Apparently you can no longer call the GP to book a GP appointment.

[AngeloMysterioso]

You now HAVE to book online, and it HAS to be through the website and NOT the app.

I found that out the hard way today when I tried to book an appointment for my son, the app said none available so I rang up and waited half an hour on the phone to get through to reception, who told me I had to book it online.

You make a request and they’ll get back you within 48 hours.

AIBU to think that’s bloody ridiculous?!

Ah yes. You mention that not being able to access online care is “the consequence” of people “choosing” not to learn using computers?

Right. Consequences of being poor. Consequences of being disabled. Consequences of being elderly (not that all elderly people can’t, but most of the 80-85+ year olds I know struggle). Yes, no medical care or social system (now that it’s all online) for them! I mean, you can’t just let ANYONE benefit from your society. Oh… wait. Wait, apparently, that IS what you’re supposed to do. What a crazy system!

But seriously, do you have a stepdaughter named Cinderella? Or… are you currently trying to make a coat out of a bunch of Dalmatian puppies? OR are you currently trying to perfect a poisoned apple?

Also the fact that something like 45 people have answered and they’ve all shared how their particular system is unique indicates it’s not JUST that easy.

My surgery told me last year to do this. I got up surgery website,did the email user name password. Got email confirming user name. Then when I tried to make an appointment,it comes up "hum there seems to be a problem,you aren't actually registered at this practice, would you like to choose another practice from the list. I've been registered with them 12 years. I finally went into the surgery,put up the surgery website on my phone,showed the receptionist what it said, she had a very quick look, said,"that's not us" although the name of the surgery is blatantly shown at the top,and pushed the phone over the counter to me, turning her back. I left the surgery, tried many times. It suggested I login to NHS site. Tried that,it said I require a letter from the GP confirming I am registered with them. Last week someone rang from the surgery said it had been a year since my last script,so I have to make appointment, almost 3 months wait for a PHONE APPOINTMENT! told her I have the box script was 8/12/22 NOT a year ago. Finally rang spoke to someone else,who said she didn't know why I had even be told this.

@TheBarbieEffect my mum was in her 70s when she got a PC. It was not easy for her (retired professional). Even if she did choose not to be online - how could any person that age have predicted things like GP appointments would require internet access? Don't people have the right not to be online?

Haven't read through all the messages but what about the people that have no online access?

We have to use e consult. Filled it in twice last week and said I won't be around before 10am. They phoned (I know because I was told) at 9.40 and moaned because I didn't answer. I didn't answer because I was out which they were told!

It is useful for having to chase up prescriptions and referrals. I did have it where I needed something I'd been on previously. Got a text to say they've sent my prescription to the chemist.

I had a routine nurse appointment today - which I made by phone, because they have changed their online system, and I can't currently make online appointments, which I forgot to ask about this morning.

I am highly computer literate - I have an MSc in computer science and over a quarter century's work experience in IT. If I don't find it easy, then what hope do those have, who don't have a smart phone or a computer at home, can't get to the library to use a publicly accessible computer (possibly because they're ill and need to see a doctor,) or can't see well (I have a blind partner; he has some sight, but there are plenty of websites and forms which are inaccessible to him, because they haven't been designed by someone who has an understanding of what will make things more legible to him,) and don't have anyone to help?

A doctor's surgery is likely to have a higher percentage of people who struggle to access online forms for all sorts of reasons. There are those of us who it will suit better, but it shouldn't disadvantage others. Triaging makes sense, as not everyone's problem is as urgent as they think (whereas others might be more do; it can go both ways.) But any system does need to cater for all users, including those who have restrictions because of daily routine and work.

The pre-covid system we had worked well - you used to be able to book the duty GP, any male GP, any female GP or a named GP; the first would get you an appointment in the next day or two, but a named GP could be much longer. You could also phone for an appointment. Although you couldn't make nurse appointments online, for no reason I ever really understood. But that stopped with covid.

Mine says appointments to be booked on the myGP app so I go through all the usual hoo ha then it says your practice hasn't released any appointments.

They must send me a letter a week about my overdue smear but I can't get an appointment.

Ours has been like this since the start of Covid.

For someone with first language English, it's not an issue really, though the form you have to complete sometimes asks what seem like completely irrelevant questions.

Whoever is on Triage reads it and then offers an emergency appt, or a regular appt, in person or online as appropriate.

It works very well, in my experience and I've always received the care I need / want in a timely fashion knowing that the appts have been fairly allocated, according to need.

How very insightful.

My parents and inlaws were early and keen tech adopters. They got older, and found it harder to see the screens, navigate the systems, repair or even afford the tech.

At one point, MIL had no option but to use the library computer. Which you had to book in advance... online.

