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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Bloody NHS e consult forms are shit!

67 replies

inagrumptoday · 12/12/2025 08:10

I’m trying to submit a consult to my doctor. The form is only open from 8am to 4pm, Monday to Friday. Right in my commute and workday.

The form is repeatedly refreshing and quitting on mobile. The surgery will not take calls unless you’re elderly and have no access to a computer. If you’ve submitted a form before they will not speak to you over the phone. So I guess I just can’t talk to the doctors now? Is this how they hope to generate more appointments? Fucks sake 🤬

OP posts:
Zanatdy · 12/12/2025 08:13

I filled mine in on the train to work. I already typed up in my phone notes what I wanted to say and pasted it over. I find it so much easier than being held in the phone queue for ages at 8am personally.

PeonyPatch · 12/12/2025 08:14

Zanatdy · 12/12/2025 08:13

I filled mine in on the train to work. I already typed up in my phone notes what I wanted to say and pasted it over. I find it so much easier than being held in the phone queue for ages at 8am personally.

How does that help the OP?

PeonyPatch · 12/12/2025 08:14

inagrumptoday · 12/12/2025 08:10

I’m trying to submit a consult to my doctor. The form is only open from 8am to 4pm, Monday to Friday. Right in my commute and workday.

The form is repeatedly refreshing and quitting on mobile. The surgery will not take calls unless you’re elderly and have no access to a computer. If you’ve submitted a form before they will not speak to you over the phone. So I guess I just can’t talk to the doctors now? Is this how they hope to generate more appointments? Fucks sake 🤬

Sorry to hear this. Can you try on a laptop once you’re at work?

Original poster
inagrumptoday · 12/12/2025 08:17

PeonyPatch · 12/12/2025 08:14

Sorry to hear this. Can you try on a laptop once you’re at work?

Show quote history

I can’t use the computers for personal use. Feeling really pissed off at this point. The only other option is my mum fills it in for me and I send her the information, but that’s not really ideal

OP posts:
Toomanysofttoys · 12/12/2025 08:17

Mine opens at 8am then closes the forms 8.30.
It's really awful.
I've seen people in the doctors walking in asking for appointments as have been trying for days.

Original poster
inagrumptoday · 12/12/2025 08:19

Zanatdy · 12/12/2025 08:13

I filled mine in on the train to work. I already typed up in my phone notes what I wanted to say and pasted it over. I find it so much easier than being held in the phone queue for ages at 8am personally.

Gee thanks, that’s so very useful

OP posts:
Original poster
inagrumptoday · 12/12/2025 08:20

Toomanysofttoys · 12/12/2025 08:17

Mine opens at 8am then closes the forms 8.30.
It's really awful.
I've seen people in the doctors walking in asking for appointments as have been trying for days.

I have to use annual leave for GP appointments but at this point I’m tempted to do it just so I can go there in person and be seen

OP posts:
PinkElephants356 · 12/12/2025 08:20

I hear your pain. I had a blocked ear but the online triage is useless and there is no option to select blocked ear so I selected ear pain instead, set the pain level to 0 as I have no pain and it gave me an appointment for ear pain anyway.

I phoned the surgery after to say I’d done the online consult but for ear pain so just need a syringing appointment not a general appointment for ear pain. They said I need to come in for my ears to be looked at to see if syringing is appropriate. That all makes sense but it doesn’t when after my appointment the earliest syringing appointment is not for over a months time at which point the block could look very different.

chromebar · 12/12/2025 08:23

They are a bit shit but okay once you've worked out how to fill them in. I find our GPs only really read the first box, so put your important information and request there.
Writing information in advance then cutting and pasting is a good tactic. I sometimes use ChatGPT to summarise it into fewer than 500 characters.
And I have also used ChatGPT to find authorative research to back up any tests I might be requesting then post the links to it. Check what you put in though as AI does invent stuff too.

Sn0wfa11 · 12/12/2025 08:26

Ours closes in the morning when I’m at work. It’s worse than the morning phone rush queue. How are surgeries getting away with this if Wes Streeting is saying all are open until 6pm?They’re not.

PeonyPatch · 12/12/2025 08:26

inagrumptoday · 12/12/2025 08:17

I can’t use the computers for personal use. Feeling really pissed off at this point. The only other option is my mum fills it in for me and I send her the information, but that’s not really ideal

Show quote history

I would just bite the bullet and do it in an incognito window. You’re hardly shopping for bikinis here, you’re booking a doctors appointment.
Either that or call your GP surgery, and explain your technical difficulties.

Sn0wfa11 · 12/12/2025 08:28

Also there is no box to tick for some conditions on ours.

