Your gp surgery; how easy to get apt?

[minxthemanx]

After a very frustrating 10 days of trying and failing to get an urgent apt with our GP for DS1, I'm wondering whether any surgery has a system that works. Our surgery operates the "phone at 8 am " system. You can't book in advance unless happy to wait 6 weeks . Having "rung at 8am" on 5 days, the earliest I've got through is 8.20, by which time all apts are gone. This 20 mins of repeated phoning takes place while I'm at work....not easy. This seems the most stupid and inefficient system yet I know a lot of surgeries use it. Anyone got a surgery with a more efficient system of allocating urgent apts?

hahahahahahhaha.
Just that. Is all I can see to OP. With as much hysteria as you can imagine.

DD has wanted a consultation about something non-urgent but could be life quality interfering, for almost a year. She got a telephone appt. last year but forgot so didn't answer the phone. I can't face ringing up again.

Ours is ring at 8.30, no pre-booked appointments at all. We moved here almost three years ago and other than the initial registration appointment I have never seen a doctor. When I had tonsillitis last year I ended up seeing an out of hours GP at A&E on a Sunday because I’d been unable to get through to the surgery when appointments were available, and got completely desperate over the weekend.

Ours is phone at 8.30 for appointment on that day. As I’m never able to get through until all the space is full. I physically go there. Usually 7-8 people wait at the door so I’m obviously not the only one who has the problem.

There are pre-book and the wait is about three weeks, could be longer for a specific doctor.

Can always get a same day appointment with our surgery. 8am til 12am sit and wait appointment at main surgery. 12.30pm til 2pm sit and wait at satellite surgery in our village. 3pm til 7pm bookable appointments at main surgery. Can use either surgery depending on most convenient, we are very fortunate I think.

Where i work they do doctor first system/ basically phone lines open at 8:15, reception take your name, number etc and the doctor/nurse calls back within 2 hours. If they feel like you need to be seen they book you in to come in either later in the morning or that afternoon.

Appointments are manageable. Go in person, make in person. You can always see a crap Dr on the day, get abs, etc. DD was unwell a while ago. I just booked sods monthly in advance and cancelled if necessary.

The bigger is at my surgery are the blood tests (A three month wait for an 8am apt for a working person) and things like ear syringing which they only do between 1 and 1 30. And the apt with the GP for the referral is a complete waste because reception don't tell you it's only available for half an hour in the middle of the day. A shame the system takes the piss out of its hard pressed Drs AND the public. We pay for this shambles let us not forget.

Ours has a choice of phone-or-queue. Both open at 8am. Phoning is pointless as it’s constantly engaged (my record is 56 calls in 30 minutes) with nothing but the engaged tone.

If you queue you have to get there at 7:30am and stand outside in line. If you are lucky you will get an appointment. Great in cold November morning with tonsillitis or a sick child.

I asked for a non urgent appointment recently and was told there weren’t any and to come back in two weeks and try again when they reopen the books.

I’m lucky enough to be able to afford Push Doctor if needed.

The only time I ever got an ‘emergency’ appointment was when I threw a fit and said I was taking my child to A&E. (She was admitted to hospital after the appointment anyway).

They are totally rubbish and inflexible for people who work or have children. I have made a formal complaint and am awaiting the outcome.

I can always get an appointment the same day. I used to think you had to ring at 8.30 to secure one but eventually realised you don't.

*see = say...

Our GP surgery releases same day appointments at 8.30am and there are several ways to book them:

1. Online, this is my favourite because you can log in and see all the available appointments with all the doctors, and just pick the one you want, plus it's very quick.
2. Automated telephone booking, this is the next best option, you can opt to book the next available appointment or be more selective i.e. male/female doctor or select the doctor you want (although obviously not always available), it's a bit slow to go through all the options but still quicker than...
3. Phone and talk to a receptionist, I avoid this at all costs because it takes AGES to get through and they are usually unhelpful.

However, getting DS's newborn vaccinations was a nightmare because they kept telling me they didn't have any appointments available - staffing issues etc. I had to keep calling and eventually kick up a fuss before they gave us an appointment (turns out they could fit us in after all, surprise surprise).

Ours has got a lot worse over the last couple of years. It’s ring at 8am for appointments on the day, which works on most occasions although I end up seeing a different GP almost every time, and on a couple of occasions all appointments had gone so I had to try again the next day.

