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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Is my GP's booking system particularly bad, or is it all of them?

26 replies

Puffykins · 21/09/2023 01:36

My GP surgery has changed it's booking system for the 4th time in 2 years. On the website, it says call x number to book an appointment. At 8.30 am this morning - the hour they open (before that you just get voicemail) - I call. I spent three hours in a telephone queue, and by the time I got through there were no appointments left, and there is no advance booking (ie for next week.) The receptionist - who also does triage to decide if you need to see the doctor - suggested I try again tomorrow.

I work from home some days, so can do this (just) - what about all those who cannot spend hours on the phone hoping that you might get an appointment that day?

Apparently the mental health person could have seen me, but they couldn't prescribe HRT, which is why I want to see the doctor.

I know the situation is dire right now - I've been waiting 3 years for physio for DS, who was referred by GOSH as the issues were caused by chemotherapy he had - (I've now gone private for him - but cannot afford to do the same for myself, as well.) But how is someone who is, say, a teacher meant to see a GP? Or someone who works in a shop? You can't even take a day off with a guarantee that you'll succeed in being seen that day.

OP posts:
VeryGoodVeryNice · 21/09/2023 01:46

Yeah that does sound crap. Since covid my doctors have had an online triage system which works well. You always get a call back the same day, either to resolve whatever it is on the phone (in most cases), or book you in to see the GP if you need to be seen. I much prefer it to the old phone scramble first thing, as having to actually see a doctor every time involved an inevitable wait of up to an hour as they were always running late. You can attach photos to your online request so if it was something eg a rash, it can still be resolved on the phone most of the time.

Thepeopleversuswork · 21/09/2023 01:57

It’s fucking awful. My GP surgery is also like this. It’s pretty much a full time job trying to get an appointment. I also work from home a lot and I’m able to queue outside the GP at 7.45sm without fear of losing my job. If I didn’t have the ability to do this I would have been fired years ago. I don’t know how they expect people to balance the hamster wheel of working with primary care services against their jobs and families.

Someone will be along shortly to tell you online triage works well etc but it’s a substandard state of affairs.

Trez1510 · 21/09/2023 02:09

When I worked, I'd be commuting when our surgery opened. I always got someone else to call on my behalf. Not ideal but my employer was very flexible regarding GP appointments so I could attend any time that was secured by my 'proxy'.

It's only very recently our surgery has started allowing appointments other than same day to be booked without GP permission. Still not available to book online as they were previously but it's progress towards normality I guess.

That said I've never heard of three hour telephone queues .... that sounds so frustrating and unnecessary really.

Britneyfan · 21/09/2023 05:28

I’m a GP. Booking systems vary widely. Most places now have an online e-consult thing - we have this switched on 24/7 and processed daily during working hours which patients really like for the most part.

A big part of why this sort of craziness is happening just FYI is because the government in all of its its wisdom randomly decided at one point that everyone who needs a GP appt has to be seen within 2 weeks. Totally ignoring that lots of people actually want to book for non-urgent stuff for Friday 3 weeks from now when they have a day off etc. And don’t want to call every morning desperately trying to get an on the day appt with no guarantee about something totally nonurgent. But due to this most places book the huge majority of their appts on the day which is the opposite to how things used to work prepandemic. So that we can meet the target the government has randomly set, rather than giving patients what they actually want… I have 3 prebookable appointments out of every 20 for my clinics and they go fast. Everything else is on the day as that’s the only way we can realistically meet this target.

JenniBlanco · 21/09/2023 06:07

Britneyfan · 21/09/2023 05:28

I’m a GP. Booking systems vary widely. Most places now have an online e-consult thing - we have this switched on 24/7 and processed daily during working hours which patients really like for the most part.

