To think this GP appointment booking system is insane?

[Ezlo]

My surgery is open each weekday. There are two ways to book an appointment. Online form or by standing in a queue. Both options are open from 8am.

Today is the second day I've missed out on getting an appointment as bookings have now closed due to unprecedented demand. I commute between 8am and 8.45am so cannot access the online booking system any earlier. I am so frustrated!

Same here. Ours is be first in the queue at 8.10am or bust!
Basically you call at 8.10am, if you haven't progressed very far in the queue by 8.30am , it's not likely you'll get an apt that day. No opportunity to book ahead and no second opening at eg 12pm.or 2pm, so rinse and repeat at 8.10am, for how ever many days....
I heard somewhere that they used to calculate the average person needed a GP appointment 4 x a year, but now it's 8 x a year. Within our family of 4 we don't generally need more than 4 appointments per year between us and it's still like getting blood from a stone trying to get an apt! There must be people with chronic illnesses, health problems and health anxiety that are going a lot more frequently.

Ours takes online or phone but phone queue you can request a callback so you don't have to sit and wait. I've always managed to get an appt for same day when needed.

The appts are mainly done over the phone though, I've not been to the surgery since Covid unless for a smear test etc.

Our surgery is “ring back in X weeks when the book for next month opens” 😂

Exactly this....why does the online triage system only allow you to access it during their office hours? If it's over the weekend or in an evening, then I'm aware that the message won't be picked up immediately but it would be in the system at least for the next working day. The GP practice still makes the decision what to priotise out of the triage messages and what response they'll give each one. But potentially missing serious problems as people are unable to get into the system is worrying. Not to mention the ridiculous amount of stress it causes trying to access the system when one is already unwell/suffering.

It does matter how they are filled. The system itself is causing some of the increased demand and is feeding a hysterical culture around seeing a doctor. Practices need to take some responsibility for it.
The allocation for same day appointments is too high at most practices, some are operating at 90% same day appointments. If people can get non urgent appointments within one week, then the demand for urgent same day appointments would be lower allowing for true emergencies.This will lower the overall demand as people who require true same day care are loosing out to the most efficient/persistent people resulting sometimes in catastrophic events with sequelae increasing demand further. Additionally cancellations of appointments will start appearing again because of the tolerable wait times of routine appointments (Johnny had ear ache and it went away on its own in 3 days).
The issue is that it is a more complicated and bespoke system to run and requires a lot of diary gymnastics and practices would rather keep receptionists happy who would prefer do a call centre approach.

My Dr has this system and I've given up trying . I've gone private the last 2x Dr apps I've needed . It's not that my Dr's are bad but you just can't get an appt.

The forms need to be triaged. There needs to be some management of this. If open all of the time staff could come in to 100s of forms to triage into appointments and it would not cope or be sustainable. General Practice is not an emergency service and there is unfortunately a capacity that can be worked up to. There’s also the risk that people (even though the systems try to catch it) put in serious medical problems and if it’s done hours earlier there’s less chance to catch this. During working hours there’s more of a chance to catch them and direct them to emergency services.

My previous surgery had an online form system and I thought it worked so much better. My new one is telephone only and only on the day “emergency” appointments are available regardless of issue, there is no option to book any appointments with a GP for future dates so you can never get in.

Ours used to have some automated appointments and the phoneline opened early in the morning. When my DC were little I would set my alarm for 4.45am to get one, or if they were unwell and up all night no alarm was needed!

That's not true....it would be a similar amount of forms as now just sent at different timings. Plus persumably some more to account for those people who currently get locked out and end up either going to A&E. Or more likely than not, giving up and suffering on.Potential serious medical problems will definitely be missed if they're not even in the system!

I don’t understand how if the system was ‘always on’ the same number of forms would be submitted? It would be totally swamped.

Ours is also inaccessible. Phone lines open at 8.30 and only accept 15 before the line is closed. Online consult can be done from 8.30 and is often closed by 9am. I start teaching at 8.40 so have 10 minutes to fill in the twenty page e-consult..

A lot of GPs turned the system off at weekends as the number of requests they were getting over the weekend simply was so large they couldn't get through it when they opened on the Monday.

The government is actually doing something about this. There has been a deal done with GPs so that in order to get their pay increase they will be required to have online appointment booking.

