AIBU to expect my GP surgery to allow phone bookings?

[Poorlyadvised22]

My GP surgery is honestly known for being pretty poor, but I don’t have another one nearby that I can register with. I’ve got an ongoing medical issue, and up until recently I’d just call at 8am, sit in the queue, and book an appointment that way.

Now they’ve completely stopped phone bookings and are saying everything has to go through their website. The problem is, I’ve tried this loads of times and it just doesn’t work for me. I don’t even get the option to book a GP appointment. I actually went into the surgery a few months ago to show them this, and nothing has changed.

Is this actually standard practice now? Are GP surgeries allowed to refuse phone bookings altogether? I don’t think it’s unreasonable to expect to be able to ring up and book an appointment, especially when the online system isn’t working. Why does everything have to be online?

They are supposed to offer a phone option if you need help or can’t use or don’t have internet.

We can’t book appointments online or via the receptionist. It’s a “triage form” which takes about twenty minutes to fill in even for minor complaints and then sit and wait to see if they’ll see you. Disaster if they give you an appointment at a time you can’t make because getting through to change it is challenging!

Online appointments are triaged. You write a few words to say why you need one then you get access to the booking page. It’s improved the ability to get an appointment out of all recognition here, it’s so much better than hanging on the phone for hours.

Ours is the same - it's a triage system, you can't book. Once it's checked by a GP, receptionist rings you back to make an appointment according to how the GP has ranked it.
To be fair, DH submitted a form at about 11.30 am the other week as he thought he had a chest infection. Reception had called him back by 12 and offered an appointment at 1. So was pretty efficient for him.

This. The triage forms get reviewed by hcp and either an appointment booking link sent, call back or ideas for self treatment.

Online cuts out the need for unnecessary face to face appointments.
last week I sent a photo of my issue, they send the prescription to my local chemist the same day. Saves so much wasted time.

Yes, your surgery must offer phone bookings as an option, even if they are promoting online as the primary route.
Your first step is to complain to the practice manager, explaining that they are contravening NHS guidelines. If this doesn’t help, or if you’ve already complained direct, contact your local Integrated Care Board (ICB) who will take up the case.

My problem is, I can’t access that. I’ve been in and shown them. They send a link to book an appointment and it just shows one appointment type. When I get messages through patches I never receive them. I have to ring to get updates.

I’ll go in and ask to speak to the practice manager as they also never say their names over the phone.

Do you have nhs app as some surgeries (not ours though) take messages and booking via there.

TBF my practice uses the triage system and it's fab. The form takes about five minutes and allows me to be crystal clear without the assymptions or misinterpretations of a receptionist. When I had a chest infection, I got a link to apts for that day; when I had a suspicious lump (arm and it had been there for 3-6 months), I got a link to apts after about five days and over about 10 thereafter.

My only beef is with telephone appointments because I can't clear my professional diary for an entire afternoon.

@Poorlyadvised22 they should assist to allow you to use the technology but I think if you can use MNet, you can use the NHS or GP app. I do think exceptions need to be made for the very elderly like MIL and mother who are 90 and 89.

lol.

mine did this a while ago.

yes, you put in an e consult and they decide whether they can be bothered to phone you. You no longer have any way to book and appointment without going through triage.

I have a similar issue with ours
. You attempt to ring 8.30 an hour on the phone,you are told your place in the queue. By the time you get through, no appointment. Sometimes phone appointment,that's fine for some things. A couple of years ago,nice receptionist said "go home,get one our website, book online.. except I've never been able to! I got onto the surgery website, then name address dob. Then a red box appears" humm,there appears to be a problem,you aren't registered with this surgery, would you like to choose another from the drop-down menu ". No I wouldn't because I have been registered with this surgery for 15 years,! I had already typed in my email address and maid a password. Tried logging in, same red box. Went I'm the surgery, different receptionist,showed her on my phone, with their site showing, explained what was happening, she said she didn't recognise it, it wasn't correct..I tried very hard to get some help from her, she pushed the phone back through the glass screen, practically throwing it, turned away. I'm not stupid, I was nursing over 40 years, pretty good at dealing with difficult and rude medics. I was getting upset and angry and decided to leave before I got removed as a patient. We are in a village,there's no choice. Other people have tried with my phone and details,it has never worked.

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@RosesAndHellebores i downloaded the app and according to the receptionist’s it’s not an app but are GP’s own website. I work in technology so not that I’m not capable.

It could be that I also just got a poor receptionist as I explained previously I had to do an identify validation and link in with NHS app and she said no.

They’re not running the appointments via the NHS one or the patient one. It’s very bizarre set up.

@Nannyfannybanny I’ve had the same issue. I went into the practice and showed them and asked could they advise and they didn’t know why. I might see if I can be classed as out of area patient at another one 10 minutes away.

Try updating the NHS app. This happened to me and as soon as I updated the app, everything worked fine. The NHS app seems to be updated about twice a month and, unlike most other apps, it doesn’t tell you to update it.

It’s not the NHS app, I have that and tried that but it’s only asthma appointments

It’s not the NHS app, you can only book via their website.

Did try the NHS app to see if I could and it won’t let me. I’ve had to link the website to the NHS app for my medical records

You need to write to the practice manager and ask them to investigate and resolve the issue

Our practice has a new practice manager. Who has introduced this nonsense of phoning at 8am. So undignified. And a significant lack of appointments online.

What it shows to me is that GP’s are not working in the GP capacity as much as they are needed. Possibly doing private work doesn’t help. Or not enough are employed.
The appointments are just not there to meet the need. So systems and processes are introduced to effectively hide the issue.
You get better or go to A and E.
Our doctors appointments if you phone up are a month ahead. A month. How anyone thinks that is acceptable I do not know.

Mr Streeting, sort it out !

If your GP was crap before E-consult, then they seem to be just as crap with it. Ours was decent and seem to triage sensibly now online, but friend's GP is a nightmare, she has complex medical issues, yet they don't even respond to E-consult some days or offer the wrong type of appointment and she ends up having to use A&E.

We have to send a triage form via online too. No phone option. It’s annoying because you don’t get a chance to say “any chance I could have an appointment after 4pm?” They just send you the appointment.

It’s worse than before, although possibly more fair .

If it is an asthma review then at my practice this is done by a specialist nurse who is only in twice a month.

i’ve never been able to book it online - they hold a list of who needs a review and you make your way up it and they tell you when your review is.

it’s unlikely to be a gp.
maybe go into reception and ask what the procedure is for asthma reviews?

My asthma review consists of a questionnaire sent by a link to my phone and only an appointment if there are any red flags,

I don’t need an Asthma review that’s the only option they offer when I try to book a standard appointment.

I need an appointment to extend my prescription that I need but a Dr need to review it every 6 months. They won’t book a normal appointment for it and said I need to ring up on the day. I’ve got a week left otherwise I’d be in trouble today if I had none today.

Oh, ok you need a medication review.

at my practice gps stopped doing these years ago. If I have this (and I do regularly as I’m on shitloads if meds) I speak to reception and then the clinical pharmacist does the review and it goes through.

usually a paper process - he doesn’t speak to me or if he needs to he rings me (at his convenience, Nat h).

asthma review appointment may be the only way the system will cope with a medication review appointment? It’s not uncommon for practices to put stuff in the system in the way that best fits rather than the way that makes sense.

Could you try a different browser?. (I'm not techy but I know sometimes this can be an issue)