AIBU to think getting a GP appointment has basically become impossible?

[KelvinWayne]

For the last 3 weeks I’ve been trying to get a GP appointment for something that isn’t an emergency but also isn’t “leave it forever” either.
Phone lines constantly engaged.
Online form opens at 8am and is full by 8:03.
Told to “try again tomorrow” every single time.
I’m not blaming the staff — they’re clearly overwhelmed — but I honestly don’t understand how this is meant to work anymore. What are people supposed to do if they need follow-up, reassurance, or just… to actually be seen?
I keep thinking surely it’s not just me? But then everyone I speak to seems to be in the same boat.
So… AIBU to think the system just isn’t working anymore?
Or am I missing some secret trick that everyone else knows?

Ours does too,it's become so much easier to get an appt now. The doctor either texts with a script to collect from the pharmacy or gives us an appt. It was dire before the e consult system though so you have my sympathy OP.

We can book in advance or phone on the day for a same day appointment.
Always managed to get an appt.

I think it’s quite surgery specific. Our old one was shit. They didn’t book any appointments in advance ever, not even for the most routine thing (like a smear test or something). Every single appointment had to be booked on the day by calling at 8am. Complete insanity.

We moved 10 mins down the road and switched surgeries and now I can log on to the NHS app at any time and generally see a number of available appointments if I’m willing wait a couple of days (I’ve just checked now and there are 312 available appointments, starting next Monday) . Or call in the morning for something urgent - and calling in the morning isn’t the nightmare it was at the old surgery because it’s not every single person who just wants a smear test or a 6 week baby check or a new prescription of the pill all ringing at the same time because they have no other option.

Same here. DH - finally!! - responded to their latest request (one of many in the past two years or so….. he is a man…) and made an appointment online. He was able to choose from around a dozen or so appointments between now and end of year.

And this was for a routine ‘old people’s check up’, not an urgent issue.

If I use the online system - which is open all day from 8-5pm I will always get a response/appointment. With DD they will often ask if we can pop down right then.
There’s always trainee GPs in our practice so they want people to come in and see them quite often if it’s not serious and then you see the GP after with them. They’re committed to training them.

At my previous surgery the way to avoid the 8am phone scramble was to queue up outside at 7.30am and then when the surgery opened at 8am you could walk in and ask for an appointment - they would talk to walk-in people before they answered the phones.

Not sure that works everywhere but worth bearing in mind!

Hi. Does your surgery have the option to book via your NHS app? Every surgery should now be offering this but it appears some still aren't.

Mine is similar. The online triage opens at 0630 and closes at 1830.

I've used it a few times for my family and was very impressed.

Urgent (not 999 worthy) appointments given for the same morning by 0930, non-urgent telephone appointment was 6 weeks away, non-urgent f2f appointment in 2 weeks. Also responded to sign-post to pharmacy for over 40's health check.

What a truly ridiculous way of managing an appointment system!!

Seriously, how is it possible that there are surgeries that are so incompetent?

This is the 21st century, FFS. Everything is online….. so what’s their excuse?

Not a problem getting one but it's always with the nurse practitioner no matter what it is. I haven't seen a GP for the whole of 2025! I do wonder who they actually do see?!

Not everyone can use online

Not here. U can only book for that day though. So I can only book on a day I can make that appointment. U can choose between in person or over the phone. So not had a problem yet. Mine is teaching practice though so may have more spots.

It’s your surgery. You must be in a city or busy town with a high number of patients. Very poor situation indeed.

I was in the same situation, in a town surgery. Noticed over the years more and more difficult to get an appointment, noticed more and more over the years the area the surgery was included increased immigration/noted in the waiting area when I physically went in.

I gave up and moved to a village surgery. Immeasurably better. I receive a service akin to the 1980s - normal and what I would expect for the eye watering amounts of tax I pay.

MY GP surgery has a similar system, you need to write what you want to say into a word doc, log on at exactly 8.00am, fill in as fast as possible- when you get to the descriptive section, paste in your earlier draft and submit. Some surgeries also have an Admin form that you can fill in for non-urgent appointments- my surgery uses this for appointments with a nurse. I have also used an online GP paid service before and found that very effective.

I have no trouble getting a GP appointment.

Had a great experience at the GP today. Online form submitted around 8.30am, Dr called an hour later, appointment an hour after that. Dr running on time and was very pleasant and unrushed. Surgery was spotless. This is in a not particularly nice part of London.

No 8am scramble at our surgery .. you can ring at anytime. If you need to see someone that day, the triage Dr calls you back and decides if you need to be seen, or if they can deal with it over the phone. If you need to be seen you go down that day.

It’s about how the surgeries are choosing to organise themselves.

That's wild OP. Could you suck up the private fee?

I have not seen an actual GP since 2019!

My blood pressure recently went up a lot. I filled in the e-consult. Had an automated response saying they were very busy and may take a few days to respond. Three weeks later I hadn't heard anything so called in the surgery. I was told that I had been called twice the previous day and had not answered so would now have to start again. They had called me on my mobile twice within one minute. I had specifically requested a call on my land line as mobile signal at home is very patchy.

I don't know why you are expected to hang around for weeks with no idea when anyone is likely to ring.

It's your surgery, not GPs in general. Speak to your MP or the practice manager or the ICB. GP practices should not be allowed to get away with such appalling service. My GP is brilliant, I can always get an appointment and plenty of others say the same. It's time we placed some focus on why some can and others can't. Some of it will be about location/local population characteristics but that's not an excuse. GPs shouldn't accept providing shite service, they should be finding a way to resolve it.

Again, this is specific to your practice, not a general GP issue. Don't let them get away with it.

Same here . The other day filled out the online form , then late morning received a call but missed it . Called the Drs surgery to be told they always try again , so waited , and waited , no call back . Phoned reception the following day , a few hours later received a text saying they'd been in touch with the Dr who told them they'd left a message on my home phone answerphone ( I haven't got on !) So I had to get in touch with reception for the third time to be told they would get someone to call me , finally had a call from a nurse practitioner .

The e consult system at my GP works well and I've had no problem getting an appropriate appointment.

Not in my little village.
I phoned up to make a routine appointment today and they answered immediately and gave me an appointment for tomorrow.

No complaints. Almost always manage to get a same day for vulnerable family members. (Perth, Scotland, and Fylde, Lancashire)