Doctor’s appointment.

I needed an urgent GP appointment yesterday. I was told to go through PATCHS (had never heard of them). I then got both a telephone appointment and a face to face appointment some miles away both for yesterday morning. Their error. I cancelled the telephone appointment. They did text and apologise for the confusion. I’ve also had 3 blood tests for the same request due to various cock ups. Things aren’t at all how they used to be. Our local GP surgery is usually completely deserted whenever I’ve been in.

What happens to the people who don't have or can't use the internet? I know a few older folk that don't and can't!
Yes. My MIL is 98 in a week or two and has never used a computer in her life. We, or one of her daughters would do it for her, but AFAIK most surgeries have alternative arrangements for those who genuinely can't use the Internet, and gradually, all but those with special needs will be expected to use it. Ours has arrangements in place, although I'm not sure what they are - I assume that the receptionists will flag your records so that when you ring they know to make you an appointment. I don't think that people who can post on here saying that they can't go online is right though.

Dianehillbilly1957

What happens to the people who don't have or can't use the internet? I know a few older folk that don't and can't!
Up until covid rocked up we used o have a walk in surgery every day in our village, great you just sat and waited your turn and got to see the Doc when you were ill and not weeks later when you're at deaths door like many other places!!
Thankfully our surgery requires appointment's now but very accommodating, long may it last 🤞🤞🤞

When our village walk in surgery closed we were told we would automatically be given same day appointments at the nearby village surgery. That lasted for a few months. The doctors would ring up patients that they hadn’t seen for a while just to see if they were ok. They seem happy enough to call us in for various vaccinations but that’s because they get paid for it.

What happens to the people who don't have or can't use the internet? I know a few older folk that don't and can't!
Up until covid rocked up we used o have a walk in surgery every day in our village, great you just sat and waited your turn and got to see the Doc when you were ill and not weeks later when you're at deaths door like many other places!!
Thankfully our surgery requires appointment's now but very accommodating, long may it last 🤞🤞🤞

I totally sympathise, its just not right to exclude those not computer savy or just don’t want to, its discrimination. Same with banking. I despair!

Would anyone complaining about having to use the Internet (on an Internet discussion board) prefer to have to turn up in the surgery to make an appointment, or to not have appointments at all, but a waiting room full of the halt and the lame coughing and breathing germs everywhere until the doctor got around to you?

From what I understand, that was the system before timed appointments. Those who remember the early Eastenders episodes may remember that Doctor Ledge operated like that on Albert Square, and I think Eastenders began in the early 80s, so certainly in living memory. I'm sure people then complained that the new appointment system disadvantaged those who didn't have a telephone, or that they preferred not to have to use a phone to call a receptionist. Most people (not all, but most) have access to the Internet now, and to suggest that it is unreasonable to use that instead of the telephone is rather Luddite, I think.

I agree that we should be able to get appointments much more easily though, and I would much prefer to go back to having a GP with an overview of your health, rather than three different consultants ordering tests and prescribing medications with an occasional review by a pharmacist. That is happening to me just now, and I am concerned that nobody is looking at the whole picture.

Hospiscare have trained volunteer care Navigators, we support the patients in the community with their daily life and much more. I have recently stepped down but was one for five plus years. After Covid people are being referred much later to Hospiscare so now Navigators support more end of life than anything else.

I tell them that as I am very old I don't have access to the internet.

Some GPs' surgeries are getting away with what my grandma would call 'blue murder' these days. Their practices are certainly discriminatory making life difficult for some of the elderly and disabled who simply aren't able to use online services and all the online services usually come with a disclaimer about the surgery aiming to respond within 48 hours!! If this isn't an encouragement to pitch up at the local A+E I'm not sure what it, though of course this would be denied. The truth is that we're being encouraged not to use the NHS. We're on a journey to privatisation - last week I asked my GP why I'd not been contacted about the prescription which a hospital consultant had said he wanted me to have through the GP. I was told that the two items were available over the counter and that I should buy them myself - oh and then a back-pedal when the practice pharmacist actually read the strength prescribed, which was not available over the counter. I asked when the letter was in fact received in the practice and was reluctantly told that it had been there for two weeks, so it's taken five weeks for me to get the medication prescribed by the consultant.

Dixieblue

I work in a GP surgery and I must say, some of your stories on here have left me utterly astounded. We offer on the day appointments for urgent cases as well as pre-bookable appointments which can be booked online, in person at the surgery or on the telephone. We also have the econsult service where you can fill out an online form from our website and will be contacted with an appointment if needed or a telephone call from the doctor. With each appointment, patients are given the option of a face to face or telephone consultation.

I used to work at my surgery which used to be how you describe the practice where you work. Alas I no longer recognise it. I was proud of the caring service we provided. It also crossed my mind today how everyone now seems to accept the fact that there are no NHS Dentists because it just crept up on us. If the service had been scrapped overnight everyone would be protesting about it but now it just seems to be accepted that we have to go private.My partner is on blood thinners for a blood clot on his leg. He had a medication review and had a blood test last year but he’s had it for two years now and hasn’t seen a doctor since it was first diagnosed.

I work in a GP surgery and I must say, some of your stories on here have left me utterly astounded. We offer on the day appointments for urgent cases as well as pre-bookable appointments which can be booked online, in person at the surgery or on the telephone. We also have the econsult service where you can fill out an online form from our website and will be contacted with an appointment if needed or a telephone call from the doctor. With each appointment, patients are given the option of a face to face or telephone consultation.

I was struggling with my breathing .had a medicine review 1month ago but not a medical review couldn't get an appointment for 14 days chest pains have got worse but still can't get in till my appointment time luckily I've managed to take it easy but also grateful nothing major has happened like you say they could have gone online and booked your appointment for you . Terrible service 🤬

I was told at our surgery that my blood results could not be given to me face to face ….so I stood in front of her and made the phone call ….which she answered…gave the results ….I said goodbye without any irony!

I had reason to call my GP very recently. Knowing that their phone lines are open from 8am I commenced the call at exactly that time, after all the pre-recorded spiel it was announced that I was number 6 in the call queue. I remained at number 6 for 40 minutes only to be told that all appointments had been allocated for the day and to ring back the following morning!
I was furious to say the least and I even suggested that call handlers were screening calls and answering those numbers that they recognised as family and friends - seemingly that was not the case but HOW does one stay in a call queue for 40 minutes and NOT move up??
A complaint was submitted but all I got was a mediocre explanation that they were very busy. However, they couldn't explain the non-movement in the queue.

While my friend was out at his GP he then tried to book his yearly blood test with the receptionist only to be told she could only book appointments over the phone and not at the desk. He took a few steps back and phoned her from his mobile while looking at her. He said her face was a picture as she took his details from him as he stood looking at her, phone in hand. Such a stupid way to operate now, wasting people's time.

That makes complete sense JZ but you need to see an actual doctor first, and ours are in hiding.

If my Dr has said they need to see me again they make the appt there and then before I leave the room

Gundy its not broken, but is on its knees because the government etc are doing their best to break it down by selling it off bit by bit. Then claim its not fit fir purpose in order to change to another, more profitable system. No offence to US but if it goes hope its more of a european system.
Oldbat, we are in the same situation with econsult. . There is a message on econsult every day saying try next day, you do so and message reads try tomorrow and on and on we go.

I have just had a similar issue. Had a text to send over blood pressure readings as my medication was due for review. This I did - by text. Went for a GP appointment (about another matter) and she confirmed my readings were fine but I would need to order the medication online. Went to order repeat prescription and I could not as I needed a review. So phone call made and I was told to go on line. I tried to explain and was cut short saying I had to enter details in a box or send the surgery an email. What a faff! So I did both and am still waiting. Nothing seems straightforward. I really do not know how people with no computers, smart phones or internet manage.

I am really annoyed with our surgery. I needed an appointment to see the nurse but these appointments are mixed up with doctors appointments. Of course there's a recorded message that all doctors appointments are gone. I know the nurse has spare appointments but can't access them. So I rang "queries" and was put on hold for 30 minutes. Eventually I got sorted. Another bugbear. We have a prescription message service but their mailbox is always full. The reason being they ask for so many details i.e. the spelling of medicines and the strength, plus name address telephone number date of birth, pharmacy. Messages are now far too long . They already have prescription info when they bring up my name so why do I have to repeat it?

I don't understand why it's difficult to get a GP appointment in the UK when one can get one at short notice in France, sometimes in my experience on the same day. And rural GPs in France are ready to do treatments that here require an A&E visit. My OH had stitches put in by our French GP after a fall and a follow up to remove them.

What you are up against is the SYSTEM. It’s not that there were receptionists just sitting there… if the health organization dictates a new process then everyone needs to follow.

To the detriment of the whole process, a few people make these decisions in trying to streamline, or be cost effective and what actually happens is it causes more problems and customer service plummets.

I’ve seen that happen here in the states between the big corporate health systems merging. Not good. Fortunately, there are still hospitals that practice the ease of scheduling your appt before you leave your current one.

You should never fix something that is not broken.
USA Gundy

Forgot to add you can only discuss ONE thing.

Well at our surgery you cannot make appointments at all! You need to fill in an econsult request - opens at 8am and wont accept anymore by 8.10am then a medic has to ring you back within couple of days to see if you qualify to be seen. You can ring and receptionists will take details only if you have no internet access. I have a few things which require investigating but how?

V3ra

Recently I took my Dad for a routine blood test and asked the nurse to look at something else while we were there. (His carers had asked me to mention it).

The nurse and her colleague were quite happy to look, and said he needed to see a GP.
Easy for them to say...

Well, finally, after many false starts, and setting an alarm on my phone at the designated time to ring for a non-urgent appointment, and reassuring Dad that I hadn't forgotten, I managed to book an appointment... six weeks later 🤦

The lovely young GP-in-training we saw duly prescribed some cream and asked to see Dad in two weeks time.
Easy for him to say...

I said I would do my best, and explained the rigmarole involved in actually booking that appointment in the first place 😬

"Oh. Well would you like me to book you in now?" he offered.
So, lo and behold, he did just that 😃

(I'm kind of still waiting for the call to say "that's not allowed" and I have to join the normal telephone scramble queue... 🤣)

Seriously though, it's not acceptable.
When I was a GP receptionist (over 40 years ago) it was always impressed on us, by the senior partner, that GPs were legally obliged to see a patient within 24 hours if they requested.
If a patient insisted we always had to allow them to come and wait until the end of surgery and they would be seen then.
If they needed a follow-up appointment we always booked it on their way out.

Reception staff these days must waste so much time explaining and administering this ridiculous system.
It's not of their doing and I do feel sorry for them, there can't be much job satisfaction in it these days 😕

Interesting that, as ow (after trying to book an appointment with my GP and had to wait a MONTH which I have NEVER had to do in 18 years, (and I really do need him now since my daughter died) he now books me in himself usually before he starts his usual surgery as I always go with a list!