why is it soooo difficult to get a gp appointment !!!!!!

[notthebadguys]

is it just my doctors are all they all just as bad.

we have no named doctor & I don't think i have ever seen the same gp twice. there is one good one but if you ask for her by name you can't get an appointment in the month... receptionist always asks if its urgent - often not but honestly a month!!!

always told to phone at 8:30 and if they think its urgent on the day they may give you an appointment....

i start work 30 miles from home at 8:00 & can't keep staying off work on the offchance they will consider me or one of my children sufficiently needed - have had to blatently lie and then face diapproving looks from gp when they say it wasn't reallyurgent...

lack of continuity is also really undermining for DD battling with teenage acne as she has no relationship with any of them ....

tips tricks or advice welcome !

I would consider changing doctors.

The doctors' man the phones at my practice between 8.30 and approx 9.30 - no receptionist to negotiate. The doctor asks the problem and will give advice/prescribe medicine/make appointment as required (with either him/her or a nurse dependent on the problem). If you ring after 9.30 brief details are taken by the receptionist and then a doctor rings back.

This seems to work really well and I'm sure they screen out loads of wasted appointments thus ensuring people with genuine needs get an appointment on the same day.

at ours you can book a routine appointment up to 2 weeks in advance but if you need to be seen urgently you phone for an appointment first thing and get one the same day

Change Drs

Mine asks you to phone after 8am - if they can't give you an appointment that day but you need to see a Dr then you can go after the last appointment and wait in turn with anyone else who didn't get an appointment.

A previous Dr had phone appointments, you phoned the receptionist and the Dr woould phone back - not suitable for things like rashes, but great for chronic things you know the symptoms of.