Accessing Healthcare on a Zero Hours Contract

[JockTamsonsBairns]

I'm a full-time care worker, doing domiciliary care on a Zero hours contract.

For what it's worth, I've been doing this for nearly 30 years, and I adore my job.

However, I need to try and get a GP appointment for myself - and I don't know how I can do it?

My surgery asks that we ring up at 8am for an appointment. I can't do that? I'm with my elderly client at that time.

I've tried popping in at around 2pm on my break, but I'm not allowed to make an appointment at that time.
I'm told I need to phone at 8am.

The only way I can phone at 8am, is to make myself unavailable for work?
So, I would lose my entire day from 7am until 10pm.
Even then, I couldn't guarantee an appointment.

Is there a solution to this that I'm not seeing?
I can't risk losing an entire 15hr shift, on the off chance that I might get a 10 minute appointment (or not).

Am I being unreasonable to think this doesn't work for ordinary folk?

Because it involves being in a queue at the Surgery?

When I ring at 8am, I'm told I'm "17th in the queue".

Why not just ring on your day off? Struggling to understand the issue. At first I thought you did not have day off but you have confirmed that you do actually have a weekday off?

How do you think that differs for other working people? Either you call on your day off if non urgent or if urgent you should probably be off work anyway. If someone works 9-5 but commutes from 8 they also can't call at 8. And if mon-fri they don't have a weekday off to call on which is something you DO have. Many people are in the same position

Is the GP system stupid? Yes! But it's not your shifts and specifica of your job causing the issue

I agree with you, though, @JockTamsonsBairns , it's so stupid that you have to phone at 8am and they have to call you back to make the appointment. I am not allowed to have my phone with me at work. I am in the establishment from 7.45 onwards. I work in an open plan office and don't necessarily want to discuss medical issues with the receptionist, plus I don't sit at my desk all day anyway.

Why on earth can't I just book an appointment online, like I can for virtually everything else?

Yes and if you hang about, the queue moves very quickly as a rule.

Plus you won't always be 17th in the queue?

Or as almost everyone has suggested, ring on your day off.

Not being arsey but have you opted out of the working time directive if you're doing 15 hours shifts five days a week?

And surely your 15 hours x min wage would be nearer £185 a day?

Does your surgery have an e consult form on its site? I understand your frustration though

Free at the point of use eh!

Ok, no worries.

I forgot that posting on AIBU was problematic.
I was just looking for a bit of support.

I'll work it out myself.

Because a care worker can afford £70 🙄.

Thanks for your response.

No, we don't even get NMW as domiciliary carers.

We're not paid for the time between clients. My real time rate of pay comes in at around £3.80p/h.

I adore my work, but the pay is shocking xx

It's a bit rude to assume just because someone is a care worker, they can't afford something.

We have no idea how much strangers have in their bank accounts.

But she just needs to ring on her day off anyway.

Ok, use head phones with your phone? You can be on the phone holding, whilst being with your first client?

Do this on the day you have your half day and tell them you can’t get in until x time?

You either need to ring on your day off, so that you know you’re already available for the same day appointment.

Or you need to switch GPs to a surgery that uses a different system. Ours uses an online eConsult. You can submit anytime between 7-10am. It’s just a quick form. They will either triage you for an urgent appointment (same day or you could say, I’m available anytime Tuesday) and they text back the appointment confirmation. Or they ask you to ring to make a routine appointment, which you can do any time between 8-6 and that appointment will be a week or two away, so then you book time off.

Or a private GP or 111 out of hours if necessary.

Ultimately though, it sounds like this will be an ongoing issue and you need to choose a better GP.

You've been given several solutions but you have a reason excuse why all of them are useless.

Phone and tell them your issue and ask if they can suggest a solution.
Phone on your day off.

Not being able to phone at 8am isn't unique to you.

No worries.

I'll do that.

Oh dear, was your thread in Site Stuff really necessary OP?

You absolutely were not 'torn to shreds' on this thread.

If anything you've had lots of good advice.

I get it. My GP surgery is exactly like this ‘but’ they will schedule a phone call around 6 weeks later if you get through and they’ve just restarted their open surgery from before Covid. Means spending 4 hours in a waiting room but they will see you. I’ve gotten sick after both times as it’s hours and hours trapped in a room filled with sick people but I did get my prescription so I guess that’s a win.

it’s only the 8am phone call for a chance of a same day appointment or the options above. Mostly I just do none of these and hope I get better. It’s not ideal.

Even this doesn't work as often the GP will have run out of appointments so that's a wasted day off. The system has been screwed since Covid.

My health trust has out of hours GPs - can be at a different local surgery in the borough, they operate early evening and weekends - see if yours has something similar.

Explain the situation to your employer and see if they can rota your visits with a gap at 8am? You can't be the only employee impacted in this way, presumably they are better off if you are in good health.

If you work 5 days a week of which 1 or 2 are on a weekend then you must have day(s) off on weekdays on which you phone at 0800. I'm not sure what the issue is.

(Oh and I don’t get a choice in GP’s - all are over subscribed so it’s just assigned. And the rest around me use the same system anyway)

if you have a weekday off that’s your best option

The queue moves very slowly in my experience. And ours is capped at ten so if you're not one of the ten you're told to call back later by which time any appointments have gone.

Ours doesn't. It would be easier to get an audience with the Pope.

It’s fucking awful. Our society fucks over women and sees no value in the vital role of carers who look after the most vulnerable in society.
Don’t know if this is relevant? https://www.morganlaroche.com/blog/employment-tribunal-holds-that-homecare-providers-agree-to-pay-backdated-national-minimum-wage-to-care-workers-for-travelling-and-waiting-time-between-care-appointments/

💐

Mine moves like lightening because the receptionists go into robot mode 🤣

But still, all the more reason to ring on a day you're not at work if it takes too long.