Is this standard for a GP these days?

[Firstaidnovice]

I have been fortunate and have not had much cause to see the GP face to face for the last five years. I am well aware of the current state of the NHS and am curious as to whether my current experience is just standard these days or poor even given the state of things.
I started HRT in December. It took about 12 weeks to get an appointment with the surgery menopause clinic, but the doctor I saw was great, and prescribed patches.

By mid February my headaches/migraines had worsened which had been a concern. I had a follow up with a nurse practitioner before being given my second three month prescription and mentioned this. She told me I needed to speak to a doctor. It took two weeks for the surgery to arrange a phone call, and the earliest they could do was last Tuesday. By this point the headaches were significantly worse. The doctor said I needed to come in for a neurological examination before she could look at changing my prescription (either hrt or migraine medication). She also said she didn't think it was my hrt. She asked me to see an optician and organise a blood test. I did both of those within the week, no concerns with either.

However, I have phoned the surgery twice since my phone consultation and have been told they can't arrange a face to face appointment as they don't have any. They are waiting for the practice manager to release them. I was first told this would be the beginning of this week, and then on Thursday that it would be today, but nothing. I imagine when I do get an appointment it will be at least three weeks in the future.

Essentially I reported side effects from my HRT over two months ago and I am no closer to actually seeing a doctor.

Is this normal or particularly shit?

I am getting headaches between three and four days a week some weeks. I try and suck them up as much as possible but on bad days I take Sumatriptan which knocks me out. It is having quite an effect on my job in particular.

Pretty normal. You should phone for an emergency appointment as soon as they open in the morning. Otherwise you'll be waiting weeks.

That sounds so terrible, but there are probably so many in your situation. Have you called up asking for cancellation or emergency appts?

Like you I have never have to see my GP often, but she’s recently dropped to 3 days a week and I know it would probably be 4-6 weeks before getting an appointment with her and even then I’d have to beg.

When I started in HRT and saw the nurse at the first three month check I told her I'd developed headaches and she said stop the HRT immediately .

You have to call our surgery in the morning from 8am. I start work at 8.30 and can't have phone. I now have Thursdays off in case I, or the children, need an appointment. Generally they do see you on the day though, but it's usually about 50 mins in a call queue. There must be a way to get quicker appointments. What if you have pneumonia. You need to stop being so English about it. If they ask, is it an emergency? Say, "It is now! "

I'm not going to try and get an emergency appointment. Our surgery do phone appointments with the duty Dr for on the day emergencies to triage, and they would simply tell me I had to make a face to face appointment and I would be back to square one.

I really just want to know if this is normal, or whether it would be worth looking to move surgeries.

Four to five weeks would be shit but I could live with it. Twelve weeks (which is what I think it will be) feels ridiculous

I think you could argue your case if they said its not an emergency. If you have that attitude, you will always be pushed back. I'm really not a pushy person in any other way, but I've had to be when it comes to anything to do with health.

I dont really understand why a face to face is needed at this point?
I presume whoever told you that was needed isn’t experienced with hrt?
In the meantime you could consider stopping all your hrt as by the time you get an appointment you may well have discovered if it’s the cause, in which case you could use the appointment to try a different version

Ps. It is not normal I don't think but surgeries vary greatly.

Pps. If they say its not an emergency, you say there is j no other way to get an appointment and after 12 weeks it is now an emergency. I bet you they will deal with you.

Do they think you have stopped the HRT in the interim and thus it is not urgent because you have mitigated your stroke risk?

A face to face is needed because they say I need a neurological examination before they will change my prescription. I have no idea what form this examination will take because my previous consultations re headaches/migraines have all been on the phone.

I am reluctant to just stop hrt because other than the headaches, I feel so much better in terms of mood, sleep and various other symptoms. The headaches were there pre HRT, they just started getting much worse from around end of Jan/Feb. The doctor said because of the timing she isn't sure it's related to the HRT.

In terms of my attitude (and please forgive me, I have a headache today and am grumpy), but I have been calling every other day to chase. I am polite but forceful. They are simply telling me there are no appointments
If I call to make an emergency appointment for headaches I will simply be told by the duty doctor I will need to wait for a face to face.

However, if this is longer than usual, which people are suggesting it is, I will try again on Monday, and then look into moving surgeries. Thanks all.

