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Original poster

How easy is it for you to get a doctors appointment?

77 replies

Anxiousmums · 13/02/2025 11:39

mum of two here and i really have been struggling to get an appointment i call and im in a que of 23 and by the time i get to 1 the appointments for that day have been taken up and i have to try again tomorrow if i go to Ane its a 12 hour wait, i was wondering how other mums were finding there GP service , i am relieved that now you can get NHS GP appointments on the weekend but these are limited

OP posts:
reesewithoutaspoon · 13/02/2025 12:22

Ours is a nightmare. Phone line opens 8:30. By the time you get through they have all gone by 8:40. You can't phone to arrange non urgent ie a prescription for hrt and they won't put it on repeat.
They have E consult, but limit the amount per day so that's always full too.
But I get constant texts to provide BP readings, weight and to go for routine blood tests, vaccines and smears. Because that's were they earn their money from the government

TheHorticulturalHussy · 13/02/2025 12:28

Ours is brilliant. Turn up before 10:30 and you'll be seen before 12.
Rural practice.

newtb · 13/02/2025 12:33

Appt within 2 days home visit within 3. Live in France. Was the same during covid.

FedUpandEatingChocolate · 13/02/2025 12:59

Phone at 8am on the dot and get a same day. Miss that and no chance!

MissyB1 · 13/02/2025 13:03

Really difficult! No e consult at our surgery. You can either take your place in a very long queue at 8:30am, or try and book online but the online appointments are booked up over 4 weeks in advance.

maternitylleave102 · 13/02/2025 13:08

I have to fill a form out online, a nurse will then call me or arrange to see me. If it's serious enough I get to see the doctor.

I ended up in A&E.

DemonicCaveMaggot · 13/02/2025 13:11

Ours has been fine so far. Our town has a population of 25,000 and there are two surgeries. Ours has 10 doctors and 2 doctors in training, there is also a paramedic and I think a nurse practitioner. I don't know about the other surgery. We have econsult and can book online.

FrenchandSaunders · 13/02/2025 13:11

I was impressed that DH got an appt same day yesterday. Had to answer questions on their website then they called him.

DPotter · 13/02/2025 13:25

I count myself extremely lucky - never had a problem. Just last week phoned for an appointment on the Wednesday and got face to face appointment on the following Monday so 5 days later including the weekend when the health centre isn't open.

They will also book follow up appointments which I know other surgeries don't

But I know the health centre just a couple of miles away is a nightmare to get appointments - similar type of population, same number of GPs but looking at long delays for face to face.

I find it strange some health centres can manage things but others can't, although I'm also sure it's not an easy fix

DeliciouslyEvil · 13/02/2025 13:28

very difficult, not doing face to face as far as I can see since Covid, if you are lucky you can get in the queue and get a phone apt for a few weeks time

Meadowfinch · 13/02/2025 13:32
  • Request an appt via on-line portal.
  • Include a description of the issue, any photos etc.
  • Usually get a call back the same afternoon.
  • The appt itself could be anywhere up to a week depending on urgency

It's quite straightforward.

greatfrontage · 13/02/2025 13:35

Never had a problem. If I call at a peak time I can be in a queue of 8 at most. Am always happy to have a phone appointment, and have never not had one on the same day. Sometimes for something non-urgent, like wanting to talk about my HRT etc. it might be 2 weeks, but whenever I have asked to be seen/spoken to soon, it has always happened. Sometimes I've even had a call back right away and been asked to come in (like chest infection etc.) and have had to gallop into the shower and call a taxi right away!

It's a big city centre surgery, two branches, about a billion GP's/nurses etc.

I hate to say I'm lucky, because my very positive experience should be the absolute minimum all over the country, but I suppose I am.

RaraRachael · 13/02/2025 13:37

Ours never used to be too bad but is rubbish now. I phoned up last week hoping to get an appointment in 2-3 weeks as was normal. Was told there were no advance appointments and I had to phone up at 8 in the morning for an on the day appointment. It has taken me over a week to finally get one despite trying every day - when I finally got through at about 8.10, all the on the day oens had gone.

Shambles.

UnisexChipshop · 13/02/2025 13:39

Fine. Go on the app for econsultation, GP calls if needed, face to face appointment booked if still necessary. Same day or following day for FTF. Econsultation is works really well for me when I can't guarantee that I'll be able to answer my phone.

RaraRachael · 13/02/2025 13:57

We had econsultation during Covid and it was excellent. Face to face or telephone appointment if you needed it and a prescription to collect if needed.
Now they've stopped it and it's a disaster.
What really annoys me is that my daughter's surgery still do it and my sister GP is even worse than mine in that you are told to see a nurse instead of a doctor.
They are all in NHS Grampian so I wish they'd all do the same

LifeExperience · 13/02/2025 14:05

American here. It's very easy. I called Tuesday to get an annual preventative care appointment with my internal medicine doc. I left a message and they called me back about 1/2 hour later, telling me that I'm not due until mid-March and offered me an appointment on Monday, March 10, which I accepted.