If I want an appointment with my ‘actual’ GP I have to pre-book - the last time I did this I had to wait 10 WEEKS!!

On the day 8 am (or any time for desperate child emergency), for a child they will usually have GP or if not TOO urgent NP appointment same day. You can usually get through to the hold system within 5 mins.
Adults with emergencies (earache, chest infection as I have asthma are my usuals) you get either a GP call or an NP in person same day.
I ran out of a prescription that I couldn't stop taking and the appointment I made in advance was cancelled so I got a GP phone call plus prescription same day once.
Advance appointments i usually do online for me but whether I do that or phone for the DCs it's probably 8 am or 6 pm on an awkward day within 2 weeks or 3-4 if I want more choice. Our surgery has multiple sites and DD's nursery is next to one but I can never get a first/last thing appointment there which is really annoying.

Oh actual GP is luck of the draw. I rotate through GPs for different ailments.

Phone for emergency appointment from 8.30am. Phone at 10am for routine appointments that can be 48 hours, 1 week or 2 weeks later. I phoned last Wednesday for a routine appointment to renew my mini pill and my appointment was this Wednesday so got one within 1 week

I don’t know how mine does it but it’s fabulous.

Every day there are emergency appointments set aside for the first and last hour of the day. So you can always see a dr that day if you’re in pain. Otherwise you can normally see them the next day.
One doctor always has appointments (miserable git); the most popular one you normally have to wait 2 days. I do feel very lucky.

Having said that, one of the receptionists is a really rude huffy unpleasant little schnitzel.

Surely OP if your child has complex medical needs and is on repeat medication you would know when the review date is and book the routine appointment ahead to ensure your son's prescription is reviewed and the repeats re authorised ready to go when next lot are due.
I don't think that allowing your child's vital medication to run out and then stating you need to be seen urgently is what urgent appointments are for.
My patients would be given a short emergency script for the medication and told to make a routine appointment. This is something that has occurred today is it.

hasn't occurred today

I phoned at 9am yesterday and got a same day appointment for 10am. Wasn’t urgent or anything just a normal app.

It cost £25 (for my 3 year old) but would have been about £50 for an adult. I’m in the Channel Islands so we pay for our GP appointments unless you’re on benefits.

I love it. You get what you pay for. Ie a good fast service.

It can take 4 weeks to get an appointment. Kids can usually be seen on the day, though

Before we moved, I was with a gp who guaranteed appointments within 48 hours. I miss those days! It really does depend on where you live :(

My go you just call and book the next appointment whenever you want so could be a cancellation today or appt tomorrow etc. We can book in advance whenever you want. If it’s an emergency the doctor will speak to you over the phone then get you down if necessary.

You are not triaged by the receptionist over here we don’t operate that way.

Our surgery is the same - ring at 8am, get through at 9am to be told all appointments have gone, repeat ad infinitum. I'm now sure it's deliberate; demand is outstripping supply, and so the early morning phone lottery whittles the numbers down, as many people will give up, get better or go to A&E instead.

Oh and if you prefer you can ask for a telephone appointment and over lunchtime the doctor gives you a call. So lucky.

Red jellybean no, i didn't know when the review date was. When i picked up his last prescription there was a note with it saying review needed before next prescription. Hence been trying for best part 2 weeks (didn't jump to it the day I got prescription as I work full time and had a lot of other things on). But allowed plenty of time. Dispensary gave me a script for 7 days to cover me when I said I was having trouble getting an apt. But I still hadn't got an apt when that lot ran out! Normally there is no problem; my GP is outstanding, as are reception/dispensary staff. I just can't believe how difficult it has been to get though to make an apt. I was interested to see if any other surgeries have systems that work better, and it seems a few do. I've had many years of dealing with his medications and do know what I'm doing . It's just very frustrating not bring able to get through on the phone day after day.

Ours has a mix of booked appts and 'walk in and wait' appointments every morning and 4 afternoons. So you can always be seen the same morning or afternoon (you don't have to be 'an emergency' they are quite happy for you to go to 'open surgery' for any reason).
Generally if you want to have a booked appt (so be seen at a specific time and not have to wait for potentially an hour or so) it can be a wait of 10 days or so sometimes.