It isn't typical for our GP surgery where it's pretty easy to get a same day appointment but for exh who has blood cancer and on chemotherapy had a blood test that was concerning got text from his surgery to make appointment asap. Phoned on receipt no appointments told to try following week. Following week went to surgery showed text told no appointments phone next week. Saw nurse for diabetes review, she saw blood test result got GP to phone him. GP ordered repeat blood test said he needed to see him face to face. Had repeat blood test no Doctor appointments again until he asked to speak to practice manager. Appointment given May 9th, it was March when GP asked to see him asap.

I wouldn't think this is normal.

We can get a face to face 'urgent' on the day of, I think my surgery would probably consider this to be that.

For non urgent, most appointments are the following week, occasionally the week after.

That's awful re your exh. You sort of assume having cancer might put you on a fast track.

It does seem like there might be some benefit in trying another surgery. I live about thirty yards from my current one so it's very convenient, but obviously not if I can never see a doctor.

It does seem to depend on surgeries. Ours is great. Dd got up with really bad throat phoned at 8am offered 3pm then 4pm when she explained she needed to do school run. Only three miles between the two surgeries as well.

We moved last year & unfortuately had to change Drs. From tiny village to small village medical practice.

Rang up Monday lunchtime for an appt for adult dd (she can't have her phone in work).
"What does she need it for?"
Blood test to check iron levels.
"She can have a phone appt on Friday"
You can't do a blood test over the phone.
"No but she can discuss it".
🙄
With much huffing & puffing was given a face to face the following Wednesday.
Which considering other stories on here really isn't too bad. But previously would have got next day.
There is one lovely helpful receptionist & one that graduated with merit from the dragon school of charm. You can tell who answered 😁.

I'd call that pretty shit.

We have to wait for non-urgent at my practice too (normally 4-5 weeks these days), but if something needs an urgent investigation then they'll arrange a same-day call followed (if necessary) by an in-person appointment. In my experience that's normally been on the same day, or if not then within the same week.

Sadly it seems to depend on the surgery, ours you would need to ring at 8am or 1 pm but once past that queue generally get same day face to face, DS lives in different part of country and sounds very much like yours, weeks to get face to face, even if results are showing treatment needed

I don't know. My GP is amazing. I've had a really difficult time recently and my GP has really helped me.

I think there's an element of not taking the menopause seriously because every woman goes through it. If they thought was really serious they would either see you or send you to A&E.

Not normal at my surgery. I get proactive phone calls to discuss results with me.

HRT support has been superb. Coils fitted. Can get same day appointments when needed. Even doing an econsult at 11am I was seen at 5pm.

@CoffeeBeansGalore in my area you can agree a blood test with GP in writing using econsult and book your blood test at the local hospital on their online booking - usually same day appt available. Results usually visible on my NHS app in 5 working days, sometimes faster.

You might want t see if you can do it that way?

@Droolylabradors No econsult available here. No small local hospital. Just the big city one 30 odd miles away. The surrounding village GPs get the "Blood Wagon" collecting samples twice a week. So your appt for bloods will be on one of those 2 days.

Ah that's rubbish. I'm v rural. Only the old people can have GP blood tests as they can't travel to hospital for them. Everyone else has go to the hospital. It's about 15 miles away but close to my work so v handy. Not a small local one though, big county hospital.

OP, l don't consider that situation normal and l would be changing surgeries if you have the option. Re your hrt you could just stop for a week to see if it makes a difference to your headaches. I expect a doctor would advise stopping anyway, when you finally see one.

Change GP. I used to put up with an awful surgery. Appointment system was just about ok, but actual treatment was terrible.

I’ve switched to another surgery and it’s like night and day. I can always get an appointment, can choose doctor. Treatment has been amazing; genuine support for my mental health issues, instant referral for suspected cancer (which I went on to get dx’d).

You might want to check out https://gp-patient.co.uk/ . My new gp scores much higher than my old one.

When I changed gp, I just had to take my id in, fill out form and could make an appointment the next day.

My GP surgery won’t allow you to book a face face to appointment without having a phone appointment first. I rang with a painful shoulder once and again with a lump in my breast. I had to have a phone appointment 2 weeks later, to be told they needed to see me (no shit). Then had to wait for the next available in person appointment. It’s a shit show, but seems to be commonplace these days.