If I needed a sooner appointment, I could get an online appointment today through my insurance company's website with a primary care doc or psych doc.

Bloom15 · 13/02/2025 14:13

I have never had a problem and they will always see children face to face - usually for my asthma too. You have to find at 8am if you what a same day appointment and even though it has taken me lots of calls and some time I have always gotten through

Fluffyc1ouds · 13/02/2025 14:23

My surgery gives out appointments so soon that often there isn't the time to travel there! I called the other morning and was asked if I could be there in 20 mins and that's fairly normal. Sometimes you're told just to turn up at some point in the afternoon and they'll squeeze you in.

If you call later in the day for a routine appointment they'll book it for in 3 weeks time as standard, but you're never waiting any longer than that.

theboffinsarecoming · 13/02/2025 14:31

It is ridiculously difficult.

You are supposed to book appointments on their online triage system, which is open from 8am to 1pm each day. I leave work before it opens in the morning, and get home after the triage system is closed for the day. So I can't try to do it while I'm actually driving, and I work in an environment with high security and am not allowed to use my phone while on the premises. Nor am I allowed to use the work computer for anything other than business. So that's that.

If I call in there, they say all appointments are gone, and if I phone they say the same. I can't ring from 8am onwards for reasons as above. They will not allow you to book appointments ahead of time anyway, even if the doctor says 'I need to see you again in two weeks' or whatever.

How the frail & confused or those unable to access the internet manage I don't know.

Fairyliz · 13/02/2025 14:49

What is this thing you call a doctor? I’m vaguely aware they used to exist but surely they went the way of the dodo?
Certainly none at my GPs surgery, I’m convinced they only have nurses/healthcare assistants.

MeanderingGently · 13/02/2025 14:49

We book by email in a special GP system.

We log in and explain what we want - I once had something (pain related) they deemed urgent so the system got back to me immediately with pain relief medications issued by the local surgery within an hour which I could pick up. Didn't need to see a doctor to get it sorted.

Quite often they offer a telephone consultation with a time, sometimes same day or next day.
Once I needed an X-ray, they arranged everything at a local hospital and sent details so I could just go, no need to see the doctor for that as he'd only be sending me for an X-ray.
Once I had a gynae related issue, not urgent but a problem....that one they wanted an actual appointment and a medical examination, they arranged it for the next day.
When my blood pressure was high, they just arranged for me to see the nurse to check it and give me a monitor for a week.
Repeat medications is done online - I order, they get them in and hand them out from the surgery, I get a text when they're ready.
Want a vaccination (eg. COVID booster or flu' jab)? I send a request, they just give a time, I go up and the nurse does it.
Sick notes (when I needed them in the past) all booked online with an explanation, GP practice issues them online within 5 days to forward to employer.

It's a fantastic system, saves the GP's time as most queries don't actually need to see a GP but need other interventions instead. I have nothing but praise for them.

Ilovelowry · 13/02/2025 14:55

I rang at 8.30 this morning for an on the day emergency appt, was second in the queue and was seen at 9.05am.

Can get a regular appt. 3 weeks ahead.

So quite good. Preferred it when I could book online and choose my GP though.

Papyrophile · 13/02/2025 14:55

Our GP practice is generally good. A bit of a scramble for the same day appointments at 8:30 but wait until 8:59 and the queue is usually sorted. Routine appointments for scheduled tests etc can be booked up to four weeks ahead. They are good at booking vaccinations etc via a general summons to a Saturday clinic with slots allocated on line.

Natsku · 13/02/2025 14:57

I complain about health care in my country because its changing for the worse but at least I can still see a doctor easily. The other week my back was hurting after a fall and thought I'd better get it checked out. Wasn't able to get an appointment at any occupational health care centre within driving distance so rung the public health centre at quarter past 2, told the nurse what was up she said if I could get there by 3 (I was half an hour away) she'd make the doctor see me straight away so if I needed an x-ray I could get it done before the x-ray department shut at 3 (normal healthcare centre, not a hospital but has x ray and lab). Got there with 5 minutes to spare, walked in and was seen immediately. And the (male) doctor didn't dismiss or minimise my pain just because the x ray was clear.

I can get appointments by calling at any time between 8 and 4 on weekdays, by using the app (go through symptoms with a robot, then a nurse comes on the chat and either gives home treatment advice or makes an appointment) and some appointments can be booked directly online, like physio.

LostMyLanyard · 13/02/2025 14:57

Practically impossible! It makes being ill and needing a fit note really difficult...because we have a six week wait for 'face to face' and even a telephone consult can take two-three weeks to schedule.

Luckily I've not had any sick days this year (teacher...so by 'this year' I mean since September) but my school insist on a fit note on day 6...self-cert for days 1-5. Not sure how most of us would even get one now, as we simply can't get ANY type of appointment. I'm literally dreading being ill!