Can you beat this?

We have a combination of appointments and a walk in and wait surgery, which runs for a couple of hours every morning. It is supposed to be for urgent complaints, but because the wait for appointments stretches to 4 weeks plus, it is always packed. The queue starts to form outside at least 30 minutes before the surgery opens.

Not ideal, as you can be there at least an hour to an hour and a half, but better than a scramble on the phone first thing chasing a couple of appointment slots, like they have to at my daughter’s surgery.

When I went to the surgery one day to see if I could make an appointment in the 'near future', the receptionist told me to ring up first thing in the morning and I'd get an appointment. So I did and I did, much to my surprise.

These do sound like crazily long waits!

What makes me smile is when the GP wants you to have a blood test. You have to go to reception and book an appointment for a nurse to do this - usually a week or 10 days away. When my OH was a GP he would just take blood while he was continuing the consultation and it would be sent off that day.

I live in France. The health system here is amazing. You book your GP appointment on line and I can usually get one in a couple of days. Some specialists have several month's delay but if your GP thinks it necessary, his secretary will phone and get an appointment in the next couple of weeks.

We aren’t allowed to book that far in advance, today you could book for up to 21st May online, but unless you’re there waiting at 8:30am, they’re all gone. They open phone lines at 8:30, but you’re lucky to get through, and when you do they’re all gone too! There is an acute surgery in the mornings when you can go and sit and wait, but it’s only for emergencies. If you have something trivial (or you think it’s trivial should I say, like my weird back pain) you just put up with it.

same day appointments here ,I called for an appointment for my OH and he was seen less than an hour later .On the odd occassion I need to see a particular ,very popular doctor it might take a week or ten days .I would only see her about my gynae issues that she has seen me through for years so I dont have to explain it all again and again to a new doc.

In our practicce it can be very quick (next day or 2) but you have to not be picky over who you see; if you want a specific doctor it can be much longer.

I live in a small town in Staffordshire and because of the large number of houses being built the doctors surgery is unable to cope. You either have to ring at 8 am or book online the appointments for which are at least 2 weeks away.
Most of the doctors are women who only work part time and I was told by a member of staff they are unable to get any more GPS as no one wants the job

I made an appointment in the middle of March with a specialist on the recommendation of my optician. I could not get one before the 13th May.

I thought that was bad enough, but a friend who rang to make an appointment with the same doctor a few days later has an appointment for December 8th.

Littleannie your post just gained me a doctor appointment.

We can see someone on the day for emergencies if we can get to the surgery by about 15 minutes to 8 and join the queue. I can’t class my problem as an emergency, just somewhat troubling. There is no appointment available for another 4 weeks. We can look online and I’ve been checking every morning but every day there is a message to say there are none.

Reminded by the OP I quickly logged on and there was one appointment, for tomorrow and at a time I can get there after taking my grandson to school. So pleased.

make sure its a dire emergency before that date .after all receptionist are a little ?????... was told by my doctor when i had the same thing happen told him the receptionist said no appointments. he said make it an emergency they dont know my job.

Retired woman with chest infection - last winter, I was offered a telephone consultation (presumably they'd be able to hear my wheezing down the phone) in 2 weeks time.

Do you ever watch GPS behind closed doors? Patient - I have a sore finger. GP - when did it start? Patient - yesterday! Seriously how many people get to see a GP the next day?

I’d go back to the old system in a trice. Walk to doctors surgery....sit and wait , usually about 3/4 of an hour to an hour...see next in line doctor ... get diagnosis, advice, sympathy ...pills if appropriate or letter for hospital . Thank you very much and home to a cup of tea and feet up , or back to work . Just how simple was that . I miss those days.

I have discovered that if I look online at the surgery website, I can usually get an appointment the next day! They ‘embargo’ some!

Yes, I just about remember the old system of queuing in the doctor's waiting room and when someone went in, we'd all move around one seat! My Mum (who was born in the 1930's) told me that she and her sister used to earn 3d by offering to save someone's place in the waiting room for those who didn't want to sit there for an hour (then buy chips on the way home - they were always hungry).

My mother had a biopsy on lumps on her neck on 17th April. She was told to expect the results on or after 21st May. We do know she has some type of lymphoma. Obv.treatment cant start till we know what type it is. It does seem an awfully long wait.

If it isn't an emergency it doesn't matter how long it I'll be. We didn't used to go to the doctor unless it was serious. Too many people go to the doctor now with things that are trivial or will get better without a doctor being needed at all. That's why it takes so long to get an appointment.

Its the same here in rural France one doctor for hundreds of patients ….have to book routine apps a long way in advance ..she has a notice on the door (most doctors here are in individual practices) saying regrettably she can take no more patients ...I know she has too many, she often calls me to give me results at 9.00pm at night ...far too late to be working ! Mind you, I am moving back to the UK soon and the area I am moving to (near to Newcastle ) has five surgeries and not one has a vacancy for new patients...looks like I shall have to rent here until I can get a UK doctor !! (house in sold !)

DH's surgery is a nightmare for appointments with doctors. The switchboard can keep him on hold for ages with the same message about the practice repeated several times a minute. It is quicker for me to walk to the surgery than ring and be on hold. However, most appointments have been taken by shortly after the surgery opens at 8am.
It no longer does telephone appointments.

As for my GP practice - I haven't needed an appointment since before I retired over 6 years ago so I can't comment on my practice.

I agree that the wait is due to not enough doctors. My GP will get me in within a few days, but annual check-ups are about three weeks. I was referred to a kidney specialist that was 3 month wait, but I found out there are only 5 of these specialists for our USA city metropolis of about one million people. He was worth the wait.

When we moved to this village from the nearby town our gp suggested we stay with the practice which were happy to do for various reasons!!!

25 years later this has worked against us from the point if view that the best way to get an on the day appointment means being outside at 8.00am.

Luckily the Urgent Care Centre accessed via 111 is a good back up.

Non-urgent appts are bookable on line usually within 2/3 weeks.

I am very sorry for all those who are given appointments weeks away, I guess we are very lucky with our practice. Hit the phone at 8.30 on the dot put in a queue with automated message intermittently updating on where you are in that queue, usually get a same day appointment. I wouldn't say there is an extremely long wait to see the doctor, anything between 5 to 10 mins and half an hour if they are very busy.... and we are on the edge of London.

I was a Practice Manager in Crown Dale Medical Centre in Lambeth, London for 20 years. The problem is there is a shortage of GPs and only a finite number of 15 min appointments available. We always had same day appointments available for urgent cases, but with 10,500 patients, 5 partners (only two of which worked full time) and two employed GPs and two GP Registrars (trainees) there was never enough to go round. We even tried saying, no appointments, come and wait, but it was total chaos so we ditched that. Unfortunately, the receptionists were always the ones to get the blame and the abuse when in reality it's the doctors and nurses who are saying "I want to go home and see my family, I can't fit any more extras into my clinic". What do to? I eventually ran out of ideas and took early retirement. It is an untenable situation and extremely stressful working in the NHS and getting worse. On the other hand, we are ALL patients, and I completely agree that that is also a very stressful position to be in. If anyone finds a practice with more appointments than patients wanting them, let me know!

So lucky with our surgery. Same day appointments if you phone from 8 a.m. I phoned recently at 8 a.m. got through by 8.20 - lady said can you make it 9.10 a.m. Yes I can and did!