Should my doctors have told me this?

[FlookCrow]

I had a doctor's appointment yesterday at 6:40, and rang ahead to say I was going to be late. I was met with a message that said the surgery was closed, and had been so since 6:00pm! The online website also said it was closed. So I didn't go to the appointment, figuring I'd written it down incorrectly, or been told the wrong time.

I rang today to chase this up and was told that the surgery "closes at 7:30, but we lock the door at 6:00pm to make sure not just anyone walks in off the street, so patients have to ring the bell".

AIBU in thinking this is a touch bizarre? Why did the receptionist not tell me? And AIBU in wanting to complain - now I've missed an appointment and it's such a ballache to make a new one!

How odd. YANBU by the way.

surely they should still answer the phones?? weird

This is pretty normal at most doctor surgeries in my area.

do they not even answer the phones? who opens the door and receives people?

No, the phones go straight to: "we are now closed". You have to ring the bell and someone comes and answers the door.

This isn't a dodgy area btw, it's a lovely suburban surgery.

They won't answer the phone because the responsibility for patients care goes over to NHS Drirect/24 at 6pm. They will be trying to avoid routine calls after this time.

They shoudl have told you, though. Or is there information about this ON the door, or in a practice leaflet?

Ballache, sure. BUT, your surgery is open until 7:30 I dream of not having to skive off work just to give my bloody wee in on time!

Mine's got a last appointment of about 8pm - it's bliss.

They lock the doors about 7.30 though - but someone's on the desk watching to buzz you in (the surgery's inside one of these integrated health centres... blood tests, advisory centre, cafe, dentist... the lot on site - it's fab).

Had to laugh at the bloke in Tesco ranting about their lack of a carpark yesterday - he's obviously not found it hidden down the side and I decided he was too stupid to let him in on the secret because of the way he was going on :D

Ours have one early morning and one late night each week - not sure on phones and doors as I've never used them.

I think the best thing they could have done was to let you know when you booked the appointment that reception would be closed at that time.

Our surgery does late appointments one evening per week, but there are no reception staff; you have to wait in the vestibule (no access to the waiting room) and the GP comes to meet you personally. There is a notice up in the vestibule though which points out that it's only open for patients with pre-booked appointments and gives all the details for out-of-hours contact.

our surgery does the same on a saturday morning. it only opens if a patient who normally works out of town or cannot get in during a normal week needs an appt - the surgery is to all intents and purposes closed and only one gp and one receptionist go in. the patients have to ring the bell and the phones are on the out of hours option.