To think the government needs to stop selling online GP booking systems as an improvement as they’re not particularly when they’re switched off for most of the day

[Gr3yStar5]

Like many GP surgeries ours switched to an online system and no longer takes booking calls. This was some time ago so it has had time to bed in. You fill in a form which gets triaged and it’s decided if you need urgent or a 2 week wait. It was sold as improving patient care and a better booking system except it isn’t. The system is supposed to be open from 8.30-3.30.In reality the system mostly actually seems to close by lunch time until the next day due to being “overwhelmed”. So basically if you don’t get on first thing you’ve had it, you can’t even ring and you have to keep checking to see when it reopens. It’s worse not better and most of the time you can’t see a doctor for 2 weeks if you do get to fill out a form. There is now no in between. You are supposed to say when you can’t do appointments but it just ignores that. It’s nigh on impossible to get a doctor of your choice. If they don’t get you in for a 2 week appointment or you can’t do the time they’ve allocated you have to resubmit your form for the next batch of 2 week appointments( if it’s open). The setting up was dire with condescending staff on the phone just basically shooing the bemused elderly off. My mum has told me of several of her elderly friends who have been reduced to tears by the whole process. I thought this was maybe just our surgery but it isn’t. Lots online with similar tales particularly re the “overwhelm” switching off of the booking system. Oh and now apparantly our GPs can't do gynaecology appointments, that has to be in gynecology clinic and booked separately which is actually currently closed and not taking appointments. Back in the day you could request a female GP and have female issues treated by your GP, not now, being female is an extra loop to jump through.

So AIBU to think that the government needs to be honest and concede that the new online system is actually shite for patients and getting a GP appointment has never been so hard and stressful particularly when they’re apparently going to be investing in extra spaces at GP surgeries. Thanks but no thanks I’d rather have more GPs and a better booking system that actually benefits patients and gets you an appointment in a timely fashion.

Ours opens at 8am and closes usually around 9:30 as at capacity. YANBU if your child gets ill at 11am it’s a longggg old wait

So I’d go to the CQC.

GPs are often but not always partners in a practice. The GMC regulates their work as a physician though, not a businessperson.

I saw a GP on here who said appointments weren't rationed there was no quota you were allowed

Better get used to using it as online and e-consults are being pushed through across most areas.

The reason they “switch off” by a certain time is they have reached capacity. We can easily hit 250 e-consult submissions by 1030, of which 100-150 may need to be seen face to face. Once they’re filled there are no more appointments for the morning. It then opens up again for the afternoon and same again…

Demand outstrips supply, constantly. If you can find a better way of running primary care then feel free to join your practice’s Patient Participation Group and make suggestions.

We have one partner who is full time, the other only works Fridays. The other ten GPs work two or three days.

Our GP surgery used to be a phone at 8am system and like others if you were not quick enough dialling in dead on 8am then after 20 minutes of waiting or so all the appointments for the day were gone. You could supposedly ring at 1.30pm for some afternnon appointments but they only had about 3 or 4 appointments for that session!

GP later moved to the online appointments system called AccuRx. You can start using it from 6am. If completed before 11am, they will contact you, usually by text and give you an appointment for that day if they felt you needed to be seen. If they don't consider the matter urgent they will send a text giving you a link to select a suitable appointment time in following three weeks. You can see what doctor is available for the appointment time if you prefer to see someone in particular. So you get a liitle bit of choice but may mean having to wait if you want to see a particular person. If the on line form is filled in after 11am, you may have to wait until the next day to get a response.

If you can't access the online form you can ring reception who will fill it in for you.

The systems is not too bad. However, I have put off using the online system sometimes as it's a bit of a faff completing all the questions. So may delay going to the GP when I should have gone earlier. I wonder how many other people don't bother either and the more severe consequences that could arise for some.

Like others have said, when I have been at the GP surgery, it is so quiet and no longer bustling with people as it used to be.

Not sure whether the GP surgery is working smarter or people think twice about seeing the GP. Maybe good to counter those with health anxiety/hypochondria using the GP surgeries unnecessarily, but there will be many for whom delays in contacting their GP will be dire.

If I order meds too far in advance they're declined which they don't tell you until you go to their pharmacy a week or so later and are told. It's then a panic to reorder within another seven days.

I put a note on to say I'll be away and that I need them early.

I’m not paid ££££ to run primary care better.

