To be annoyed about GP appointments

[ByCoolRubyHam]

I just need to rant to be honest.

Have had pelvic floor issues and suspected prolapse for over a year. Had a GP phone appointment a year ago and they said they would follow up in a month but never did. Symptoms had improved a bit and had a lot going on so I didn't chase it.
Things have recently got worse and a physio friend advised me to ask for a referral to pelvic floor physio. I called GP explained situation and they said I would need to see first contact physio first and they would refer on so booked me an appointment.
Had the appointment today and they said I likely do need a referral but the GP has to do this. They called pelvic floor physio to check and they said yes ask for face to face appointment for examination.
Called GP, told that I would need to call back at 8am next day to try and get a phone appointment. I explained I need to be seen face to face but they said needs to be phone first.
The issue is that the phone appointments can be any time that day. I work in NHS and can't have phone on me in clinic. If I miss the call I have to try again the next day. Sometimes you can't get through at 8 and even if you do you are on hold for up to an hour. I have 2 kids to get to childcare before work.
Surely this system is ridiculous?! The phone appointment is pointless as I have been told by physio they need to physically examine me. I can't take a while day off work waiting for a phone call!

Has your GP got the facility for you to send a message to them explaining all this OP?

I contacted my surgery admin team for some advice via the online portal, great no need for an appointment and the week of calling at 8 (from the bus stop as I am on my way to work at 8), The GP said they needed to see me and sent an appointment. This lasted 2 minutes (yes I timed it) while GP told me to make another appointment for blood tests, surely this could have been an email, text or call from admin and I wouldn't have taken a morning away from work just to make an appointment 2 weeks later. Blood test appointments are only available face to face and a fortnight is a quick appointment.

Utterly ridiculous.

It's ridiculous. They seem to assume that if you are ill enough to see the gp then you should be off work and lazing around waiting for a phone call. They don't seem to realise that it doesn't work like that.

It's ridiculous that first contact physio can't just pass your referral to the pelvic physio and that a GP appt has to be wasted for that to happen.

I can't even get that far, at my surgery you need to phone at 10am for a routine appointment, immediately put in a call queue for 30 minutes and then by the time the call is answered all the appointments are taken and you're told to try the next day. I only want some HRT!

Sorry to hear other people have experienced similar. It's so frustrating as not only an I struggling to get the referral it I'm wasting other professionals clinical time as well! It just seems so inefficient!
Thanks for the suggestions about emailing, I have done this now so hopefully I will hear back soon 🤞🏼

And they wonder why people are turning up to A&E unnecessarily. Its completely incompatible with most peoples' lives now..this ringing at 8am to be on hold for 30 minutes, or having to get able to pick up a phone at some unspecified time..so.i either answer my phone in class or get classes covered on the off chance they call. Its also.so inefficient. I get that resources are finite of course, but maybe I'm fairly sure there would be more appointments available if things were streamlined as a pp above said.