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?!

Proves what a stupid idea it is!

Well I rang the surgery again, spent another half hour in the queue… and by the time I got through all the remaining appointments were gone and because it was ONE MINUTE PAST FOUR the utterly useless e-consult was closed. An hour and a bit of my life completely wasted.

My parents knew how to use a computer, unfortunately due to age, eyesight, early dementia and a stroke they carnt anymore. They can use a phone. Your post is very me jme. You will age one day, remember that.

How bloody stupid. These practices reckon they are implementing this kind of shitty system because 'it's the way things need to go now' and 'most of the patients prefer it!' (Really? Have you asked them all?! I doubt it!)

The fact is, it's bollocks. Many people hate this system where you can't just pop in to make an appointment, and with the OP it's even worse, she can't ring either. It's only online! AGAIN, what about people with no internet?! One person added (after I asked) that people will help them, but there appears to be no sign of the OP's surgery doing that!

For some people, speaking to the GP receptionist when they go to book an appointment, is probably the only interaction/conversation they will get with a human being that week!

It's just very sad, this attitude of I'm All Right Jack, and everybody else can go hang

I worked with adults in functional skills, English classes for a little while , and IT, it was common to find people in their 60s who had never used a smart phone or an online system, and some couldn't read because of missed diagnosis in their childhood and having a practical job all their life. More men than women, and men already are less likely to seek healthcare advice.

They could not use this system , and they shouldn't have to find someone to do it for them

Do you want to share with someone your personal medical history? Your mental health struggles? Your menopause symptoms? Do you want them to take photographs of you to upload with your E consult?

It's very sad how we are taking dignity away from people alongside their access to healthcare.

I agree @countrygirl99 what a hugely rude and ignorant comment from @TheBarbieEffect

MANY people who are 75+ now would have been in their late 50s/early 60s (or older) when computers first started being used more, and would have been already retired, or in a job where they never used computers. Or as you said, they knew how to use them, but because of various health conditions, they can no longer use them. Disgraceful ignorant comment to say 'tough shit that you never learned to use computers!! (Or can't use them any more!)

Very well said @whatsinanameeh !!!

Totally feel your frustration OP.

The issue i’ve found is that it’s really difficult to get the receptionist to acknowledge that not everything is covered by the e consult. I’ve been unable to use it for both specialist referrals and post-surgery care. Really had to battle to get an appointment via phone.

Can anyone explain why we all seem to be experiencing the same problems?

@juniper111 no I don't think the receptionist made the rule.

Would have thought it would made more sense if she could send a message to the GP saying YP has something that needs looking at and GP could have authorised a face to face appointment, which would have saved us both some time and freed up a telephone appointment for someone who could be dealt with by phone.

If I'd done an e-consult form online, the GP would have read it in their non-appointment time and I'd probably have been asked to make a face to face appointment. I'm not allowed to use the e-consult form as I've got a long term chronic illness, so if I answer the questions honestly it tells me I need to ring the surgery and speak to someone, even though the skin growth is nothing to do with my chronic illness which is currently well managed.

I can’t believe how some of these surgeries operate.

At ours you’re allowed to turn up, book on their website or phone. Everyone is guaranteed to speak to a dr/nurse or to be seen by a dr, that day! I can’t believe how lucky we are to be honest.

No they'd rather complain on here and blame it all on the receptionist because apparently they make all the decisions

Yes it is ridiculous and it’s also exclusionary to patients who do not have the ability to use online services whether through disability, impairment, age or hardship.

So if you have no wifi and don’t have a smart phone and living in hardship WTAF are you meant to do? Pop down the road to a more affluent neighbour and ask them to do it for you?

Fuck right off with this SHIT!

my actual job is digital transformation based and I am ALL for new tech but it doesn’t suit everyone and can be extremely discriminatory.

I hope they have policies in place for those patients and carers who this is just not an option (and that goes for the other “calls only” GPS) how the fuck you calling someone when you’re deaf.

It’s really hard to get in touch with our GP and get a telephone appointment. They will call you at some point within the next 3 days, but you don’t know when.

There may well be many people who are worried about a potential medical condition that are easily put off going to the GP because they dont want to face it and given its so hard to get an appointment they just leave it. None of us want to go to the doctors….

Have you complained to the manager? Or your MP?

Here you ring the reception and they ask if you want face to face or phone. They do ask a few questions to see if a nurse practioner can help.
If its urgent you see your gp same day. If not usually within a week.
Last Thursday I called and had an appt with my named GP at 3 that afternoon.
Mind you, the practice is usually in the top 10 in the country based on patient surveys.
I would think twice about moving for that reason alone

Because e consult is crap.

My surgery has just acknowledged this and changed to a different system which they all rave about. I haven’t tried it out yet.

I have similar issues. I'm at work, and my phone is locked away apart from lunchtime, except on the day I WFH. So ringing me 'at any time between 12 and 6 pm, within 2 to 4 days' is fuck all use to me.

I've just used private GPs, luckily I can afford it.

Never heard of needing a letter to set up the NHS app. Who would you send the letter to? What do you do with it?

Ours is a website. Or phone. No app.

Ours has been like this since the pandemic. We have to book online and describe our symptoms and then sometimes the receptionist will come back and request more information - this backwards and forwards can take two days and then we receive a text to say an appointment has been made, usually a one -two week wait but there’s never a time stipulated we’re expected to be available whenever they call which is an absolute pain. Sometime they close the online booking system for days at a time and they refuse to take calls. The problem I have with this system is there’s absolutely zero confidentiality - when I suffered from anxiety and mild depression the last thing I wanted to do was write about it and then not know who was actually reading it.

I think this is the sort of thing that could work well for some people but not at all for others.

I could use it myself, I've made online appointments a few times. I'm not aware that our surgery is using this system yet, although I should think they will eventually.

I do think that they will have to operate both systems in tandem for a long time yet. Plenty of people could have problems with online or computer based systems.

My 88 year old mother would be in this category. She does have broadband, but no smartphone or computer, only her Alexa which she uses for audio books or to listen to the radio. Even if she had the inclination to learn to use a computer (she doesn't), she would now never be able to see the screen properly because of severe macular degeneration. I can't do it for her before anyone tries to suggest that as I live a three hour drive away and she would never want to phone me to divulge her issues. The idea would horrify her.

There are many people who would struggle to use a computer for many different reasons. Some may never have learned, some may have disabilities and/or learning difficulties that make it problematic etc. etc. etc. Some on this thread seem to be hinting that they should thus be unable to access GP appointments, which would be really discriminatory.

Ridiculous.

@countrygirl99 I couldn't agree more.
There seems to a persistent ignoring of the fact that people lose their abilities as they develop cognitive issues. My dm has, in the last 3 years gone from doing everything on her macbook to just about being able to look at her bank account on a dementia friendly phone. Still manages to live in supported accommodation but can't navigate the digital world.

My surgery does allow calls but only between 8 and 9, and the lengths of the call queues mean you're often cut off promptly at 9 without managing to speak to anyone.

But it's ok apparently, because you can do an eConsult... but only between the hours of 8 and 9!!!. WTF. What if you're regularly at work during that one hour or something?

So frustrating.

And according to you those consequences should be that they have no access to healthcare ? Just because computers have been around for decades doesn’t mean everyone can use them, and certainly doesn’t mean that we should be forcing people who have trouble with them, for whatever reason, into yet another one size fits all system which will inevitably end in tragedy for someone.