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 is online form at 8am. Full capacity by 8:14

You're not wrong OP, and Im baffled it's a country wide issue. I too have an issue I need to see a doc for and can't get through on the phone nor by using the online system at 8.30 on the dot.

We have a form that can be filled in from 6.30am we get prompt response from a GP, nurse practitioner, pharmacist or physio either by phone or face to face appointment and so far it has always been the appropriate person to speak to. It's working well for us.

My GP received a letter saying I needed an ECG. I got a text saying I need to phone and book one 3 minutes later they phoned and booked me in. I was due some repeat blood tests so they booked me in for those at the same appointment.

I once had a regular check up with a nurse booked for the afternoon and filled in the form for the GP for a different issue. They tried to get both appointments into the same slot so I only had to make the trip once. They couldn't but it was thoughtful of them to try

I get the appointment but it's never the GP. I have concerns about an ongoing health issue that the practice nurse cannot deal with. She tells me I need a Dr's appointment, so I try to book GP again...again I get the nurse...so round and round we go...

Honestly, I don't know why it's like that here.
I went on holiday to my home country in the EU and my DS got fever. It was a popular seaside resort. I enquired in the pharmacy and was directed to the nearest surgery (I think it was a combined hospital/A&E). The place was totally empty. We just walked in from the street late morning, registered and were seen by a GP within 10 min, prescribed antibiotics. Paid only for the medication.
Here, we live in a large village with 1 surgery. The phone line opens at 8:30 and by 8:45 all appointments are fully booked.

It is not a million times better. You’d previously be in a queue but spoke to a human eventually. They would then give us something urgent on the day if necessary or let us pick an appointment for a week or 2 s time for non urgent or direct to pharmacy. We’d always be able to contact the surgery and now we can’t. It’s impossible to see a GP . You have no idea when they will ring, the form does not take any notice of times you can be on your phone or facilitate some conditions on the form,is awful for those that need face to face contact…..the list is endless.

I was just about to say the same @hattie43. My 83 year old mother really struggles with the online world. She tries but online forms etc are not easy to use. She has me to help her but I really feel for elderly people who don’t have support with the online world, it’s almost impossible to function.

My dsis, never at the drs, was told by gp that she can only mention 1 issue ay a time and to book another app for her dodgy knee 🙄

Because if someone saves up a list of ailments, the appointment runs over and other patients whine that the doctor was late.

I’m fortunate I’ve never needed an emergency appointment so I don’t know if the 8am scramble thing happens here.

But for routine appointments I just book on the nhs app. Is that an option for you?

Our system is the same, almost too quick! I ask for an appointment and often get a text or phone call back offering an immediate appointment. Luckily live close to the surgery.

@hattie43 and @YouOKHun
My surgery has gone to the booking form route rather than everyone phoning at 8. They ask if you are able to fill in the form yourself online do that. If you are unable to fill in the form for whatever reason call the surgery and the receptionist will fill in the form for/with you.
I think this is a good balance as the phone lines are in less demand but there's still a low tech option.

I don't have a problem with ours - you have to use the online system though. I put a request in last Thursday for DD and got an appointment for Friday, then put one in on Monday for DS and seeing someone tomorrow (it's something that didn't need to be dealt with asap). Last time I needed a GP I sent photos of the problem at 8am and had a call at 8:30 from the Dr telling me he'd sent a prescription for antibiotics to the pharmacy... by 9:15 I was home with said antib's. It's such an easy system I really don't see why it's so difficult elsewhere.

Ours usually has an online system although for some reason they have disabled it until the new year. It works the same way as if you speak to someone, you put your symptoms in, they triage you and someone rings back with an appointment or advice later in the day.

There are too many time wasters who go the GP about nothing. There should be a small charge IMO to make people think twice about whether they REALLY need an appointment.

Our surgery now operates a total triage system, and now wants patients to use the e-consult service, to save us from the hassle of the 8am scramble. Once the e-consult service has registered so many enquiries, it tells you to try again the next day! This usually happens from about 1pm. It’s like the surgery doesn’t want to see us patients!

GPs are a disaster on average at the moment. It’s so self defeating as, ultimately, delayed healthcare is more expensive healthcare.

