Doctor or receptionist - somebody doesn't like things simple

Stansgran Continuity of care is obviously desirable from the patient's point of view, but it's an ideal and unless a particular doctor is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for each and every one of his or her patients, it remains an ideal and there are going to be occasions when patients have to see someone other than their favourite doctor.
I don't think for most patients it makes much difference. After all, if you go to an urgent care facility or A&E you are going to be cared for by someone other than your own GP.

Yes but JaneA what about the mantra of continuity of care? We too have the problem of having to redial to get an appointment instead of having a you are number 9 in the queue method. It is not expensive if your practice has 8 gps all on three day weeks and all earning £110 k. That doesn't wash.

Monica etc our surgery has stopped people just turning up in person to book a same day appointment as 'it disadvantages people who dont drive'. Which it does of course
They dont have a proper telephone queuing system so you start ringingbat 8am and keep redialling to be told at about 8.15 there are no appointments left for the day. I have complained about this and had a meeting with the practice manager who says they cant afford a new system and yes they have difficulties recruiting GPs There is a walk in at our local hospital if you are desperate.She did also say if you can't get a same day appointment you can ask the receptionist to get a Dr to call you if you feel you really need to see someone and cant .get to the hospital
Online booking for non urgent is actually efficient. It brings up the GP with whom you are registered and any locums/temps .It's usually about a 5-10 day wait
The above does result in some farcical situations .Rang for an appointment for horribly painful and swollen finger-thorn from garden .No Dr appointment but 'nurse could see me '.I asked if nurse could give me antibiotics if need be (I knew my tetanus was up to date)and was assured yes.Saw nurse who said I probably needed antibiotics and had to call in Dr to prescribe.She hadn't asked me if my tetanus was up to date and hadnt checked on my records -which he did. It would have been simpler and quicker to give me a 2min appointment with him ..

Ruby isn't it better that doctors are balancing their lives by working part time and actually going on holiday now and then, than working themselves into an early grave or suffering burnout as they used to?
If we're in favour of women having the same opportunities as men, then we have to accept that there will be many women GPs. We also have to accept that they should have the choice to work part-time if they have children.
We really can't expect to have our own personal GP available to us every day of the week any more.

So many doctors work part time and take lots of holidays and that is why there is a long wait for appointments. My doctor works two days a week so I am having to wait three weeks for an appointment. On their website it says they do online booking but in fact they don't. I have filled in a form to register for it but heard nothing more (I'm supposed to receive a password). They tell me they are in the process of changing systems but it is taking a very long time. Ironically there are three GPs within shouting distance of me, I feel like going and knocking on their doors sometimes!

Our GP is still on such a guilt trip over taking so long to diagnose my husband's myeloma that he is usually on the phone within minutes of me calling

But if the GP phones you, it means you end up waiting in all afternoon instead of just going to the surgery at the appointed time.

Our surgery now has one of the GPs phone to discuss your problem and make an appointment if they think it's necessary. It seems to work quite well so far.

Brilliant surgery here.

We have 3 lovely receptionists , on-line booking or ring them and they are most helpful. Emergencies will/would be seen or one of the doctors will do a home visit. We also have an onsite dispensary. Blood tests carried out, practice nurse, we are very fortunate. It is an extremely well run surgery and thereby can hang a tale!

Are we in a large town, nope a village and the nearest town is approx 4 miles away. It opens from 8am to 2pm. 4pm to 6pm Monday. Closed at the weekend. (looking at opening Saturday morning)

Never heard a bad word said and I have lived here for 38 years. If it ever closed it would be a travesty but as far as I am aware there are no plans to do so, indeed we have two new estates being built in the near future albeit a small village. (was ?).

If we want an appointment on that day we too have to drive to Doctors and be there by 8. But now more and more people are doing this and there's queue. Pretty soon we will have to camp over night.

We have that 'book on the day' malarkey at our surgery. Unfortunately - or rather fortunately - our GP is one of the better ones in the practice so a lot of people want to see him. I'm lucky in that we only live 100 yards from the surgery, so I walk up there to be outside before they open at 8am (and before the phone lines open) so I can be sure to get an appointment that day. You can also phone and ask the GP to call you - he is very good and always does, and if he feels necessary he can make a 'doctor's appointment' for you to be seen by him. It all seems incredibly complicated and when you're really not well it's the last thing you want to be battling with - must be why they do it, to sort the 'really ill' from the 'feeling a bit under the weather'!

When I had my heart operation last year the hospital told me that I needed to arrange an INR test the day before so that I could adjust my Warfarin the night before. When I rang for the appointment they told me I couldn't have an appointment on a Monday because they only do INR tests on Thursdays. I explained, but she just refused.

