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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To hate the system for apointments at my Doctors' practice?

45 replies

DrNortherner · 22/10/2008 13:42

They are always bloody full. You have to call at 1.15pm which is when they release emergancy appointments. At 1.15pm the phoen is always engaged and when you do get through there are no appts left. Grr.

So then of course I try to book a routine appt for tomorrow, none left.....

How does your surgery operate?

OP posts:

SpookyButNice · 22/10/2008 16:22

With ours you can ring in the morning and they'll guarantee an appt that day if you think it's an emergency. Otherwise, you can call and ask for next available appt which is normally within the next couple of days unless you are very specific about who you see and at what time of day.

curlywurlycremeegg · 22/10/2008 16:25

My old surgery used to be like that, a bloody nightmare, I moved GP's and when I phoned the new one for an appointment they asked me when did I want to come they then asked did I want a male or female doctor . I like my new surgery ;)

TheFallenMadonna · 22/10/2008 16:25

Ring for an appointment for whenever you want. I would say about half the time there is one that day (if you're happy to see any doctor), and the other half you come along at the end of surgery (if it's an emergency)and wait.

If you want a specific doctor you may have to wait because some only work part time and get booked up. But they're all good so it doesn't really bother me.

Hodgins · 23/10/2008 00:00

Please induldge me if you would in a touch of smugness...

I am a practice manager and I find this kind of thing really depressing. The reason these surgeries have no appointments is becuase they haven't anticipated the demand (or they have but can;t be arsed to put in extra appointments).

I don't understand how they can go on week after week offering such a crap service.

In my practice we review the appointment system quarterly and adjust it if necessary.

It makes my blood boil that these people go on being crap then bleat on about the NHS getting bad press - no bloody wonder!!

Thanks, rant over!

elkiedee · 23/10/2008 00:22

No you're not being unreasonable, it sounds like a lot of you have really awful systems in place, it makes me realise how lucky we are. I'm not registered with our nearest surgery as it has been built etc since we moved here, and I did consider moving but then realised I was pregnant and felt really comfortable with my GP - I've had bad experiences in the past so decided to stay with the one 15 minutes walk from home.

DS is now 17 months and I've been able to get general appointments within a few days if not urgent, but when we felt we should take ds in a couple of times recently we've just taken him up there and asked at reception - I was given a 9.30 appt for him at 9.05 am and dp was given a 9 am appt at 8.30 am - with the other GP in the practice who is the father of ours. I was pretty impressed. My GP seems to liaise pretty well with the hospital and local health visitors' team as well, and follows things up, eg when I had a few issues in the months after ds was born.

I'm concerned about what will happen in the future though, as they're planning to reorganise local services as polyclinics and are starting with the local surgery (not where I'm registered but I do see midwives/health visitors there) by putting it out to tender. A neighbouring borough now has a lot of services run by a private company and I don't like the sound of what they're doing.

Quattrocento · 23/10/2008 00:27

Our surgery is terrible. Effing awful and unbelievable and sad. The saddest thing is, it's the best practice that I've been registered with. Bloody NHS underfunding.

I had to go to the doctors in France this summer. They were unbelievably good. They have a drop-in centre in the morning - all comers treated within 20-30 minutes, no appointment needed. Appointments in the afternoon. Max 48 hours for an appointment.

When you get in, you get a proper consultation 10-15 minutes. They examine you properly, take a lot of tests (height, weight, bp etc) ...

I think I want to be French

DesperatelySeekingSanity · 23/10/2008 20:39

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ChirpyGhoul · 23/10/2008 20:56

I love my doctors but hate the appt thing.
I found blood in DD1's nappy once at 10am, called for a dr appt, was told none left that morning (is another call at half 8 one) and to call after 11. Rang after 11 and after trying for an hour to get through was told no afternoon appts either and nothing prebookable for next 3 days.
Burst into tears and explained why I wanted appt asap, cue long rigmarole of talking to dr, calling me back, discussing symptoms with receptionists (!) etc etc
Was told to take DD in before afternoon surgery just this once, and then referred straight to PAeds A+E.

The best thing is if you go straight to Paeds A+E dept unless your child is obviously injured they insist on a gp referral.
wankers.

catweazle · 23/10/2008 21:13

Our surgery only has appointments Mon to Fri 9am to 10.30am and 4-5.30pm so not surprisingly it's almost impossible to get an appointment. You have to ring at 8.30am and when you finally get through at 8.40am all the appointments are gone As others have said, if you have to also go to work/ take children to school you can't always ring at 8.30.

If you are lucky you get an emergency appointment, which involves sitting in the surgery for anything up to 90 minutes. I still haven't worked out how you make advance appointments. A receptionist once told me I couldn't make an advance appt but somebody must do!

