GP Appointments

I live in quite an overpopulated area and our local GP surgery system has changed drastically. At one time it offered a daily walk in clinic from 8am - 12 noon, this was useful if all the regular appt slots were already booked, but something had cropped up and it was necessary to see a GP that same day. They had two on- duty GPs for the clinic and it was pot luck who you saw.
This clinic stopped about 4 - 5 yrs ago now and we have had real problems. We have to be triaged by one of the senior nurses when either phoning in or going in personally to the surgery if it's an urgent appt. When you have received your call back , it is then decided if you need to see someone or not. Often a prescription can suffice ( in their opinion ). If you do need to see someone that day there is no guarantee you will see your own named doctor or indeed anyone at your own surgery, as we have now joined forces with three other surgeries in our area. When I asked for a non urgent appt to see my own named GP the receptionist took forever scrolling through the computer and then said the best I can give you is in three weeks time.!..and it will be a telephone appt!
However my daughter who lives 300 miles from me can phone in the morning and be told " can you come in now" or would this afternoon surgery suit you better". Thinks it's time I moved to a different location!.

My gp started this system but abandoned it after 2 weeks as it was unworkable!

At my surgery, you have to call between 8 and 10 am and a doctor will call back and make a same day appointment if he thinks it necessary. You can only discuss one problem, but I, like others, put off going unless I feel I have to and then want to mention everything in case it is related. I suspect I now have a label as a hypochondriac and the two main problems - a persistent cough which they say is caused by gastritis, and chronic sinus problems, remain uncured because the dr is focussing on the gastritis which no longer causes any symptoms other than the cough - IF that is the cause, and can’t find anything to work that does not cause unacceptable side effects. Latest routine test showed high cholesterol so now I will be under pressure to take statins, but I will try to lower it with diet first.
I always walk out feeling an idiot and go home and cry with frustration.

At our practice we can phone at 8.30 (sometimes have to redial up to 50 times) and more often than not can get an appt that day - we can only book up to 2 weeks ahead for a booked appt and nurses apts for bloods can take up to 2 weeks although we have the choice of going to the hospital to have them done.

I live in a small village and I can’t book an appointment over the phone or online, instead I have to go to the surgery, give the receptionist my name and she puts it on a list and hands me a numbered disc. Depending on how far down the list I am determines the approximate time the doctor will be free to see me. I leave the surgery, having been told to phone at a certain time to find out what number the doctor is on and at what time I should go back to the surgery. The doctors (five of them - different each day) all have their rooms in a neighbouring town so if I want to see the same doctor I can only see him/her on the day they come through to the village. I can phone for an appointment in the neighbouring town if I wanted to see a particular doctor on any other day. This system works fine and I would hope that if there’s an emergency you would be able phone for an appointment rather than have to go and collect a disc first.

Goodness. sounds dreadful in some areas. no wonder A&E is so busy.
Appointment reminders good. I must mention it to our surgery.

Seeing a dr? Nightmare

Very difficult to get a doctors appointment here. We have more or less given up and go to the pharmacy instead. You can phone at 8am, which of course results in the phone line being engaged for about an hour, but you are only allocated an appointment via this system if its deemed urgent. If you pass the urgency test you get a same day appointment. Alternatively you can book on line and wait three weeks, which isnt very helpful if you are feeling ill and worried. My neighbour who is 91 doesnt know anything about the internet so many of her mornings are spent hanging on a phone line.

I phone the medical centre, the receptionist decides whether I get a call back from the gp or nurse, who then decides whether you need to be seen. We had a bad experience last week where I had to collect my DD from school because she had low abdominal pain, phoned the gp but nurse phoned back who told us to do a urine sample (this was Thursday). Was told to drink water and take paracetamol because probably a UTI or it could be period pain. I phoned back on Monday because she was still in pain and started to be sick. Nurse phoned back and told me I was on her call back list as dd has a "nasty" infection and she prescribed antibiotics. She seemed a bit fussed because I had phoned her first, kept saying "I was going to phone you". I phoned dd's diabetic nurse who told me to take her straight to children's ward (I had been in contact with diabetic nurse over the weekend, following sick day rules). We never did get to see the gp or nurse at the medical centre, everything was done over the phone. Next time I'm going to insist to see the gp.

My Surgery offers a lot of telephone consultations which work well for me. Rarely need an appointment with a GP but have never had to wait long. Blood tests can be booked online or over the phone. I am Diabetic (Type 2) & have an annual check up following a blood test, Appointment is booked a year ahead & I have to arrange blood test for about 1 week before.

Surgery will ring if GP needs to see/ring you & arrange an appointment. Text messages sent to remind you about appointments 2 days ahead.

