In Geneva. Application for health insurance in post, but need a GP today!

[Wuxiapian]

Can I just pop into any GP?

What's the procedure - does anyone know?

Thanks in advance for any responses!

Too late for you now, but you should really seek a recommendation for a GP. We didn't and are sort of stuck with Dr Gorgeous. AFAIR, we needed to register with a GP rather than pop in and they were insistent on seeing our insurance card before they started treatment. IIWY, i would be looking around this morning for an appt. later on.
OTOH, when dh needed his ear syringed, our GP sent him to A+E who referred him to an ENT chap. Can you give your local surgery a ring for advice?

Ahh a bit late. Anyway for your info - We have private insurance through my dh's work but we pay up front then get reimbursed. I have been to a gyny, dentist, opthamologist and paediatrician and just said I have private insurance and the bill arrives about a month later. The only problem is if they are full and not taking new patients but most receptionnists I spoke to offer alternatives to ring and try.

kreecher - GPs in most of the world don't cover nearly as many minor procedures as in the UK, though. I think that the British get used to GP surgeries which perform a very wide range of minor healthcare, and then aren't used to most other countries where specialist doctors (who are not necessarily hospital consultants) are much frequently consulted.

Definitely agree Bonsoir, we were spoiled at our last Brit GP. He even offered dh a vasectomy. We didn't have any children at that point. I really miss our old GP, he was the loveliest man despite my hypochondria.

Depends on what model of Swiss health insurance you have - cheaper plans often run on a Telmed option of having to phone for a consult first to get 'permission' to visit the doctor, other plans require you to have a named doctor.

But even so, for an emergency or a one-off, the insurers tend to be flexible. Just go to any GP nearby who can see you quickly - you're not making a long-term commitment or registering to be on their books like you would be in the UK. Or if it's for a sick child, look up a paediatrician, as I find the GPs here alarmed at the notion of a patient under 4ft tall.

Forgot to add the system - see the doctor, wait for the bill to turn up a month or so later, pay the bill, send it off to insurer for reimbursement. Plenty of time to have your insurance in place for repayment - you can send it in later in the year with some other bills, and save a stamp.

Don't forget that you pay up to whatever franchise you've agreed - mine is 2000 CHFs, so I tend to stuff all the medical in an envelope during the year, then toss it out after the end of December when it's obvious my total annual medical costs will be about 100 CHFs and therefore not the insurer's problem.

Good point about the paediatrician. Our dd is registered with the one her school uses. she had tonislitis recently and his practice was closed. I took her to our GP and he gave her some antibiotics. When she next saw her doctor he was very miffed that we hadn't phoned his out of hours service.

Thank you, all for your advice.

I went to a GP, she asked if I had insurance, I told her it was in the post and, luckily, there wasn't any problem.

Got the couple referral numbers I needed - one for a gynae, one for a urologist and she's going to make me an appointment at the hospital to investigate a suspect lump in my lip.

What sort of waiting lists are there for referral appointments?

Going back to England in 2 weeks time for a month!

Thanks again, peeps!

In our area, waiting lists are very short. Referal to (non emergency) surgery took 10 days for me. That was in the canton hospital rather than a fancy pants private clinic.