I've had to take DD up to A&E several times because they wouldn't see her. (Although last time she had a really high temp I just marched into the surgery and said "this baby needs to see a doctor now" and was amazed to be seen within 10 minutes- obviously it's harder to be rude to someone who is standing in front of you )

SugaryBits · 23/10/2008 21:18

Ours is an absolute nightmare. Ring at 8.30 for morning appointments (8.40 no appts left) Ring back at 2 for afternoon appts ( 2.10 no appts left) They can not book any appts in advance...apparently.

kiddiz · 23/10/2008 21:18

My surgery has open surgery every morning between 7.30 am and 10.00 am. But they will only see a limited number of patients so you have to get there before 9.00am to stand a realistic chance of seeing the doctor. I have been known to have to wait 2 hours to be seen too. You also have to run the gauntlet that is the receptionist. They often ask for details of why you wish to see the doctor as they insist that open surgery is for urgent conditions only. I always refuse as mine and my family's health is confidential and certainly not something I want to discuss in a busy waiting area. I would never abuse the open surgery but I suppose there must be those who do.
Routine appointments can be booked online which is preferable as they never answer the phone and if you ring the emergencies number they tell you off!! Invariably it is the same person who answers both types of calls but they clearly ignore the non emergency ones. I have just booked a routine appointment and the earliest one available was the 17th November.

ChirpyGhoul · 24/10/2008 20:04

oh don't start me on online booking, I can do that for myself but can't register the DD's for it as it needs a NI number! so considering 90% of my dr appt are for the children I still have to ring!

SharkyandGeorge · 24/10/2008 20:10

Ours only take appointments for that day, you have to ring up on the morning you want the appointment.

Have never not been able to get an appointment, system seems to work really well.

RambleOn · 24/10/2008 20:25

Is there any chance you could all complain to your practise manager/healthcare trust on this issue?

Ring ours at 8.29, they say "We don't take bookings til 8.30, can you ring back then?"

Ring at 8.30. Engaged til 8.45. Get through at 8.46, all appointments gone.

Will only make appts for that day. Therefore repeat daily until minor worry/ailment becomes serious. Give up, and go to A&E.

Two years ago, I had serious leg cramp which I tried to see GP about. Couldn't get an appt despite trying for 5 consecutive days. Eventually went to A&E as I was worrying so much. Turns out I'd had a calf DVT for those 5 days, which by the time I went to A&E, had developed into a potentially life-threatening pulmonary embolism.

I could have died When I complained to the practise manager, he said that the reason for the appt system, is so that the surgery can report back a 100% satisfaction rating to the healthcare trust.

ie. Of the patients that have made appts, 100% are seen that day. The huge number that fail to make appts go unrecorded.

Do you remember Tony Blair on QuestionTime in the run-up to the last General Election? Someone asked about this issue, and he had NO IDEA that it was a problem.

So can everyone PLEASE complain to their respective trusts on this issue?

Sorry, rant over, it's a bugbear of mine

Heifer · 24/10/2008 21:14

My new surgery is fantastic.

On both occassions I have phoned at 8.35ish and got appt for 9.10 and 10.00.. got to love it.. Can apparently book online also.

Where I previously lived I never ever got an appt the same day and often had to wait 3 to 4 days...

kiddiz · 25/10/2008 08:27

ChirpyGhoul...I can book appointments on line using the Emis system for my whole family including my 11 yr old dd who has no NI number.

ilovemydog · 25/10/2008 08:57

ramble, did you point out to practice manager the 100% rating is on the basis of patients being alive?

Had a similar experience - called on duty GP and asked if I should wait for afternoon appt for DD (aged 2) or take to A & E... he said it could wait until the appt, but would call if an earlier appt became available...

Got to surgery, another GP examined her, called Children's Hospital and called 999 for an ambulance

ChirpyGhoul · 25/10/2008 19:43

I don't think ours is the Emis system, I am in wales though so it might be different.
I dont recall even putting it in online but the surgery insisted, and have told me that is why I cannot add them...
At least it is better than loitering outside from 8am and waiting for an appt like we used ot though!

Ashantai · 25/10/2008 23:32

Ooh this booking online thing sound great! Our doctors isnt too bad. They have open surgery between 9-10 and if you get there around 8.30 there isnt much of a queue. Appts are from 10-12 and 4-6.

I do like the fact that if i get there early enough, i will be seen the same day. We moved away from our doctors and he asked us if we wanted to register with a local one, but i'd rather take the 10 min drive, than the 10 min walk to the crappy one near us!

lou33 · 25/10/2008 23:39

i can ring at anytime, but if i need an emergency appt that day and it is full, if you call before 12 they set up an extra emergency clinic

if its a non urgent appt then i only wait a day or 2

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