Elderly people can suffer from sight and dexterity problems that make use of computers difficult, and that’s before you take account of any memory problems.

I’ve used computers at work for over 40 years and the computers of forty years ago bear no resemblance to those of today, plus many people would have had jobs which would not have required computer use.

Friend of mine has been waiting 38 days for the results of a bone density scan which was carried out as 'urgent'. They don't get the results revealed to them, they have to phone, but every time they try, they're number 40+ in the queue, and that's ringing when the lines open at 8am. There is, at their surgery, apparently no other way to speak to a GP.

I’ve been trying to get an appointment for almost 2 weeks now.

You have to phone up at 8:30 on the day and wait in a queue with everyone else.

Then when they finally answer they tell me all the appointments are taken and to ring back the next day.

I’ve asked them if I can’t just book an appointment ahead of time as it’s not urgent and they’ve said no it has to be on the day.

The most frustrating thing is that I start work at 8 but it takes me an hour to get to work.
So I have to stop work at 8:30 and are often on the phone for an hour waiting in line.

I’ve not got an appointment yet but if I do manage to get one I’d have to leave work the same day (which will be very difficult to get emergency cover) go to my 10min appointment and then drive back, so I would have to drive for 4 hours in total if I’m not allowed the entire day off.

Its obviously we don't give a shit about the very old and vulnerable.

I think it's disgusting the way the old and vulnerable are being discarded .

I have a friend couple who are very computer illiterate, the male is dyslexic and has limited reading skills due to a negligent childhood. What do posters suggest this couple do? Surely asking a friend or family member to do it goes against their right to privacy in healthcare? In the same way that me being deaf and having someone do phonecalls on my behalf?

The ones showing their usual vitriol towards older people on here will be the same ones moaning when they have to wait longer in A&E cos the elderly go there instead. This is what my 87 year old dad had to do recently

And im sick of the NHS assuming that family and friends can just be there all the time to help out like those family and friends havent got jobs and lives and commitments.

Would the GPs who think this is fine be happy if it was THEIR receptionist taking time off work to help an elderly relative or friend. I think we can guess.

I have a private doctor. They love a telephone conversation as they can charge just to say you can come in. Someone needs to do something.

I don’t have a problem with my GP practice, call in the morning and see a GP later that day, they also only do face to face appointments.

It's terrible OP. I've filled in two e - consults, and twice missed the telephone call because I'm working or driving. I've had to go into the surgery and speak to the practice manager to insist on a face to face appointment (which of course I now have, and they could have saved all this fuss by booking me in as requested in the first place!)

At the very least, people should be given a reasonable telephone appointment time, i.e between 2 and 2.30 etc so they can arrange to be available. 'Anytime from 12 - 6pm' is crap tbh and I'm not putting up with it anymore. In future it's one e-consult and then off to the practice manager I go. If everyone did this the system would have to change.

My GP surgery has had the online system since just before covid (a godsend) and it is great. If you ring them there is an initial message saying to use the website unless you are booking a nurse appointment or don’t have internet access. I’m sure they would speak to someone on the phone who couldn’t for whatever reason use the online form. And on the online form, there is a question about how you would prefer to be contacted (phone, email) and whether there are any times you can’t be contacted. I don’t know why every surgery can’t do this so that many of the issues mentioned on this thread are avoided?

There are a lot of groups who suffer if they cannot speak with a real life person, at least as an option, not limited to those without internet (e.g. if it's cut off/bills issues), people with cognitive difficulties so those with early dementia, brain damage due to strokes/brain injury, those who have social communication difficulties, those with learning disabilities, those needing support due to being blind, deaf, profoundly dyslexic, and so on. It's absolutely ludicrous that the NHS is rationing care according to ability to access a reasonably complex phone and internet system! Of course, bright well-off people with lots of time to spare and access to the internet are going to do better.

That's why GPs are very important as physical locations as are pharmacists, so people can take in their information and prescription (if they can) and ask questions. Multiple ways of access include more people (so some may prefer phone/online, I often do).

Each time I've filled in the e-consult form, I've had an appointment text fifteen minutes later, and I've been talking to a doctor within a couple of hours. A HUGE improvement.

BUT my surgery will still take calls from the elderly and anyone who cannot use the internet, and make appointments for them that way.

Do you think it's the receptionist who made this decision that it's telephone appointments first?

Ours is the same, which I wouldn't mind if you could just type in 50 words or less what is up with you. But no, it wants you to choose between about 8 fixed options - dermatology, repeat prescription, contraception, paediatric...if you are an adult with a pain in your stomach or a swollen leg you are screwed because there is no option for those.

Good job it's not her surgery then.

I love it.

Filled in the online form.

Received a call from the GP within 5 mins (I was call 160), after a 5 min chat he sent a prescription to the pharmacy and I picked it up that evening