Part of it is sheer number of GPs. We have less than half the number of GPs per thousand people than the Netherlands. It is ridiculous that many graduating with a medical degree end up not being offered an NHS training placement.

Another part is the amount of red tape combined with the loss of personal allowances at £100k. Most GPs would prefer to do 3 and 4 day weeks.

And some of it is the ‘frequent fliers’. We could really do with small co payments to make people think whether they really need a GP visit. The French system works really well and, certainly in Paris, you can get an appointment within 24 hours (at most).

I am not sure the structure of GPs being contractors for the NHS (as well as offering other paid services) works well either, although it is not new.

So a lot of people who can afford it are opting out and seeing a private GP (including me). I get a 15 minute appointment for £74 (plus a £200 annual fee) and I get seen on the day. This leads to GPs leaving the health service to do more relaxed and better paid work.

1 in 8 GP appointments are now private, vs 1/35 in 2009, and fully 1/3 of licensed GPs are working outside the NHS (including private practice).

It is, in a way, an insidious privatisation.

Without some serious efforts to recruit and restructure, I can’t see it getting any better.

I have always been able to get an appointment whenever needed at my surgery. Fill out the request online (once it opens) then they usually call that day and offer an appointment later that day or the next day.

Ours uses the online system. Last time I used it, completed the form at about 08;15, a call back about 10 minutes later asking me to come to the surgery at 09:00.

You do hear people in the surgery telling the receptionists that they're "no good with online forms". Not all old people but working males. I think some probably cba and still want to ring. But taking calls is clearly going to take up more of the receptionists' time and stop other people being able to get through.

I imagine right now surgeries are overwhelmed with people calling about flu or Covid when, for a lot of people, the treatment is rest and paracetamol.

Worth noting that 50% of the approx 25,000 young doctors finishing Foundation this August did not have jobs to go to. Only 5,000 training positions (all specialities including GP) of which over half went to Doctors who studied outside the UK.

My daughter is part of this lost generation, faced with a choice between insecure zero-hours locum work or Australia. She knows more people going to a single Australian hospital than she knows people who have training places.

The root cause is Boris' decision to get rid of resident priority and open up the doctor labour market to worldwide competition. Fine if there is a genuine shortage. However new UK resident doctors are struggling to compete against experienced doctors from overseas (often motivated by expedited family settlement also offered by Boris.) It is not unusual to have 800 or more applicants per place.

Such competition allows the NHS to recruit experience at entry level wages. A short term win, but with a longer term cost. In DDs hard-to-recruit deanery they will be losing 25% of their post Foundation doctors to Australia Many would love to be able to build their careers where they are, but can't. Whilst the overseas doctors recruited for the available jobs often leave as they can for England's urban centres or become demotivated when they realise the pay does not stretch far, and they are stuck in dead end jobs with little chance of training or promotion.

The BMA is stuck in the middle. Over a third of their membership are overseas educated Doctors and there is an effective lobby, in part supported by those involved in overseas recruitment, to continue the current approach. Pay and access to training are easier things to fight for.

Each young doctor we lose cost about £400,000 to train. And unfortunately the GMC make it very difficult for doctors who acquire specialist qualifications in Australia to have those qualifications recognised here. Sadly DD, who has been offered a fantastic contract in a good hospital group in her preferred speciality in the city she wanted with scope for training after a year, expects that it will have to be a one way trip.

I filled in the online triage form on Tuesday afternoon. I got a call at 8.30 the next morning inviting me to an appointment at 9.10. Blood tests were ordered and I’m going for them at 11.50 on Tuesday. It feels fine to me.

@Needmoresleep ,

That is both interesting and depressing!

As you said, it is a very short term gain with plenty of long term pain to follow.

So you need to be poised at the phone or computer several minutes before 8am ready to fill in the online consultation in less than 3 minutes.

Annoying but you gotta do what you gotta do!

Ours is available 24/7.

Guess it depends where you live.
Online form works every time for me - I get a call back about an hour later, then either an appointment, any meds, or refer (most recently to physio).
They even phoned me up yesterday to check some short term meds are working OK.
Can't fault it, tbh 👍