Original poster
inagrumptoday · 12/12/2025 08:29

chromebar · 12/12/2025 08:23

They are a bit shit but okay once you've worked out how to fill them in. I find our GPs only really read the first box, so put your important information and request there.
Writing information in advance then cutting and pasting is a good tactic. I sometimes use ChatGPT to summarise it into fewer than 500 characters.
And I have also used ChatGPT to find authorative research to back up any tests I might be requesting then post the links to it. Check what you put in though as AI does invent stuff too.

I know how to fill them in. The issue is it’s just not working!! It keeps refreshing and saying there’s an error on the page. The receptionist has said she’s not able to help as she can see from the past that I can fill in a form

OP posts:
PeonyPatch · 12/12/2025 08:29

I dislike e consult forms for the lack of appropriate categories too. I’ve been trying to book appointments for fertility issues, but the closest “condition” to select is pregnancy would you believe!

PeonyPatch · 12/12/2025 08:30

inagrumptoday · 12/12/2025 08:29

I know how to fill them in. The issue is it’s just not working!! It keeps refreshing and saying there’s an error on the page. The receptionist has said she’s not able to help as she can see from the past that I can fill in a form

Show quote history

I’ve had receptionists fill one out for me before so just explain you’ve no way of doing it right now. They need to be more helpful than this and use common sense.

Medexpert · 12/12/2025 08:30

I've tried to book since 8 and I've had the same issue. It's now telling me the system is down!

PeonyPatch · 12/12/2025 08:30

inagrumptoday · 12/12/2025 08:29

I know how to fill them in. The issue is it’s just not working!! It keeps refreshing and saying there’s an error on the page. The receptionist has said she’s not able to help as she can see from the past that I can fill in a form

Show quote history

I’ve had receptionists fill one out for me before so just explain you’ve no way of doing it right now. They need to be more helpful than this and use common sense.

Original poster
inagrumptoday · 12/12/2025 08:30

PeonyPatch · 12/12/2025 08:29

I dislike e consult forms for the lack of appropriate categories too. I’ve been trying to book appointments for fertility issues, but the closest “condition” to select is pregnancy would you believe!

The categories are a joke. My mum has just been on to look and says the closest thing to what im experiencing would be general tiredness. Which isn’t exactly accurate and will likely just lead to them coming back and saying “sleep more”

OP posts:
PeonyPatch · 12/12/2025 08:31

Also try restarting your phone or clearing your cookies/cache/browsing data on your phone — that could help

Original poster
inagrumptoday · 12/12/2025 08:31

PeonyPatch · 12/12/2025 08:30

I’ve had receptionists fill one out for me before so just explain you’ve no way of doing it right now. They need to be more helpful than this and use common sense.

Show quote history

To be fair the day a GP receptionist is helpful is the day hell freezes over

OP posts:
PeonyPatch · 12/12/2025 08:32

inagrumptoday · 12/12/2025 08:31

To be fair the day a GP receptionist is helpful is the day hell freezes over

Show quote history

Annoying aren’t they. They’re like impish gatekeepers.

Zanatdy · 12/12/2025 08:32

inagrumptoday · 12/12/2025 08:19

Gee thanks, that’s so very useful

Show quote history

Well your complaint is ridiculous. You fill out a form and submit. You could do it on a toilet break. It’s not that difficult. Things change.

Original poster
inagrumptoday · 12/12/2025 08:33

Zanatdy · 12/12/2025 08:32

Well your complaint is ridiculous. You fill out a form and submit. You could do it on a toilet break. It’s not that difficult. Things change.

Show quote history

As I have said. I am happy to do it and have done it before. The issue is the form won’t work!! I cannot get to the form to fill it in.

OP posts:
Original poster
inagrumptoday · 12/12/2025 08:33

PeonyPatch · 12/12/2025 08:32

Annoying aren’t they. They’re like impish gatekeepers.

Show quote history

I’m convinced they just look at the forms and make a decision based on how they feel that day

OP posts:
IamtheDevilsAvocado · 12/12/2025 08:34

inagrumptoday · 12/12/2025 08:29

I know how to fill them in. The issue is it’s just not working!! It keeps refreshing and saying there’s an error on the page. The receptionist has said she’s not able to help as she can see from the past that I can fill in a form

Show quote history

This sounds an absolute pain in the neck!

8am is quite late to open the econsult 'line'... (ours opens at 6am).

I know it's no help today... But you can't be the only one having issues at your surgery.

So @inagrumptoday Could you petition the practice and ask them to open earlier?? I mean, presumably an hour earlier would be helpful? Write letters to them, giving your examples. Are there any patient groups attached to the surgery?