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?

Yes sorry, local Health Board is what appears when I google mine.
It could be other body on yours.

Our GP you ring at 8am can take up to15min to get through. If it's urgent they will try to get u an appointment that day. If there's no appointments you will be triaged for a nurses call that morning who will decide if you need to be seen. For regular appointments it's two weeks. I've never had issue getting an appointment.
For bloods they decide what you need, make a note on system then you go to the hospital to get them done, it's ticketed so no booking.

You can get iron, B12 & vit D tests in superdrug. You can then get prescription supplements through their online service if the tests show you need it.

The elderly are encouraged to ring NHS 111.

But can I get an fbc also testing my hormones and thyroid which is what I actually need, the iron is just my guessing

On the assumption that you're not medical yourself, ask for a GP appt, tell them your symptoms and see what they say. Not everything has the answer in a blood test.

So what happened when you called 111 on the first day you weren't able to get the GP appointment you need???

Oh I could cry… as per the whole tone of the thread I cannot get one due to the aforementioned reasons.

Not gone down the 111 route, I thought that was generally for urgent/ emergency scenarios

Nope not at all. If you can't get a GP appointment you call 111 they'll get you sorted. Try your GP at 8am tomorrow and if no luck then call 111 straight away. Or do 111 online.

When I hit this sort of problem with our gps (a depressingly regular occurrence these days) I find the only thing that works is to go in in person and ask the receptionist what to do. I've found being polite and persistent in person pays big dividends.

If people don’t use the internet and can’t fill in the econsult form, usually they can ring the practice and one of the receptionists will fill in the form for them.

I’m baffled at how you get any appointment at our GP to be honest, you can’t phone in the day, you can’t queue up and get one, half the time the e-consult doesn’t get opened…I’m starting to wonder if it’s even a real surgery 😂

Yes.
If you have had low iron before than try that first & then have the others if the iron, B12, D etc come back normal.

The surgery will have nurse appointments for more general health checks & will be able seek advice from a GP or book you in if needed. That's probably easier than trying to get a GP one.

Can you do an econsult or similar? I never phone in as sitting on hold isn't my thing, but they normally come back to me quickly with an appointment of some sort

You don't need an appointment you just need a call. Which is usually triaged.

well I need to tell my symptoms to someone and likely get a blood test, the only person that can do that is a GP at this surgery, I do not care if this is a triage phone call appointment or a f2f appointment.

They don’t have them

Sorry if I missed this but what's happening when you call in the morning? Do they say it's not urgent or just N/A? Can they put you in the triage list for the next day? Can you go in and ask?

Same system here (south East) as the OP. It's absolutely ridiculous. And yet they make me see a GP every bloody year for a review of the antidepressants I be been taking for 20 years. Seems stupid to me

It’s same day only.

so if you call, if you can get into the queue then you’ve got a chance of getting triaged but a lot of the time the line doesn’t even connect because there are too many people in the queue. I managed to get through a few weeks back and was told it was urgent and only urgent appointments for that day, but I’ve been assured since that it’s not only urgent appointments

I think the issue for OP is that they need a GP appointment first so that the relevant blood tests can be requested initially

It's not possible to just show up to a blood test appointment and get a load of tests unless a clinician has requested them first

I emded up going provate and had a whole load of blood work and a booklet of my reaults. Then went to my Gp and told them how useless they were. Refusing me tests I emded up with Vit D levels below 20 and a whole host of issues.

When they don't pick up the phone I go there in person when they open and queue up there are loads of 0eople doing that.
My Gp offered inline aervice before COVID and due8ng but once restrictions were lifted they removed the services.

Ahh yes, fair point.

It does sound difficult. Could you try going in?