Clearly a shed load of money is being wasted on crappy pointless online IT systems (that make booking appointments even harder for working people),managers and now glossy practice refurbishments. I think most of us would like more GP hours and thus appointments alongside a simple phone system.

I've been there and when it's anxiety tablets you're taking, it ramps your condition up.

I would complain about this, to the practice manager first. Ask them to explain the rationale for it and to confirm whether they have a similar system for men's health issues (prostate problems, ED etc). If you get fobbed off take it higher.

Thankfully my GP surgery (rural area) is amazing, easy to get an appointment. OH rang last week (non urgent issue) and was offered a same day appointment with the nurse or GP first thing the next morning.

I think this time limit to the online forms is set by GP practices, not by the software.

Mine uses Accurx and the online form is available 24/7. I usually end up filling it in at the weekend, and they call/text me on Monday. No complaints here.

Big picture stuff, we need to train more GPs, encourage more people with the skills/qualifications to be GPs to immigrate to the UK, create a contract that incentivises practices to create more capacity, and direct people who don’t need a GP to a more appropriate service.

Training more GPs and rewarding them better costs money and nobody seems to want to pay more tax.

Immigration is unpopular.

Patients often want to decide who they see and insist on seeing a GP.

Until we face those sorts of issues down we are just tinkering at the edges.

I am all for making representations if you think something isn’t working but booking systems won’t change the supply/demand issue at the core of the problem.

How many different online systems are there? Our GP uses anima. If they are all reinventing the wheel, how much money has been wasted? There should only be one system that everyone uses. No wonder the NHS has no money. The system in use by our GP is not even connected to the District Nurses.

We were supposed to have a visit next week. They turned up out of the blue yesterday, no record of the appointment in the GP system, no phone call, no message, nothing. Luckily someone was home. I'd rather pay and have a decent system than the shitshow we are currently struggling with.

Around COVID era our surgery used econsult initially thought it good. But when I'd filled in all the questions it's invariably said ring 999 now. This would be for say cystitis or thrush. Baffling and amusing at the time. But not really much good because some people might believe it.

I used to work for one of these online systems, we had been around a few years before covid and our online forms were always accessible, even when the practice was closed. I think after COVID so much shifted in the online consultation space.

The main reason we developed the ability to switch off online forms/consultations was clinical safety. Although the forms always state not to be used in an emergency people always will. I knew of at least 3 instances when someone completed the form and were suffering heart attack symptoms and the surgery didn’t answer the request in enough time. Hence the need to shut off the forms if they are overwhelmed or reached capacity.

Agree with this, the systems built the functionality at the request of the practices, how they use it is up to them.

I don’t think getting GPs is the problem it’s getting them jobs. I’ve seen loads of stories on here re medical students unable to get work and GPs in part time contracts. So we don’t seem to have the money to employ more GP hours but we do for glossy pointless IT systems and practice building updates. 🤔

GP practices are private companies, always have been. They are given frameworks and contracts to work towards, but it is their choice, to some extent, how they run them, and how they fullfil their contract. Hence the different systems in use.

Ours is pretty efficient. EConsult only, triaged, and contacted within a couple of hours. Seen, called, or given a link to book an appointment. Prescriptions turned around same day, and ready to collect same day.

Much easier than hanging on the phone, redialing etc. Usually full by 11am, but still better than the old phone system.

Our pharmacy is coming apart, four shops, staff with stress so other premises are borrowing staff. The pharmacist now does consultations which can take 15 minutes. Meanwhile the shop fills up with people waiting for him to be free to approve prescription. I've been there 25 minutes on a good day. I play solitaire to pass the time.
Then you get told it's not in stock call back tomorrow. It's rarely in then.

Shouldn’t the opposite be true? If one company had a monopoly then they could set the rate as high as they like? The existence of several should create competition on price.

GPs are independent businesses and there would be difficulties for the state to mandate they use certain software if they didn’t feel it was in their interests.

It's heartbreaking when your child doesn't get a placement after years of studying.

Being full by 11 and receptionists unable to do anything by phone because it all has to go through triage you can’t get onto is not better than the old system for many working people.

So we’re all happy to chuck in extra cash so practices can employ more staff and expand? I am but tax rises are politically toxic, every department in government is crying out for cash.

I’m happy for money not be wasted on pointless crap within the NHS .