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?

Sympathies OP, my surgery is the same as yours. No e-consult just phone on the day for same day appointments. The phone lines open at 8am and close as soon as all the appointments have gone which is usually within 10 minutes. In desperation one time I took a screenshot of the number of times I’d tried to call which was over 200 in one morning and emailed it to reception. Surprising they got in touch and offered me an appointment later that week. Is it worth trying that?

It's awful. Here during Covid most practices triaged. Now they have reverted to bookable for whatever and same day for on call urgent issues. The GP calls back advised / brings you in tbs whatever.
Husband is a GP I'm a hospital doc. Gp had terrible recruitment issues a few yrs ago only two drs in practice the other practice was handed back to the HB and closed. Now practices have full complement if Drs as well as ANPs etc who are overseen and their workload controlled by the GPs ( easier cases etc).
In the hospital works we are currently in the highest pressure colour whatever that is these days so we have an overwhelmed AE with patients waiting in the waiting room who should be in AE or even resus and wards with extra patients ie above capacity 22pts on a 20 bed ward to try and reduce the AE overwhelm and make it in anyway safer. It's hard as everyone is looking after too many patients.

I feel horribly sorry for my GP practice as the staff are all fabulous but they are seriously over capacity. A new housing estate was built just down the road a few years ago. 700 houses but no infrastructure so the local GP surgeries have had to accommodate goodness knows how many more patients. It’s a shambles.

My GPs are like this, I have been battling with some health issues and have needed numerous blood tests over the last few months.

Everything is online to request to see the doctor and on some occasions they shut the online triage request down because they have two many requests to process. With the advice to call 111. Which is fine if you have a one off medical need and need an antibiotic etc but for those of us with long term health issues it’s frustrating

My GP surgery is exactly the same.

I've been left without a GP, effectively. I can force someone to see me if it's an emergency by ringing 111, but all other types of medical care I'm now unable to access.

I've contacted the practice manager at length about it. He thinks it's fine!

I've got significant health issues too so it's really not appropriate for me not to have a GP either.

It's just awful!

yes, it is and it’s not sustainable.
I absolutely feel your pain, we are like hostages of the system.
Our surgery does online forms so you’d probably get a routine appointment to discuss this issue in 6-9 weeks.

I think it depends, at our surgery we have e consult but can also book an appointment and will be seen within 48 hours and within 24 hours if it's a child. Exh's surgery though it's impossible, you have to phone at 8am when everyone is trying to get emergency appointments on the off chance that there is a space on a date that opens that morning for 3 weeks time. If you see a GP who asks to see you again to follow up you can't book an appointment for the follow up you have to phone on the day for an emergency appointment which means that if the receptionist doesn't consider it an emergency you won't get an appointment.

So did you call 111 today? Or go online and fill in the 111 form?