Mixed messages

Wait 2-3 wks for an appointment !!
We can request perscription renewals (have given up with this as result is always wrong) or make appointments on line but that's it.

Nina .. if repeat prescriptions are wrong, that is a serious issue, luckily seems you check and notice, others may not and take the incorrect medication. I think there is an official reporting system for such cases that your practice should adhere to.

How ridiculous NanKate! Was the advice worth the wait? I hope your improvement will continue.
At my surgery one can put in a request for a phone consultation at the finish of surgery that day. I have only tried it once and she rang as promised and couldn't have been more helpful.
I have registered for online booking of appointments but have so far never managed to log in successfully despite checking my ID details several times! When checking in for a booked appointment time a computer offers to 'Arrive Me', which sounds so wrong that it irritates me!

shysal I registered with our surgery too but never managed to log in successfully, eventually I asked for a new login code and it worked first time I have no idea what I was doing wrong.

Wishing you well again NanKate ?
We can get phone advice from nurse/GP, and if they think that you need seeing, do see you on that day or the next, but simply phoning for an appointment is pretty hopeless, a three week wait.

Hope you are feeling better now NanKate, tummy upsets are horrible.
GPs are much more accessible here in France , usually same day appointments. Having said that the health service is having difficulty recruiting GPs for rural areas.

Ring 111. They will ask a series of questions and then contact your surgery if they deem it necessary.
I only rang them for advice as to what painkillers I could use as I am on warfarin and paracetamol was having no effect. After the questions I was told I must see a GP within two hours.I protested that I did not need an appointment but to no avail.I was told to hold the line and the next thing I knew one of our receptionists asked if I could get to the surgery in ten minutes which I did.Within thirty minutes I was home having had an appointment.Very odd and totally unnecessary but very successful.

I ve rung 111 twice and both times they really were useless the second time after all the miarade of questions including did I have Marfans syndrome ( it was a Thursday evening ) they suggested if I still had problems to ring my surgery on Monday morning as it happens I ending having two Aand E visits on Sunday and Monday mornings

I can always get same day appointment if it's urgent either by getting a regular timed appointment or being seen at the emergency surgery which is sit and wait. I can also request a phone call from a doctor or nurse. My repeat prescriptions are requested by and sent straight to my local pharmacy.

I used to be negative about 111 until a few weeks ago when DH was taken seriously ill. They and everyone else in the NHS were amazing.

I just ring and book a phone consultation. There are two GPs I can always rely on to ring me back very promptly and if necessary they will sort out an appointment. Last time I had an appointment within the hour.

Yes thanks Shysal, Roses almost back to full health. The doctor who phoned me was helpful and sympathetic.

Hope you're continuing to improve NanKate - tummy bugs are yucky. Sometimes though there is a sliver lining if there's a weight loss though.

I found 111 really helpful, except for the fact that they rang me back at 5.00am.

5am! I've always been very happy with the telephone consultations I've requested. The (child!) GPs sound so kind and concerned despite sounding as though they were about 12. I've never seen them in person.

Thanks Anya yes I have lost about 4lbs hurray!

I am taking a bit of a break now from GN, like you did, but will be back.

I have had the bug and very spiteful it was too, never lost an ounce..........life is very unfair.

Well we must be lucky as we can usually get to see one of the doctors in the practice within the same week. If I want to see my doctor (head of practice) I may have to wait 2 weeks. But if you say its an emergency there's an emergency surgery after hours every day and they try to fit you in - but you have to ring before 8 am. Also if they cant fit you in you can usually see a nurse and if she thinks a doctor needs to see you she'll call one in between his appointments. I've no complaints as I know how busy they are.

Our GPs have an automatic phone booking system for non urgent appointments- and you can usually get one of those within 2 or 3 days. My sister is also registered with them and was very poorly a few weeks ago, rang at 8.00 am for an urgent appointment, saw the GP at 8.15 - he thought she needed to go to hospital. My husband took her and she was triaged within 15 minutes, as she was clearly very poorly she was taken straight through for treatment and within an hour had had a scan, was on IV antibiotics and fluids. Within another hour she was admitted to a ward where she stayed for 48 hours until her kidney infection was seen to be improving.
I know there are very many different stories but when it works it really is an unbeatable service, and she said how cared for she was at each stage. Another reason to be very grateful for our NHS

I phoned 111 earlier this year after 3 days in atrial fibrillation and precisely 5 minutes later the paramedic was at my door. After he did some testing he phoned for an ambulance and 5 minutes later the paramedic let the ambulance medics in. Wonderful service though we then waited in a queue of trolleys and paramedics for over an hour at the door of A&E before they could retrieve their trolley and be on their way, a terrible waste of resources.

I have numerous health issues at the moment and this morning had a phone call from my surgery to tell me that my GP wants to see me. The next available appointment is on 21st March at 7.45!!! I despair!

Think it depends on your G.P practice and on what other medical problems u have. If we phone 111 we usually get very swift response for D. H. As he has heart problems and is diabetic.

Hello Kate.
Hope you are feeling much better now. Sounds like you have had a rough week, and with the existing Polymyalgia you must have felt awful. Poor you.

Brenda

We are so lucky with our Medical Practice since we moved, 15+ years ago, from a city to a market town. OK, the town is growing due to ongoing house builds, but our medical care cannot be faulted. Invariably, when we are waiting to see our named GP, one of the receptionists will say 'for those of you waiting to see Dr. ? she is now running 25/30/35/40 mins late'. However this isn't a problem because we know, when we are called through, that she will give us as much time as we need .
Compare this to our practice when we lived in a city and we had to face an interrogation from the receptionists as to why we should even be asking for an appointment, and there is no comparison. Is there a website where we can leave positive comments about health care in our areas? If not , then there should be!

I was once so pleased with a physio appointment I had that I phoned the local health board complaints dept to offer a compliment. They were surprised but pleased to hear it.
When I was working myself in the NHS at the clinical governance meeting 'compliments' in any shape or form were collated. Individual staff members were patted on the back.
If complaints it was a very different matter! They were taken very seriously and acted on. If you're not happy then do let your local health board know.

My GP service is good. I can always get an appt on the day if it is an emergency, can book 'follow up' or non urgent appts online and request a phone call consultation. The downside is that because it is a big health centre maintaining consultations with a particular doc. is difficult as they mostly work p/t and I do not always coincide being ill with the docs rotas!