WAITING Times for GP andNurse Appointments

Maddyone ; that is probably where the questions to me come from you have some little emotional attachment as you are the mother of a GP. That can only be a good thing and if son/daughter does not live too far from you then you can always rely on their professional care which I would find quite a comfort.

I never make unreasonable demands from my G.P only asking to be seen when all other avenues have been exhausted for example taking over the counter remedy and speaking to someone in the pharmacy who may tell me to call my GP.
I have never all my life been abusive to any GPs be it pre-Covid during Covid or now we are coming out of Covid. I would not like to see anyone abuse staff in my G.Ps, as they are there to help us even though the waits sometime can be rather long.

No, but I am the mother of a GP and I know that lots of people demand to see a GP because they want to, not because they need to. I also know that a lot of GPs have been subjected to abuse from patients during the Covid period although I’m not suggesting that you have been abusive to your GP.

I am not 100% healthy as you suggest but I only ever consult a GP when absolutely necessary. After I was extremely ill in hospital with Covid I was discharged and needed the assistance of my GP who couldn’t have been kinder or more helpful, but they were aware of just how ill I’d been and responded accordingly.

Maddyone are you referring to me and asking what is wrong with the doctor giving you advice to deal with symptons?
If you are then if you do not know my symptoms who are you to say? One of mine was when I had a fall as I have back problems and sciatica. I had been sent to A@E and had an x-ray and was given crutches. I was given a letter and told to see the doctor in two days to look at the swelling.
I phoned the line as people do and when I got through was told the doctor would call me back, when she did she said that as I had been to A@E and had no breakages then there was no need to see me. I told her the instructions from A@E
and she reluctantly said oh alright come in lucky I did because the swelling was worse and I needed an injection .

You also quote I start phoning the line saying it sounds like you phone regularly in fact you do not know anything about my medical history and anyway I phone only when need be,
but I was answering the original poster to agree that getting through to a doctor is getting ridiculous and as for appointments that is also the same.

Perhaps you never need to phone the G.P and are 100% healthy in that case lucky you.

What’s wrong with the doctor giving you advice on how to deal with your symptoms?

…I start phoning the line… sounds as if you phone regularly.

I had an email from our GPs saying that they were opening up two of their surgeries (The third one is staying closed because they are using it for Covid vaccinations) I haven't needed to see anyone so I don't know how well it's working. I did ring about a prescription review and had a call back the following day to discuss the meds.

My own GP retired during lock down and was back working after a month because they were so short of doctors. I had an appointment for an echocardiogram at the end of this month. The hospital rang me last Friday and said could I go in that day? Presumably they'd had a cancellation but it suited me!

Bea65 I have the same problem all the time. I start phoning the line at about ten minutes to eight and their is a recording saying that the doctors is not open at the moment. I then telephone at one minute to eight and get the engaged tone. Once I get through at about 8.10 AM I have a message telling me that I am No 14 or 16 in the queue so keep on the line. When I finally get my turn at about 9am I usually get told all the appointments have gone. On occasions I have firmly told them I want a call back from the doctor as it is urgent and usually the doctor will call back at about midday.
The old way was much better phone them as early as possible and get an appointment sometimes they were busy but would fit you in if quite urgent. The system now is that the doctor has to phone you back and if she thinks she needs to see you tells you come to the surgery or else gives you advice on how to deal with your symptoms.

About as much use as a chocolate teapot if you ask me.

Jillyjosie

Just been given 8th October for a GP phone appointment. Fortunately it's not urgent, I wanted to discuss the regular blood tests I have that got messed up last time. I have no confidence about the call. This situation is appalling, we are all sitting ducks unable to get basic care never mind anything more serious.

That is appalling, we have always been given them later the same day.

We must be lucky. DH and I have both requested telephone conversations in the past two months, me with a very bad back and I was called back for information and given an appointment the same day, DH called about severe stomach pain which we suspected was a gall bladder problem. He was asked to see our GP the same day and she was so concerned she gave him an appointment for the next day when she checked him over and arranged for him to be admitted to hospital straight away. Last week DH was concerned about side effects from statins and was asked to go to the surgery the same day to see a nurse for a blood test and urine check, he has a follow up appointment tomorrow. We have always been able to get an appointment very quickly and immediately if considered urgent.

It’s because we need more GPs, but in fact through the Covid period we have actually lost GPs. We were told that the government were going to recruit more GPs, in actual fact there are fewer.

Just been given 8th October for a GP phone appointment. Fortunately it's not urgent, I wanted to discuss the regular blood tests I have that got messed up last time. I have no confidence about the call. This situation is appalling, we are all sitting ducks unable to get basic care never mind anything more serious.

Glammanana, have you tried using the surgeries online contact system? I think they have to respond to your query within 48 hours.

I’ve found it’s easier to get through on the phone if I ring later in the day glammanana.

It is very difficult to get through to my surgery telephone consults are all booked up by 8.30am.
I have been waiting for 8 weeks for a referral appointment after x-rays showed 4 x disc's collapsed onto the sciatic nerve,I just cannot get through to reception to find out if the request for an MRI scan has been sent to the hospital no one seems to be able to help at all,I try most morning from 8am with no luck at all.

