 3-4 weeks and when I said my consultant said 2 weeks she responded that I should have call 2 weeks earlier to book it then, an impossibility as it was emergency surgery we had no idea I needed!

I now pay for private cover and can speak to a Dr the same day.

Sunriseinwonderland · 27/02/2023 08:58

2023b · 27/02/2023 08:54

The irony is that I work in the NHS (secondary care) myself with early starts and a long commute, I can't just take time off last minute hence why I have waited until I could get a Monday AM off to do this. I appreciate waiting times for everything in the NHS is so long, its really sad. I don't even have an urgent issue and would be happy to get an appointment even if it was in a few weeks time but its so hard to actually organise that in the first place!

When we moved house, before choosing to register with a GP I checked out all the local ones to ask about the appointment making process for this very reason (heard of friends/colleagues struggles even just for routine appts like asthma or contraception pill reviews). Was told you can't walk in, if its an emergency to go to ED or call on a Mon AM. Can call on other days at 8am for an urgent same day appt or a house visit but the routine slots are given out on a Monday. I dont think its anyones fault per se but its just such a rubbish system. I dread to think what it might be like for an urgent issue.

So do I and I can't just take a day off to keep ringing my GP surgery.

Overthebow · 27/02/2023 09:00

Yes it’s bad. I have private now through my work which has a gp option for the whole household so can usually get same day appointments though that. It’s a shame the NHS gp system no longer works.

CherryogDog · 27/02/2023 09:02

Our GP is pretty good in that you can get a same day telephone appointment, but nigh on impossible to get a face to face.
I wanted to see a doctor about my back pain, very long story cut short, was referred straight to physio with no examination or diagnosis, the exercises given to me have nigh on crippled me.

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 27/02/2023 09:02

I go down at 8am in person, I gave up ringing a long time ago. It's a sad state of affairs.

Original poster
2023b · 27/02/2023 09:04

I unfortunately cant afford private healthcare. I'm sorry so many of you have had similar issues.

I can't believe this is the quality of care in a "developed" country. Perhaps I'm too young to have known an NHS that actually worked (certainly not worked in one, fortunately haven't had to receive care as a patient to know other than experiences like this trying to get a routine GP appt as a young professional working full time).

OP posts:
Allthismidnighttalking · 27/02/2023 09:05

LizzieSiddal · 27/02/2023 08:43

Also are you phoning them from your mobile phone? If so offer to send them a screen shot of how many times you’ve tried to get through today!

How would that help?? They know how many people are trying to get through, breaking news, it's the same for everyone

BeetleyCarapace · 27/02/2023 09:07

Technically I can use a private GP too but the big issue is that if you go private, you pay the market (i.e. non-prescription) price for anything you're prescribed.

Now, for me, the medication I'm on is relatively cheap in itself — a couple of quid or so for a box of 28. But then there's the dispensing fee for the pharmacist, which is usually about nine or ten quid.

And not all drugs are this cheap, and it would be very possible to be prescribed something that ends up extremely expensive.

It's also subject to market forces; even the comparatively cheap drug I'm on has gone up 150% over the last two years.

DimplesToadfoot · 27/02/2023 09:09

I went old school and wrote to mine, it worked, a doctor rang me once they received it and asked me to go in ...

Abouttimemum · 27/02/2023 09:10

We call at 8.30 and if you’re lucky enough to get in the top 30 you’ll get a same day appointment or one for two weeks time exactly, depending on the urgency. I don’t have trouble getting seen / speaking to a doc but it’s rarely at a time convenient for me to be honest, thankfully I have a flexible job. DH doesn’t so it’s tricker for him and often takes a few days of trying to get one that he can actually attend! DS aged 3 always gets seen same day.