A big part of why this sort of craziness is happening just FYI is because the government in all of its its wisdom randomly decided at one point that everyone who needs a GP appt has to be seen within 2 weeks. Totally ignoring that lots of people actually want to book for non-urgent stuff for Friday 3 weeks from now when they have a day off etc. And don’t want to call every morning desperately trying to get an on the day appt with no guarantee about something totally nonurgent. But due to this most places book the huge majority of their appts on the day which is the opposite to how things used to work prepandemic. So that we can meet the target the government has randomly set, rather than giving patients what they actually want… I have 3 prebookable appointments out of every 20 for my clinics and they go fast. Everything else is on the day as that’s the only way we can realistically meet this target.

What happens if you don't meet your target?

TheLeavesAreTurningBrown · 21/09/2023 06:10

Mine also bad

Toomucho · 21/09/2023 06:17

@Britneyfan Isn't the problem, more people want appointments than there are appointments available? I'm not sure I understand how the target would mean this is the 'best' approach.

budgetingnovice1993 · 21/09/2023 06:27

My GP is so good. I can call and get same day or go in and book or book online. I can book in advance for future follow up appointments as well. Doctor will end appointment by saying come back in a month, I will go reception and book it in right there and then for a month's time. This is in Scotland.

autienotnaughty · 21/09/2023 06:27

With ours you ring on the morning to get an appointment the following week. If it's an urgent appointment you are triaged and a doctor will ring you

shakeitoffsis · 21/09/2023 06:40

No mine is fantastic. Online requests almost always get answered within 24 hours, most of the time same day, phone call system is organised too. I'm very lucky.

ThePoshUns · 21/09/2023 06:42

My GP surgery is useless, as someone who works full time public facing its is impossible to spend an hour or so in the 'queue' to be told try again tomorrow.
Luckily I'm in good health but even sorting my HRT prescription out is a mammoth ( and frustrating) effort.
I know GPs are under pressure but I do pay towards the service from my taxes but get very little in return.
If I earned more I'd go private in a shot.

WhatNoRaisins · 21/09/2023 06:45

The cynic in me wonders if they are actually hoping that some people will just move to other practices without a fuss so there's less pressure. It's obvious to anyone with more than a handful of brain cells that there are people in jobs who will have no way to access appointments under this system.

Passthecake30 · 21/09/2023 06:46

Mine is similar, call at 8.30, sit in a queue for 30mins and get an appointment for 3 weeks time! What works for me for things like chest infections is do the e-consult, and then wait for a doctor to call. If they deem you need an appointment, they can find you one ASAP. For HRT, I had a telephone appointment within a couple of days, and submit BP readings over the phone, I’ve never seen a doc.

asosStalker · 21/09/2023 06:46

That sounds ridiculous.

I have to say that ours works really well. If you fill in an e-consult a clinician always gets back to you within 24 hours (and if it’s urgent, it will always be within a couple of hours). They’ll book you into an appointment on the day if appropriate or for an appointment in a few days/a week if needed. You can call them but you get added to the same triage list with the practice nurse as everyone else so I find e-consults are much better for getting your point across and are more convenient as they accept submissions from 6.30am rather than waiting until 8.30 to call.

PerfectMatch · 21/09/2023 06:49

Ours seems to be fine, a couple of weeks ago I phoned up and made a non urgent appointment for the following week. I haven't had to make an urgent appointment recently but I believe you need to call at 8.30 for that. The e-booking system that they used during Covid doesn't seem to be used much any more.

Em2ds1dd · 21/09/2023 06:51

Ours is useless. You ring on the day you’re poorly for an appointment in 2 weeks time - that’s only offered after the pre-screening by the the bookings team.
Then in my experience I was told that yes I needed to see a GP but there were no appointments left (for the next 2 weeks), and I should call back the next day and go through the process again. And I might be luckier 🤷‍♀️

Viewfrommyhouse · 21/09/2023 06:51

I moved areas a year but only recently had cause to need an appointment. My surgery uses AskMyGP. I was pleasantly surprised! I needed two appointments, got one 2 days later, another just over a week later - all booked online, with a choice of days and times.

TinglingTangling · 21/09/2023 06:55

Ours is similar… you ring at 8.30 for a same day emergency app and ring at 9.30 for a same day routine.
You can also book in advance but the app are normally about 3-4 weeks later.
I like the system. Never had a problem getting an app.

