To think there should be a way of reporting GP surgeries that don’t have online booking available from 8.00-6.30

[BurtsB33]

We were told by Wes Streeting that online booking would negate the morning rush, facilitate being able to get GP appointments and more importantly make booking easier. We were told all GP surgeries would now have this.

In reality like many our GP shuts online booking down early in the day. There is no other way to book. It’s far harder to contact our GP surgeries and to see a GP particularly if you work full time.

So if surgeries aren’t keeping to government promises and declaration of what is/ should be happening surely there should be a quick way of reporting them so the situation can be rectified.

GPs have capacity to do ten 10 minute appointments per session. Plus face to face appointments. They do many ‘emergency’ calls on top of this as well as all the ridiculous paperwork that is necessary according to the government (and I mean winter pressures tally’s etc NOT reading hospital letters, signing scripts etc.)
If there were endless online requests and they made a mistake, THAT would be an issue, When Receptionists ask for details to effectively triage calls, they are accused of ‘Gate keeping and being nosey’.
There are many issues with the Health Service in this country, but no other clinician would be asked to do as many appointments as requested, as well as anything this is unsafe and can lead to errors.
for clarity, I’m a manager in primary care not a clinician and I see how my staff are treated daily.

That is just a twattish comment OP.

The managers would be expected to manage better and facilitate output. GPS and NHs managers are paid far more than most other workers so need to produce what they have been told needs to be produced. Teachers don’t get to just shut schools when they feel like it.

And this is why GPs are leaving the NHS in large numbers. Because they are set impossible contractual obligations, not funded to achieve them and then criticised for not doing so. Don’t worry, you will get your wish for GP surgeries to be ‘taken over’ within the next 10 years . And then, I am 100% confident, the situation will be considerably worse

Our area can't recruit GPS.

So many people need more than a doctor but can't be referred because of long consultant waiting lists. I was fobbed off for two years so went private for a scan and x-ray. Put straight on the list for surgery.

The NHS is broken.

And where would you suggest these appointments come from. When the bookings are full, they are full.

Ours doesn’t do online appointments. The only way to make an appointment is to do an eConsult, but that is only open 8-11am.

This drives me bonkers. I need to book a follow up appointment with the GP for my son. I want the same doctor because he knows the history and background, I don’t want to waste my time and theirs having a new GP who wants to follow a different path or run over old ground , every appointment has to be done in work (and nursery) time and is a real faff. If I phone up in the morning I can’t get an appointment because rightly it’s not urgent, and that GP is always full because he’s popular as so good. But if I phone up for a regular appointment, they get released fortnightly on a Friday and are gone in a split second for the next fortnight. It’s impossible.

Triaging the forms prevents the appointments with GPs being ‘grabbed’. If the surgery has the services (practice nurse, Physio, paeds, bloods etc etc) or just needs to deal with something that doesn’t need a GP slot, they do through the triage system. It works really well but there is still only a finite amount of slots for anything that needs doing. Every enquiry requires time and effort by someone.

Leaving the triage system open all day just means you wouldn’t necessarily hear anything for days whilst they get through them all. That’s what they don’t want happening as very reminiscent of the 8am rush on the phones.

As I said not ideal, but currently if you fill in the form online when it’s open, they will be back in touch with you quickly and make you the relevant appointment with the right person at a time you can make.

This is the point where I disengage as you are clearly incapable of critical thought. You and Streeting should hang out some
time!

Even my 2 year old understands that 2+2=4……

Follow the practice complaints procedure as a first step. Perhaps copy in your local MP (assuming you have one who is worth doing so, not someone like Robert Jenrick).

You do realise these people are human beings with limited resources and time? They can’t just magically invent more appointments

Have you tried phoning them and explaining your situation?

I sincerely hope GP surgeries are taken over, they have far too much autonomy. Pulling NHS shared care, shutting down booking they are told should be / is happening…

Most of our GPs work part time and I’ve had consultants dealing with my children say our practice is well known for being difficult. When that happens there should be a quick way to register a complaint like Ofsted.

All NHS tax payers should be getting the same service.

Well politicians promise lots of things that don’t get delivered.

I don’t disagree with you fundamentally but the problem is that they promised this without resourcing it properly.

Our surgery tried econsult during COVID but stopped it. They're sticking to phone at 8am. If there is an appointment it's a phone call not FTF.

In schools, if they underperformed, they are 'taken over' by a MAT but they dont always then perform any better. Some schools turn it around but some get even worse. The evidence is mixed.

I do understand that its frustrating to not be able to book a routine appointment outside of the short window an online firm is open. Its the same where I am. I dont quite understand why routine appointments need triage but a lot of GPS in my area joined a group and the ones in the group seem much worse service..

Do you class 48hrs over 4 days as part time??

We’re all human.

Yes. They don’t care and you’re told in a very smug patronising tone that all booking needs to be done online…. “ however our online booking service is currently shut down.You’ll have to keep trying to find out when it’s next open.” Errr no actually I need to work.

Contact Wes Streeting, I’m sure he’s find some spare GP’s for you - they are leaving the profession in droves.

Forever? Or just that day?

I would suggest moving to a different surgery. We did this as the one in our village was awful. You do have that choice.

Yanbu and I don't understand why pp are saying its because there arent any available.

Keep the booking open. Triage them. Assign appointments either that day, day after, day after that etc. depending on timing.

Its not difficult.

And you believed Wes Streeting because…..?

Same lovely empathy from GPs only worried about more pay as opposed to a decent service for patients.

If surgeries can’t run proper they should be supported until they do- like when Ofsted steps in.

I mean I guess they could but then the soonest appointment might be in a months time or worse still it may be that it comes up that “no appointments are currently available in the next x weeks please try again tomorrow” Or putting you on a never ending waiting list and people would be waiting months to be seen and then appointments being forgotten about leading to longer waits.