Can't book routine GP appointment in advance

[Megifer]

Does anyone know if there is any official process for people who can't use online triage forms?

Mum has been told to book a routine appointment with her gp, ongoing issues/test results etc

She doesn't have a smartphone/can't use one (she just can't, i have tried)
She rings bang on when phone line opens
Gets through to be told all appointments have gone as online triage takes precedence over telephone calls at that time
She tells the receptionist it's just to book a routine appointment for within the next few weeks
Computer says no - She needs to do online form or call back in the morning or go to the docs face to face as soon as they open
She calls back in the morning - rinse/repeat
She can't get to the actual surgery because she's not very mobile early in the morning due to her condition and cost of taxis is ridiculous just to book am appointment
I've tried to do the form for her, but with the timings it opens and by the time I've done school run and get to work in time and get on my phone the triage has shut
This morning I had to take unpaid time off just so I could make sure I could do the form as soon as it opened

I spoke to the reception before and asked how are people in this situation supposed to get health care or if they didn't have family to help, and was told if they really needed it they'd find a way.

Now in mums situation I guess I could keep taking unpaid time off every time she needs to arrange an appointment but this seems crazy! There must be so many people without family etc. who just can't get an appointment because they aren't online.

Does anyone know if GPs can generally do this? Have such a rigid way of booking appointments? I can't find anything on the Internet about it. Ideally I'd like to go in there and say "this official NHS thing says you have to have an alternative method so please follow it and let people like mum just book appointments in advance when they are asked to by you!"

I haven't read all the replies so not sure if this has aloready been shared.

The official guidelines (Service Manual) for gov.uk states that offline or alternative methods should be available for those who are digitally excluded.

Looks like the NHS have their own version of assisted digital / digital inclusion digital.nhs.uk/about-nhs-digital/corporate-information-and-documents/digital-inclusion

Not a specific process for this but if the developers of this service haven't considered other options for people like your mum they aren't meeting their own guidelines (sadly a reality across many Government services as they all seem hell bent on going digital)

A lot of people in this boat will seek help at libraries - would this be a possibility for your mum?

From last Wednesday’s Telegraph:

GPs forced to allow patients to book appointments by phone under new NHS contracts

Exclusive: New terms ensure that elderly will not be forced to book online and locked out of booking systems

GP practices will be ordered to allow patients to book an appointment over the phone under new NHS contracts for surgeries.

Family doctors, therefore, won’t be allowed to operate systems which force patients to book online, locking out those who cannot navigate the technology.

Under the terms of the NHS 2024/25 contract, practices will be told that they need to give the same level of service to anyone trying to make an appointment – whether they walk in, phone or use online services.

The GP contract, which comes into force in April, instructs all practices to ensure patients can access care, whether or not they can use the internet.

Practices are instructed to implement a “consistent approach to care navigation and triage so there is parity between online, face to face and telephone access, including collection of structured information for walk-in and telephone requests.”

Thanks, @BailOutChapsGingersGornSquiffy - so from April 1st? Or 6th at latest (financial new year)?

@AutumnCrow I believe it’s from April 1st.

YANBU. They should be more flexible and accommodating with the booking system. Forcing patients to exclusively book online is unreasonable - learning or visual impairments, incompatible systems, network outage, being in pain or distressed could make that impossible. Phoning at 8.30 is not user friendly either as many people are in transit to work or school. Who wants to discuss sensitive medical info on the bus or at the school gates. Imagine someone in a sensitive situation or domestic abuse and they can't call/message when its safe for them.

I have been trying to get an appointment with GP for over a year. Ring at 7.59, "surgery is closed". Redial immediately, " you are no.60 in queue. If you hang on, for a long time, all appointments have gone. How did those 60 get through ahead of me? I have filled in consultation forms on both NHS app, and surgery website. When I get to the end it says that I must see a GP today, and that I must end the online consultation, which will not be saved. I am normally an active 79 year old, and I do not want to curl up and die just yet. I look after grandchildren and do a lot of gardening, but my symptoms could be serious and yet managed with medical help. Where is it?