GreyCarpet · 21/09/2023 06:55

Same at mine.

The last time I tried to get an appointment, I've phoned at 8; was on hold for 40 mins; was told there were no appointments left; was told to try again tomorrow; when the same happened again.

Time before that, I was in quite severe pain; phoned at 8; same happened; told them I was in pain and they suggested I phoned 111; I phoned them; was on hold for so long I dozed off; to be given the advice there was nothing I could do and I needed to see my GP. My partner's mum gave me some of her prescription painkillers instead 🤷🏻‍♀️

I haven't actually seen a GP for over 5 years.

I was prescribed the pill over the phone (4 years ago) but they would only prescribe 3 months without seeing me for weight/height and blood pressure checks; haven't been able to get an appointment for that so no longer on it.

I haven't even been able to get a GP call back appointment since before covid. But, even if I could, I can't wait fby the phone for the 3 hours needed because I can't have my phone with me at work.

One of my friends is a retired GP. If she needs to see one, she just turns up at the surgery at 7.30 and waits outside until they open. She then refuses to leave until she has been seen.

TakeMe2Insanity · 21/09/2023 06:56

Ours uses an app that opens at 7 (hence why sat on my phone) and then is full by 8. The triage is fine but anything complicated is hard to get across as doesn’t fit in a particular box. Eg was seen in the system 2 weeks ago, told to go back if it didn’t work. It didn’t work and went back the person cancelled the request because they needed more info - surely you phone and ask rather than cancelling the request and I’m thrown out of the system! Ridiculous!

Pleaseme · 21/09/2023 06:58

My current Gp is fab tbh but I don’t think this is new. When I lived in Edinburgh 20 years ago the Gp changed to a call and book for next three days system.

So you’d call wait an hour, get through, no appointments. Try again tomorrow. I managed to get hospitalised twice with tonsillitis. It’s a shit system when you have to wait to get sick enough to become an emergency.

rumnraisinrocks · 21/09/2023 07:08

Ours is an online/phone scramble at 8am. Both systems close once all requests have gone. Usually by 8.15am. Don't open again until the following day.

I received a text to make a pharmacy review appointment. The link took me to the usual online request page so I had to wait until 8am. Filled it in and they arranged me an appointment for in 2 weeks for a call sometime that day.
I asked that they call more than once as I missed their only call last time........you know because I was working

The reply was that they may not call more than once as they are busy 🤬

Apparently I can phone the day before to let them know the times I won't be available. I plan to not be available for most of the day in the hope they will call me in a window I can keep free and avoid other phone calls (or going to the toilet!)

WeWereInParis · 21/09/2023 07:16

Yep mine is like this. My mum is a teacher and it's a nightmare because IF you do manage to get a phone appointment they can't give even a vague time. My mum has tried asking if she can just be put last on the list, so she's called towards the end of the day when school has finished, but they won't. And she can't just walk out of a lesson to have a GP phone call. I assume her students have the same issue - they can't walk out of class, and don't want to be having a personal GP call in the playground.

BatshitCrazyWoman · 21/09/2023 07:19

I have issues too. I'm at work with my phone locked away far away from me when I'm supposed to phone. No one else who can call for me. They also will randomly call me when I'm at work and can't answer if I fill in the eConsult. I've used a private GP as my GP's system doesn't work for me (I've got an autoimmune condition, but otherwise healthy, thank god).

It would probably be ok if I was unwell and off work for a few days, but otherwise, no, it's no good for me.

Original poster
Puffykins · 21/09/2023 07:46

@Britneyfan thank you for explaining- gosh that's ridiculous. We don't even have online triage, so it's just phone and hope, every day.... the practice is now merging with another practice which I guess may improve things? (Or not.)

It makes me quite cross to read some of these accounts though - in so many cases the system is literally unworkable for so many people. I can't change practices either - we moved here two years ago, and it took several attempts to find a surgery who would allow us to register.

OP posts: