GP didn’t call me because their “workday has ended”

[angelinlothian]

I had a telephone call booked in at 15:40.

It rolls around and no call. 17:30 comes and goes which is when the surgery closes.

I get a text to say it’s not been completed as they got to the end of their workday and couldn’t make the call, which means at least 8 people were in the same position as me, they didn’t have their calls made.

So I now have to compete again tomorrow for an on the day call, and even having one booked in doesn’t guarantee it!

AIBU to think this is exactly why so many people end up in A&E? We’re told to go to our GP, but our GP won’t see us!

Wouldn’t they call the people who didn’t get a call tomorrow rather than go through the process of being put on the list?
If people are that bad they would go straight to a&e not call their gp and not wait for a telephone call.

Nope. The text says I need to get another call booked in tomorrow.

What I mean is people who have health problems that need to be seen cannot access care any other way. If I can’t see my GP, because even having an appointment doesnt guarantee that, what else am I meant to do?

That's an absolute piss take. They should reschedule it for the following day without you having to callback.
I'd be livid.

It’s not unreasonable that the GP finished their work day on time. The practice should have informed you that it was going to have to be rescheduled and booked that in with you.

Not a good service, but I suppose something major happened to delay calls by that much.
Can you wait till tomorrow? If not, call 111. They may get you an appointment with out of hours GP.

I think it is when you’re denying people healthcare. Or let them know earlier. Or book them back in. Don’t just do this!

Did they say you had to start the process again tomorrow? I imagine they will just book those patients in order tomorrow.

I mean it’s annoying but ultimately there’s really nothing they can be done, there are times people will just need to leave work when they see done. I always did collections for my DC so I could not stay late under literally any circumstances.
People want last minute appointments added for old people, babies and those who are very unwell but it also means that the schedule can’t be fixed during the day.

It doesn’t exactly mean your GP won’t see you because one single day they ran out of appointments.

I think 111 might have to be where I turn

That sounds very strange. Is it your normal GP surgery as they work until 6.30 in England? I would have loved to have just switched my computer off and gone home at 5.30 as a GP but sadly I had to finish my list of patients.
If I had had an emergency one of my colleagues would have called my patients and assessed the urgency and either dealt with them or rebooked.

Yes, and even then evidently having an appointment booked in doesn’t mean they’ll actually call you.

That is bad @angelinlothian Do you have this online triage thing that many practices have now? I was skeptical about it, (it all changed over October 2025,) but ours is good. We get a response from the practice within 2-3 hours of putting the form in online. Sometimes a text, sometimes a phone call, sometimes offering you a doctor's appointment.

DH actually put a request in (online) for a med that he'd had before several times but doesn't have on repeat. He put it in at 11am. At 2.30pm he got a text saying a GP will call him after 4pm. He had had no call by 5.40pm (they close at 6pm) so he rang them, and the receptionist said 'the GPs do sometimes stay til 8pm, and he will call tonight for sure.'

7.30pm the GP called. Sent the prescription for his meds straight to Boots.

I would complain if I were you.

You can (and should) complain that you need to piss about filling out forms. They should automatically reschedule you to the next day. Cancelling you is not on at all. But you can’t complain they couldn’t stay late to ring you.

I imagine they’ve triaged the remaining patients and dealt with the more pressing cases. Although it’s annoying I’m not really sure what you think the alternative is?

People who are not emergencies end up clogging up A&e because their GP lets them down.

The online form is why I got the appointment, which I was so happy with. It’s some weird AI triage now and it decided I needed a same day appointment. I’m going to get home and call 111, but I don’t know if OOH GPs call or if you have to go and see them?

They could send a text apologising and offering an appointment for the following morning.

Guaranteeing me an appointment tomorrow morning?

I get your frustration, but I once had an afternoon appointment cancelled because someone had been taken very ill at the GP surgery and the GP of course spent time attending to this person until the ambulance came rather than dealing with routine appointments. I, of course, did not expect the GP to then work hours beyond her work hours to "make up" for the appointments that were missed. The GP is just doing a job too and one I imagine that more often than not does not feel finished. Most people wouldn't.

I think the true issue is how it's handled - communication and rescheduling - and the fact it's generally so hard to access GPs.

A new low...I've had them call far later but never not bother. Quite shocked they didnt finish their list.

Certainly it's dreadful you have to rebook. Sorry OP. I'd complain

Scotland is it?

Well that is bad then. They should have called you. TODAY. That's the standard they have to adhere to with this new system, I am sure.

I would definitely complain to the practice tomorrow.

My issue is more that they’ve not said they’ll call tomorrow, but that I have to try and get a same day appointment again tomorrow.

I can’t imagine many jobs where you can just up and leave at done time and not finish work because something else happened that day

Are you sure you have to call tomorrow? You haven’t actually said what the message said.

Why not call the surgery now to find out?

The surgery closed half an hour ago!

the message just said that the doctor has finished and to rebook for tomorrow

I think she’s made it clear, and it seems pretty obvious anyway, what the alternative is? That she would be put on the next days list automatically.