Prescriptions can be ordered online/post & be sent to Pharmacy of your choice for collection/delivery

I have no complaints except rarely see the same GP but at the moment it doesn't matter as I rarely need to go. There is a huge variation in services in different areas & I'm in no doubt my Surgery will be under more pressure due to masses of house building in the Town

I fail to understand why some medical practices have such complicated systems. With mine if you ring before 10.30 you are guaranteed an appointment with a doctor the same day whether your needs are urgent or if you are just worrying about something relatively minor. They also have appointments you can book online 2 to 3 weeks in advance if that better meets your needs.

Our doctors are great, you may have to wait a week or so for an appointment but they are good. It’s a family concern too very rare these days. Also have a clinic for minor ailments or injections brilliant nurse,one of the Doctors wives.

Bazza that is so good. Just like the good old days.?
I remember having measles and our doctor calling out to see how we were ( late 1950s)

In N Ireland. County Antrim. Two week wait, possibly longer for doctor of choice. On the day or next day through triage. Sometimes a phone call is enough. Prescription ready in 3 days. I thought it was bad but good compared to some here. I think doctors should remind you when tests are due. They keep records. Patients don't.
What I don't like is there is bever follow up appointments now. Doctors used to day "Make an appointment and come back and see me in 2 weeks.." fat chance.

Forgot to say, I do live in the uk, south east, and no, it’s not a private practice

I telephoned my local surgery on the 14th and all I was offered is a phone call from my doctor on the 26th. It's almost impossible to actually see a doctor these days.
My doctor retired over two years ago so I was put on another doctor's list, but I have yet to actually meet him!

Our GPs are great when you see them. We ring up and are triaged by the receptionist who decides if we should go to the pharmacy, need to see a nurse practitioner or doctor or, as happened last time, go straight to A &E. If we get past the receptionist, we are triaged by someone at the surgery who decides what should happen next in the same stages as the receptionist used.

My local surgery is very small, only two doctors and a practice nurse. No appointments necessary. There are two surgeries a day and you just show up and are seen on a first come first served basis. The longest I’ve had to wait is 30 minutes, but I hardly ever go. Repeat prescriptions can be ordered on line and will be in the chemist for collection usually the next day. And no, I’m not telling you where I live!

I'm on our Patient Participation Group (PPG) which meets every 6 weeks with the practice manager. We often discuss appointment access and get to see the problem from both sides.We have online booking for 2+ weeks ahead but this is with a locum or part-time G. ,On the day appointments are via phone line and are first triaged by a GP, who will frequently refer patients with less urgent needs to one of the nurse practitioners. Repeat prescriptions can be ordered online or by post.Appointment access is by far the most knotty problem these days. Soon video consultations are likely to be available with our own surgery. The practice is very rural in Norfolk

We can book online for that day (a few appointments) or ahead for up to a month with chosen Dr., or phone on the day but you have to be quick. The trouble with the online is as has been said that the elderly and some others do not like this service and miss out on an early appointment. There are so many missed appointments round here but it is well known that some people just make an appointment in case they need it. Other surgeries in the area just book at 2 weeks for everybody and send the urgent cases to A & E. or the walk in service.

wow, you lucky pair of patients!

Ours was sort of average I guess. On the day appointments were available if needed, receptionists ‘knew’ regular callers, we could book forward appointments with a GP of choice up to a month ahead. Repeat prescriptions were at the pharmacy and dispensed within 2 days. Then it was absorbed into a huge group practice and services centralised. We were told it would be more efficient. Yes, there is now a facility for minor ops if patients from here can travel 10 miles to the site (no direct public transport it’s a rural location), there is access to GP’s with specific expertise, again if travel is possible. Repeat prescriptions are processed centrally and are available at the local pharmacy in 5 working days. Requests for GP appointments are preferred on line, but nurse appointments are not shown, telephone calls go into a central call system and could be answered by someone in any of 6 surgeries. The personal touch has gone. Everything takes longer. Early days yet so we hope.

Surely if you know you need annual blood tests it is your responsibility to remember and book them unless you have a memory problem

Who misses the old day's when you could just go into the Surgery, ask to see someone and wait? They would lock the door at closing time and the Drs and Nurses would just see everyone until there was no one left to see, so much easier. We have to telephone at 7.30am and hope we can get in? We can no longer make an appointment to see a Doctor.
At the beginning of summer we were sent a message with our repeat prescriptions saying that we both needed asthma checks. At the time I was caring for my very elderly Uncle who, I might add has since passed away, September 16th. He was in and out of hospital and needed a lot of care. Neither one of us was particularly worried about our breathing problems so we decided to delay the check ups for a few weeks as it was the last thing we needed at that time. I telephoned the surgery and told them we were very busy but yes we knew that we were due for an asthma check up and yes I would make an appointment when it was convenient for us and no I wouldn't forget. Do you know, they sent a letter nearly every week reminding us and harrassing us until I caved and made the appointments just to get them off our backs.
It's funny how they want you to drop everything when it's convenient for them but they don't for you.

We just make doctor appointments over the phone, as in the past.