My GP practice seems to be working pretty well. If I think I need to see a GP, I go to AskmyGP on my laptop that morning, type in the reason I am making this request. Will receive an email notification pretty quickly and then (if I have requested to talk to a Doctor), one of the GP's there will ring me back within an hour or two. Discussion with them as to whether or not I need a face-to-face meeting. If it is really urgent usually are given a time the same day.
For the nurses, well - I have never actually had to make an appointment to see them for regular check ups. The surgery contacts me as and when these are due to make an appropriate appointment for that.

Gagajo this form has been ‘withdrawn at the current time and we regret that we do not know when it will be available again’ from our Surgery's webpage!
Hopefully it will be back soon.

Gwyneth

Thank you growstuff but surely communication is possible between the different departments?

Yes, it should be possible, but it's not just different departments. Although they often bear the NHS logo, the NHS is actually loads of completely different organisations with their own systems, etc.

I really like the online form/field that can be filled in with details of the complaint. I do know it doesn't work for everyone, but the ability to describe the problem in graphic detail (and I mean graphic, colour of pus etc) usually results in a response within a reasonable time frame.

I rang my GP surgery in mid July after having suffered a horrendous pain in my upper abdomen. I had a phone appointment with a GP who suspected that I have gallstones. She said she would make me an appointment for blood tests and an ultrasound scan. She also prescribed 2 months of Lansoprazole. They ran out at the beginning of this week. I phoned the surgery for another prescription and mentioned that I haven't yet had the blood taken or the scan.
The receptionist made an appointment for me to have blood taken on 29th Sept. but this morning the hospital rang to offer me a scan next week.
I wonder if anything would have happened had I not needed more Lansoprazole.

Thank you growstuff but surely communication is possible between the different departments?

We have had at least 5 new housing estates built in and within 3 miles of our GP practice and more are being built, it was difficult to get an appointment pre Covid , now it’s almost impossible. Although I had my annual Health Review 2 weeks ago with no problem but booked 3 weeks prior to the appointment after being emailed by the Practice.
I was told (after being in a telephone queue for 25 minutes) that I can’t have my Asthma review because there are no Vials available for blood, unless they have changed their protocol I don’t usually have blood taken for this review, but the receptionist was adamant that I can’t have the appointment.
When I told her of my other problem she said ‘goodness we can’t have you wandering around with that’ and I had a call back from a GP within the hour. So go figure!
So, at least we now have a new telephone system that tells you what number you are in the queue ( I was no.25 when I rang at 8.30) but I suspect that it’s down to the Receptionist, so tell all of your worries to her and you might get a quick phone call.
Or not.
But until we get more GPS, which is unlikely and our existing GPS are full time ( most of our GPs in our Surgery are part time now) we will never get back to normal. I too wonder why they are part time and some are still working from home, maybe they have been pinged?

Gwyneth Privatisation and outsourcing of the NHS is unlikely to have that outcome. Each part of the service is seen as a profit centre and is accountable for costs. It's very tempting to offload problems on to somebody else.

Yes Redhead there must be better communication between NHS depts otherwise it is a complete waste of time for both staff and patients. On an aside, although I am very happy that more money will be available for health and social care re the rise in National Insurance we most certainly need assurance from the NHS that this money will not be wasted. I think the scenario with the walk in centre and A&E is one such example. This additional taxation must be used wisely and the government has a responsibility to ensure that this is so. Thank you Zoejory my son is at the surgery as I write!

My neighbours time had been wasted by the staff at walk-in centres. They are young parents stressed about their little ones. They are not trained medics so took the advice they were given. They are caring intelligent people not time wasters.
The point I was making was there is obviously a lack of communication within departments of NHS. The A&E addressed the problems as trivial enough for walk-in centre to deal with. They didn't understand why my neighbours were advised to go to A&E.

maddyone

Redhead56

Our Drs call system is now almost virtual and it’s difficult to speak to “someone” regarding medications and tests etc. This must be awkward for people not familiar with computers or technology.
My husband was waiting over a week for a Drs telephone call and two weeks to speak to the nurse. It was stressful for him because he had changed medication and wasn’t well.
We have young neighbours with small children who had eventually been directed to the local walk in centres. On two separate occasions only to be told to go to A&E then being told the problems were trivial. That the walk-in centres should have sorted the problems out. There is a distinct lack of communication between department's which seems illogical.

Redhead’s post tells us much about what’s happening. Her husband had difficulties getting to speak to his GP, meanwhile their neighbours have wasted the time of their walk in centre twice and wasted the time of A+E with problems described by health professionals as ‘trivial.’ Why were these people wasting the time of medics on several occasions with trivial problems? I guess the answer is because they can!

No, because they'd been directed to A & E by walk in centres, who should have sorted them out. It's not the neighbour's fault that their concerns turned out to be "trivial". They're not trained medics.

How worrying for you Teacheranne
I hope you manage to get an answer on Monday.