Tweak your answers so is routine not urgent to get the e consult thru

Also, ring during the day and ask to speak to the practice manager. Tell them you've been trying but unable to make an appointment for a year 😳

Did you manage to resolve this OP? This whole new system is unfit for purpose and discriminatory to the disabled, elderly & those without the tech to book! Not to mention not being given a time so you're waiting around in limbo to see if you've been granted an elusive appointment 😤 part of me feels this is a cull 😤

For teachers it's shocking how can we ring at 8.30 am then stay in the online queue for 3/4 an hour? Impossible

Not just teachers. All the rest of us with a Mon-Fri job too.

This is discrimination, plain and simple. They are discriminating against people who are unable to use the internet (for whatever reason), and let's be honest, most of them will be elderly and/or frail and just can't do it.

Our surgery is the same. It is a disgrace.

Hi, yes after back and forth and "computer says no", they sent a text out about 2 weeks after saying they do now allow people to book outside their stupid online system but we need to have arranged this with the surgery so they can note it on their system to refer to when we ring.

So I tried that. And got "there's no note on the system" despite me getting an email from the practice manager saying she's added it on for mum.

Anyway, upshot was I raged politely, they apologised in writing, and mum gets treated nicely now when she rings up and is able to book outside their system. As am I.

Unbelievable how long it took to get sorted and the attitude from the receptionists.....how I held my temper back I still don't know tbh.

I have an update too. Ive changed GP surgeries. Since then ive had FIT tests for bowel cancer and IBD and blood tests for liver kidney and thyroid function and am also now on HRT

At our GP everything goes through online triage but if you don’t have the ability the receptionist will fill out the online form on the phone with the person so is that a possibility ? Also our triage is open from 8- 4:30 so that helps . You need to ask for a meeting with the practice manager if this problem cannot be sorted out .

At our GP, calling at 8.30 or doing online form is for emergency appointments. If you want a routine appointment we are asked to call after 11. Has she tried calling later in the day?

sorry…. Just seen your update. Glad it’s sorted now

An 8am telephony scrum for a GP appointment. How did it come to this. Depressing.

This is entirely the choice of the GP practice though. Every practice is different. My surgery has the option of ringing at a later time for a routine appointment that could be in a week or longer. You can ask for a cancellation. They offer a choice of phone consults or nurse appointments and IME the practice nurse will always seek advice from the GP if there turns out to be something they can't deal with. They also do online consultations - a very straightforward online form with the option to upload photos.
If you are sitting in the waiting room there are posters and videos telling you how to self refer for physio or counselling and various other advice services.
You can send a message to your GP when ordering repeat medication through the patient access route.
These are all really helpful things and if a practice doesn't offer them they should receive complaints. IMO if one practice can offer these services they all should.

WRT the OP (that I have just gone back to the first page and read) I would be contacting the CCG in the traditional paper, envelope and stamp way, copying a second letter to the practice manager, asking for a written reply with a solution, by return.
They shouldn't be allowed to exclude a whole section of the population like this.

I spoke to the reception before and asked how are people in this situation supposed to get health care or if they didn't have family to help, and was told if they really needed it they'd find a way

That's not a helpful attitude from the receptionist, but to be honest, it's not their fault, they are directed by surgery protocol, so complain to the Practice Manager ,who actually has the clout to change things (obviously the clout involved does not cover being able to create enough GP surgeries to go around).

My surgery has recently gone to an online system. Ours can be filled in at any time, and has options for urgent or routine enquiries. If you are unable to fill it in or access the internet for whatever reason, you can ring reception and they will fill it in for you.
I haven't had to use it yet, but it is apparently working well.

Exactly that. They must make reasonable adjustments, like talking to someone on the phone.

I've had this with my mum's surgery. I do do the e-consult for her when I can but am not always around, so then she just goes in and the receptionist fills it out for her.

GPs have to comply with the Equality Act like everyone else.

Sounds like a really good system. Ours gets switched off when it's "full" and my mum's is only open 8-4 although last time I was there they had turned it off by 3pm so maybe they are now switching it off when they've had enough as well.

What happens if you send an actual letter ?