SIX week wait for GP appointment

Grandad1943 I'm glad you got such wonderful treatment but I don't agree with your statement in your last paragraph.

When it really counts, where I live it is definitely not the case. Urgent referrals with worrying symptoms in many cases are one year.

My sister had x rays at A&E after a fall and had to go back 4 weeks later and demand an ultrasound which showed up a problem that was difficult to treat because of the time lapse and should have been discovered.

A lot of folk here are having to use healthcare plans/savings to look after themselves.

NHS care is great once you access it.

I had a severe health scare a few weeks back in regard to blood in my urine. As it began in the middle of a Sunday night my wife and I decided to wait until morning and ring our GP practice.

I phoned them @8:00am and immediately got an appointment to see a GP @10:30am. On arrival for the appointment, I was seen and examined by two GPS who informed me that they would urgently refer me to Weston General Hospital.

On the morning of the next day, the hospital rang to inform me that an urgent appointment had been made for me for the Thursday of that week and gave me strong advice on what I should do if the situation deteriorated suddenly.

We then had four separate appointments over the next five days at Weston General for tests. Then, two days after the final test they rang to inform us that it was no more than a very enlarged prostate which they felt could be treated with drugs.

We were "over the moon", but what a service I had received which could not have been exceeded if I had paid thousands to go private. All the staff at both our GPs and the hospital were very professional, sympathetic and caring.

For all the complaints in regard to the NHS my experience has been when it really counts the NHS is at its best, and long may that be the case.

We can ring from 8:00 for appointments that day. Might have to wait in queue but I've never been unsuccessful.

They have a call back service too. Tell receptionist what problem is. No questions - she will offer choice of call back from a Doctor that day. Can't specify a time but they always call.

They have an hour and half slot in afternoon for emergencies (which you can ring for at any time). I rang at 10:30 last Friday and got an appointment for 2:50. They have set on Duty Doctors to cover just this slot.

Anything that can wait, we are offered an appointment, usually 2-3 weeks in advance.

Can't fault our surgery (Mid Cornwall). Amazing - every one of them.

Our health centre has an 'urgent out of hours' service. I would definitely make use of it.

I have several allergies and they can be potentially dangerous, especially for a child. It may be an evening appointment at another surgery in the same area.

If not available, there should be a walk in clinic, if not, there is always A & E. Don't ever let them put you off!

We are lucky. Our GP surgery offers an appointment on the day ‘if it’s urgent’. We also have a walk in centre open 7 days a week from 8am till 8pm at the local hospital - a 15 minute walk away. Or 5 minutes by car and free parking.

I love Trafford.

We have the new (on line) “ask my GP” system. They do not take telephone calls . It’s absolutely ridiculous . Explaining your problem in a few characters and then waiting 24-48 hours for an acknowledgement . Then someone (non medical) deciding whether or not you need to see (or talk to) a doctor. Pathetic.

Then woe betide you need to see a specialist . Around 5 months average wait .

We are very lucky here, at my surgery you can get a same day appointment with a nurse or paramedic who will triage you to a doctor if necessary My friend who is at a different surgery to me rang to day at 8 am it took her ten minutes to get through but she got a non urgent appointment at 10.30 with her own doctor We re a fair sized town with about eight surgeries which are all heavily used
We no longer have a walk in surgery

Our GP practice is similar to the one Oopsminty describes above so appreciate I am one of the fortunate patients. If the suspected allergy your DGS appears to have is causing severe symptoms then I think it is appropriate to ask for an urgent appointment or to use a walk in centre. If the symptoms are mild then , whilst frustrating, the wait may not be a major problem.

We can ring up at 8.30 and always get same day appointment

Our surgery also has an APP where you can prebook appointments for more minor ailments which are usually 2-3 weeks wait

We have on the day appointments for urgent and 3 week waiting list for non urgent. The receptionist asks if its urgent. I always say I prefer the foctor to decide. Can you try for an urgent one?
We can't recruit GPs either. So it's getter worse.
The NHS is going down the drain. Does our government care? No. They can all afford private.
We pay for a service we don't actually.

Our surgery has just introduced a new system. They now have an ‘Urgent’ team in the practice, consisting of two GP’s and sundry other professionals. You tell the receptionist your problem and they assign you to the appropriate person. If you want a regular appointment you mustn’t phone before 11am as they won’t deal with your request.

I’m keeping my fingers crossed I don’t need to see anyone in the future!

Vampirequeen, the walk in centre in our city has been closed despite protests.

We have similar here. Also have telephone consultations - but those get booked up and once booked up you have to wait for the next lot to be released (which happens randomly!)

Can usually see a nurse practitioner quickly - which is fine for routine stuff, but if you want to see an actual Dr it’s hopeless .

Go to a walk in centre and see a GP there. If he/she diagnoses an allergy you have a reason to ask for an emergency appointment with your GP. Does your surgery do telephone consultations? It might be worth talking to a GP on the phone then they may decide to bring the appointment forward.

Our practise used to have that. As GPS have retired, none have been able to be recruited.

Unfortunately it'll be countrywide eventually.

Our doctor has the same day appointment system. Usually works quite well, but you have to get in early....so by 8am, as they do run out of appointments, then you have to phone the next day.