Can drs have no pre bookable appointments?

[Franklyfranky]

I need some blood tests because I’m pretty such I’m anaemic and low vit d (have history of it symptoms are the same as when I’ve been quite poorly with it)

I cannot get a blood test without a gp appointment. I cannot pre book a GP appointment. I have to call the emergency line everyday. I cannot get through. Ive been told categorically the GP does not have pre bookable appointments. I thought they had to?

is anyone familiar with the guidelines to say if this is correct?

GPS and current working practices are the problem most of us grapple with.🤷‍♀️

Hopeless - like most of the NHS is now.🙄

Is there a blood clinic at your nearest hospital ?? My doctor won't do blood test unless you are housebound. So its clinic for blood tests

well yes quite, but I’m looking to confirm if my previous thought that they have to have the option of pre bookable appointments is correct. Because I will email the practice manager with a screenshot. They’ve already been in serious trouble with cqc on this sort of stuff.

Does your surgery have an online facility for this type of thing? Most seem to now. You write what the issue is and they will get back to you.

GP practices are being asked to implement triage systems so all requests for appointments are looked and then given an appropriate appointment. Also if tests needed first they may ask you to do these first so as much relevant information possible is available at the appointment.

Not that I’m aware of

The short answer in England is no, they don’t have to offer pre bookable appointments.

It seems sensible to see a doctor prior to the blood tests to decide which ones you need if the presentation is being tired all the time. There are many other causes that could be picked up with the appropriate blood tests aside from anaemia, including thyroid issues and diabetes. A consultation first will mean you get the right blood tests.

Is there not an electronic option to submit your symptoms so that it can be triaged and an appropriate appointment made?

GP surgeries are mostly private businesses these days. They are given guidelines but ultimately how they run their business is down to them (and possibly the local ICB).

There is no obligation to have prebookable GP appointments. My surgery for example advertises a certain percentage of prebookable appointments - but these are with other healthcare professionals, not GPs.

Yes they do and basically no selection dates are available, so you can’t submit anything. I was under the impression all drs surgery’s had to offer them

You can't just rock up at a blood clinic demanding a blood test it has to be requested by a clinician first.

My surgery is exactly the same op. Have to call them at 8.30am no matter what now.
This has changed, 2 months ago you could pre book a non urgent appointment.
fecking awful 😞

No there’s nothing and therein lies my problem, you can’t get through at 8am and you can’t prebook

Mine just tell you to come into reception and grab a blood test form, and book it yourself using the list of clinics on the back.

You seem to be getting hung up on prebooking a date - no they dont have to offer a selection of dates for you to prebook. I'm not clear where you have got that idea from.

Submit the online form saying you are experiencing a reoccurrence of symptoms of anaemia they will probably get back to you with an appointment for the nurse to take bloods at some point or date for a clinic in the future.

There is no online form you seem pretty hung up on the idea of them offering an online form. There is no online form.

the only way to get a blood test is to get an emergency appointment with the dr

I have to drag myself to the GP for annual /biannual diabetes reviews. There wouldn’t be a hope in hell of me getting there if I had to pick a day to try to get an appointment by phoning in at 8am.
Surely it’s not feasible that they ‘don’t do pre booked appointments’?

Also because surely it can’t just be a service for on the day emergencies. That’s ludicrous

My surgery is like that. Although they find you an appointment pretty quickly if you ring 111 and tell them your GP won't see you unless you ring at 8am.

At my GP you have to pre book a blood test with their HCA but i have to have a GP appointment prior to that for him to refer me to have that blood test

I guess this is my point, are they allowed to operate in such a way. You used to be able to turn up at 8am and queue but they won’t allow that anymore either

However due to certain medication I'm taking my surgery call me to book in blood tests

OP you definitely don't have econsult?

I can arrange things this way, I also have the email address for the practice.

It is shocking you can't prebook for chronic recurring illnesses.

They are not "emergency" appointments. Most GPs now offer a same day service. Call in the morning and the you get a call back. Most urgent calls prioritised first.

In my practice you would have to discuss your issues with the doctor first. You can't self refer for blood tests loads of people would misuse that option.

You said above at 17.48 that they have an online facility but you didn't submit it because there wasn't any dates to pick!

While I was posting in response to that you then completely contradicted it and said they didn't have an electronic option at all?

Which is it?

And it's not an emergency- so just keep ringing until you get through. Or register with a different surgery perhaps?

I can't speak generally, but my practice has bookable GP appointments. You go through Patient Access app, explain the problem and ask for an appointment with a doctor, nurse or whatever. You can't actually book it online, but the surgery gets in touch in the next hour or so, offering an appointment (unless there's some reason that they think you don't need one in which case they will explain why). The appointment is usually for the same day or at least the same week.

Do they mean they do not have any available ( which is the case with most GPs) or that they have given up on providing non-emergency appointments?
I do not know the law, but I am positive the latter is not legal, right? It makes zero sense.
Last time we needed the GP, we went into a list to have an appointment given. You read it right, there was a waiting list for them to get your name on a future slot. I was 3 months in when I got a text with my appointment date, another 3 weeks or so ahead. Receptionist took a comprehensive list of symptoms and prior related history.
It is dire. We pay for it with our taxes and this is what we get. Here hoping it improves soon.
OP, call them, clarify, check with your trust. I suppose it is better in writing, like an email? Otherwise, you will have to take a day off to pop in. You may get the appointment that day, or a future date.
There was a season where I did take days off to be able to call the GP to get an appointment. I kid you not! It was that hard!