How important do you think it is to be on time for a GP appt

[Ireolu]

Just that really.

Do you think it is important to turn up on time or early for a GP appt? Do you think you shd still be seen when you are 10 mins or more late for a 10 minute appt.

This is just for adults over 18 not for children. TIA for thoughts.

Being on time is important, but I do get (possibly irrationally!) annoyed at people who think being early for something is a virtue.

I have regular blood tests at a clinic and the tiny waiting room is always crammed with people arriving up to an hour early. I know as I hear them give their appt time when they arrive. Yes, I know sometimes traffic is unpredictable etc but getting somewhere an hour early is just ridiculous.

Definitely turn up on time. Also ...allow that you may have to wait a long time. Also allow for when your GP generously gives you extra time to be thorough about a concern you have raised , then that means others will be late to their appointment....so you bare probably kept waiting because someone else got that careful consultation.

I know its annoying but despite that being late as a patient just adds to the problem

Try doing what they do in 10minutes. And then you get people who bring in lists of things to be sorted out in 10m

Very important to be fair. Someone turns up late and it means everyone else is seen late too. You can see if 2 or 3 people were 10 minutes late, by later in the day, people would have quite a long wait which really wouldn't be fair to all those who turned up on time.

They may sometimes run late themselves, for good reasons, depending on the problem with a patient in front of them. That's annoying enough for those who arrive after them, but it is understandable. Add on people turning up late and it is a major problem

I always turn up a bit early, but always end up waiting 40 mins or more it’s tempting to be late but , just in case I’m still there on time

If you’re late, you shouldn’t be surprised if they say you’ve missed your slot and will have to re-book for another day. Their time isn’t limitless. They have lots of other work to do apart from seeing patients.

The same thing applies to other appointments.

You might be lucky and they tell you they will see you at the end of the session, but you cannot expect it. You certainly can’t expect other people to have their appointment delayed because you are late. It’s pretty basic really.

Essential

Very important to be on time.

But equally important for there to be consideration to why someone may be late rather than a blanket policy of x minutes late and then classed as a no show and refusal to be seen.

My GP won't see you if you're more than 5mins late, even though they think it's OK to keep you waiting well over half an hour beyond your appointment time.
It's exactly the same at the hospital.
I truly don't see why they think their time is any more valuable than mine, but there's sod all us patients can do about it!

Mine is kind enough that if you're late they will just see you in the order you arrived. There is no point being early because it just takes up room. The best bet is to arrive on time if possible.

Always early. Although end up having to wait for over 30 minutes because doctor is running late. But it's so hard to get an appointment nowadays that I wouldn't risk missing them.

I always aim for early. I do remember though one occasion when I had an appointment at the hospital about 40 minutes away.. I left home over an hour before. Unfortunately there was a fatal accident on the dual carriageway and the journey took over two hours. It was a major local news story (obviously) and as well as being a tragedy caused widespread traffic chaos. On that occasion (and having kept in touch with the hospital by phone) I was slotted in at the end of the clinic.

You need to be on time and really a min of 5 mins before appointment. Where I go it suggests 10 mins early.

Oh yes, you totally get 'in the way' sat in the waiting room....

Really weird comment. I think most people would aim to get there 5 or so mins early.

Is this a serious question? I can’t really make head nor tail of this? ‘Is it ok to turn up when we feel like to and demand to be seen?’ Yes it is absolutely important you turn up on time and if you are late (even by a minute) you better have a very good reason and apology and accept you may not be seen due to your tardiness. Is it just medical appointments you are questioning the importance of attending on time or are you not bothered about respecting anyone’s time for appointment keeping?

‘Time management is not something that is taught to people.
People get into a routine for work, they know the need to leave at x time to get to work often through trial and error, missing the bus, being at the bus stop too early.

A Doctors appointment is often an occasional thing, not something they are doing daily and they are likely to get it wrong, esp if they are trying to fit in other things.’

@Sugarfree23

Everyone should be taught manners. I wouldn’t expect my GP, hairdresser, dog groomer or anybody else to see me if I was late for my appointment.

I think one of the issues is that NHS appointments are ‘free’. If you had to pay up-front to see your GP I imagine a lot of time wasters would suddenly get very good at time keeping.

In some ways I find it easier to go to a walk in centre.
During the Easter holidays my DS had an ear infection that the Dr prescribed antibiotics for, and said to return if it didn't clear up. It hadn't improved after the course of antibiotics but getting an appointment was like getting an audience with the pope! I tried 2 or 3 days in a row at 8.10am when phone lines open and gave up after 30-40 min in a queue. We went to the local walk in centre and waited about 40 min and saw a gp.

Yeah because they have to deal with patients being late

I always try to be early just in case they can see me earlier! Like any appt always best to prepare for any eventuality so set off earlier? Yes it's annoying to then be sat there for goodness how long if they're running late but just basic courtesy to arrive on time. X

I'm old enough to remember when there were no appointments, before most people phones at all. People turned up, took a number off the wall and put it back on the other hook when they left.

The sensible people turned up at the start of surgery the less sensible people turned up at 10 and waited a long time. It was always quick to see the less popular Dr.

It would work well now everything's computerised and the Dr has access to everyone's notes at the click of a mouse.

It would rid a layer of administrative bureaucracy and frustration. The money saved could be spent on more Dr's.

You do realise they are behind because they are giving patients the time they need rather than the time they have? This also means the run over and go home late without getting paid for that time.

I turn up on time. Never early any more as I’ve had to wait 40 minutes once with my baby because of how late they were running and she was only a few weeks old. So I’m definitely not getting there early.

How often have you tried to get an appointment in the last three years?

I'm always 10 mins early, in the dream I might get seen early or even on time. I don't, and always get seen way WAYYYY past my alloted time.

It is generally important, but rules like 5mins and gone make sense only in one scenario - that the practice is running on time and the next patient wasn't yet there, so the time window remained unused.

If the practice is late anyway, or if the next person was already there, it is a common sense to just switch the order of patients. Making the person come another time won't help anyone.