”The new contract says patients should be able to arrange appointments online throughout working hours, freeing up the phones for those who need them most, and making it easier for practices to triage patients based on medical need.“

@NewishBroom you can't book through the NHS app (I have it for requesting my asthma meds) it's something called Anima. The surgery are known locally for being awful - they took over my GPs practice a decade ago and there is no other choice because we are 'outside of catchment area' - they are too big without the GPs for the number of patients. Thankfully I rarely need to contact them but when I do its unbelievably frustrating!

I needed an appointment for my DC last week. Every morning I'd ring and if I couldn't get through I'd check 'Patches'. That was not accepting any requests either. On getting through I was offered an appointment in school time, that day, I couldn't book an appointment ahead, she said try Patches! I said I'd tried.

The next morning I tried Patches at 7 am, as soon as the system was opened. Apparently as soon as they've received enough requests, they don't accept any more!

Never used to be like this, you used to be able to complete a Patches request any time during the opening hours.

I gave up trying to phone ours for a same day appointment. Phone lines jammed at 8am, 100+ times redialling just to then be in a 20 person queue. Ridiculous.

Ours operate an online form which, if submitted early in the day, is read and reviewed the same day. You get a call back by a 'care practitioner' (nurse) who will ask question and decides if you need seeing urgently or if you can book a routine appointment, be prescribed something over the phone or direct you to 111/A&E. It's not ideal and it does mean you have to have your phone glued to you all day so you don't miss the call. However on the few occasions I've used it it's worked well and they've either been able to sort me out over the phone or miraculously arranged for me to see a doctor the same day.

The whole ringing or queuing at the doors at 8am as if you're going into battle is madness.

I had to wait two weeks to get a phone consultation with a nurse as I need to get my implant contraceptive updated (old one out & new one in) and only the nurse can do this. After 2 weeks get a call to confirm that, yes, I do need a face to face appointment (no shot Sherlock) and then had another 2 week wait for the face to face appointment - which was cancelled as the nurse was off sick, replanned for today - and she’s off sick still. So will be 6 weeks before I get seen (if she’s back next week)

I don't think you're familiar with the demand GP faces. Routine appointments fill up just as fast as on the day appointments. If problems do go away (and no, an earache in a child would not be listed as routine it would be on the day review) sometimes people may cancel but more often than not people just don't turn up and the appointment is wasted. On the day appointments generally get rid of that issue. It is absolutely nothing to do with giving receptionists an easier time who get given shit whichever way you work it.

Because there aren't any more people needing attention. Just people being more able to access the online system to indicate their need at a time that suits them rather than the 8am phone palaver. If surgeries did get swamped that just shows the amount of patients who aren't being served well at this point in time and who are having to try to find help from elsewhere, ie A and E.

Oh I'm sorry! I was goint to suggest you vote with your feet and move surgeries!

To get an appointment at my GP surgery on the East Sussex coast I have to phone a call centre in Manchester.

Ours has a similar queue or hit the phone lines system - but if you ring later in the day and explain to reception why you're struggling to do that - I've always found they'll do their best to squeeze you in (in my case it's that I'm trying to work around my own patient appointments - and they are a bit more obliging when I explain that).

My son woke up yesterday with his eye all swollen and completely closed, he’s 7 and said it hurt. So I waited until 7.59 to press call to the doctors I was 19th In the queue HOW??? It doesn’t open til 8 and I couldn't have done it any quicker!

I feel your pain, god knows what you are supposed to do? Take a whole morning off work? It’s bloody ridiculous

I’m in Ireland and ours is dire. You have to ring at 8.30am on the dot if you want an ‘emergency’ appointment. If the receptionist deems it important enough they’ll squeeze you in somewhere. If not you’re told to wait til 6pm and ring the out of hours. That’s a long time to wait if you’re unwell or your child is. I’m talking usual illnesses not A&E stuff.
If you ring at 9am you will be told you’re too late and there are no appointments. Sometimes on hold for 20 minutes and then hung up on. They close between 12 & 2.30. Who does that??
Let’s say it’s something you want to see the doc about but you’re not sick. Contraception or something. Could be 4 to 6 weeks waiting for an appointment. No online booking system either. No one can move gp’s because there’s no space anywhere and limited gp’s rurally anyway. It’s so stressful even phoning them. Always waiting for a telling off from them for daring to look for an appointment!