So I had to call and leave a message for the arrhythmia nurse at the hospital, who then had to call me back before she spent the rest of the day trying to get through to the surgery. After faxing them instead, she then had to call me back, and get me to call the surgery for the appointment they could have made in the first place.

Last month the chemist told me there was a note with my prescription asking me to arrange a blood test. When I rang the surgery they told me they knew nothing about it, and said ring the chemist. The chemist said they knew nothing and bounced me back to the surgery who then bounced me to the hospital. The hospital sent me back to the surgery again, who finally decided they knew what it was about after all and arranged the test.

Oh our GP's receptionists are like German Shepherds , fiercely guarding "their" appointments. No chance of an appointment unless you tell them every last intimate detail of why you need to see a doctor.

Samie why does it have to be a specific day? Couldn't you fit around them a little bit?

I am sorry for all of you who have issues. I was at the doc yesterday, not urgent and I was happy to wait for the one I wanted to see to have half term off with his child. When I rang for the appointment the Receptionist assumed I wanted one the same day which made me wonder if everyone who calls demands an immediate appointment. Surely a lot of us have on-going issues which can wait or be planned for long in advance?

Our surgery does its best and if all the on the day appointment have been taken they have a triage system where the doc phones you to discuss your needs. I didn't have a problem when I needed to see the doc urgently and any other time I have been I have been happy to fit around them.

I always go to the pharmacist if I think he can deal with whatever it is and he will always tell me if he thinks I need to see the doc. I do think too many people demand a doc when they don't really need one.

I was a doctor's receptionist in the 80s and it wasn't any better. Some appointments were only available to be given a few days before, not sooner, and some were kept for the actual day and some were held for emergencies only. If the patient said it was an emergency we couldn't question them, had to take their word, but there'd be hell to pay if they turned up and it was routine - the doctors would tear strips off us.

Why do you need an appointment specifically on that date? Does the receptionist know? They aren't deliberately obstructive and will try to find a way round the system if they can. Our current surgery has an online system that works well for non-urgent stuff and we do all repeat prescriptions online too.

You can book appointments online with my doctors. They also have a sit and wait surgery Monday to Friday. Our surgery has just been voted "best surgery" in our town for the second year running.

My surgery also has this `system` . It is to do with targets set by the government so they can say how well they are doing ie Everyone can see their Gp within so many days . They get round it by keep getting you to ring back .
Monica .. my surgery will only make apps over the phone and not in person , it seems they have thought of everything !

An excellent book to read is ` Confessions of a GP` a funny and eyeopening account of GP practice .

I do not even bother to ring our surgery. I get in the car, drive 5 miles to the surgery, getting there well before it opens to be close to the front the queue of those hoping to make appointments for that day. Having got the appointment I then hang around until it arrives or if it is some hours away drive home and repeat the 10 mile round trip nearer the appointment time.

Speak to the Practice Manager and tell them exactly what you've posted here. In fact I would go into the surgery and see them in person. Make it absolutely clear how unsatisfactory their system is.

Samie that sounds really awful. I thought ours was bad but that is beyond anything I have come across. I do hope you are successful soon.

I just wonder if they truly realise what is happening, can you write it and tell them how it is for you as a patient? We have feedback forms we can use.

It does seem ridiculous that there is a shortage of doctors when young people like my friend's daughter want to go into medicine but there are fewer and fewer vacancies for British students in our own universities. It seems to be all about selling the courses abroad. The same is happening with nursing. It is a mad world!

I had a letter with the results of my health check last week. It included an instruction to see my GP to review my thyroid prescription. Not urgent or life threatening.
Receptionist was very apologetic. 'He's been off and only just come back - I don't have much availability. I can offer you the 22nd at 10.25.' Not March, but February.
That was 5 days ahead.
We are really very fortunate.

Our surgery's phone is engaged for hours on end, especially on a Monday morning.
So you can't get through to be told you can't have an appointment.

We have on line booking but most appts are 3 weeks ahead unless you are lucky enough to log on when someone has just cancelled. Otherwise, if you call in the morning, there is a system when the on-duty GP will call you back and discuss the problem. Seems to work quite well. It is a large practice covering quite a few villages, with 12+ GPs. I have just made an appt on line for mid March from Australia - so it has its benefits! It seems that the appointments system is a lottery depending on the area.

We only ever use on line booking and on line repeat prescription service - no problems at all.

I need a repeat prescription from the GP who prescribed for me and told me to come back in a month.
He is on holiday until next Tuesday when my tablets run out so I have booked with an alternative GP on line.
There is no guarantee I will be able to get an appointment with preferred GP next Tuesday. He is one of the better GPs in the surgery so a lot of others will be trying to get to see him.
The online booking throws up some early starts but saves the early phone lottery.