Doctors appointments

[joinerjohn]

To make an appointment with my doctor, I have to phone up an 0845 number at 8 o clock in the morning and take a chance that there will be the chance to see a doctor sometime that day. I had to make an appointment this morning and spent almost 1/4 hr on the phone (in the queue " Your call is important to us, please wait etc") No doctors available, all the appointments have been filled, but you can see the practice nurse at 11:15 if you want.
When I got there (in agony) I was told to wait in a corridor upstairs and the nurse would see me shortly.
After sitting there for over half an hour, I hobbled back down to reception, to be told, the nurse was running late. I asked if I could make an appointment to see a doctor only to get the "Phone up at 8 in the morning." routine.
I asked what time the doctors got there and was told, "They are here at 8." How on earth do they see anyone at 8 o clock if people have to phone up first?

Bl00dy stupid system.
Then the receptionist told me that they do advance appointments, but these are at least 5 days in advance. Ohhh I now have to plan ahead for illness. Grrrrrrrrr What on earth are doctors surgery's coming to these days? First time I want to see the doc in over 3 yrs and the system is a joke.
What's others experiences like?

 

[joe-90]

The NHS is about to be privatised. The GPs will spend £80 billion a year. What a joke. They can't even run a surgery.

 

[Whitespirit66]

This system of only booking appointments on the day you want to be seen is a sleight of hand by the doctors, to comply with a new rule brought in by Phony Tony Blair a few years ago.

New Labour wanted to appear to be improving the NHS, so they told GPs that all patients must be seen within 24 hours of phoning for an appointment. The vast majority of surgeries realised that they couldn't comply, and would suffer financial penalties.

So, the GPs had the bright idea that patients can't book ahead, they can only phone on the day they need to be seen.

Brilliant, the GPs are now seen to be obeying the rules, because all patients are seen on the same day that they phone. If there are any appointments left that is. How little old ladies cope, sitting there feeling unwell, continually hitting the redial button at 8 in the morning is beyond me.

Same with casualty: Bliar said all patients to be seen by doc in 3 hours. So if casualty is really busy, they make patients wait outside in their ambulance. They don't count if they are outside the casualty unit

My old dear went into hospital on Friday evening. Bad timing. I didn't realise that the majority of ward doctors work regular, almost office hours. They are mostly absent at weekends, and at night. So her first 2 full days in were Saturday and Sunday, where nothing apart from basic nursing care really happened. Even since Monday, progress has been slow.

Why do we put up with this?

 

[Bahco]

Hello is that the surgery?

I will be ill on May 24 th so can I have an appointment with the doctor please?

 

[wreckedit]

Our group surgery allow you to walk in at 8:30 to book a 24hr appointment. But if you go in early and sit down, sick, to wait for the receptionist somebody can come in after you and get the appointment you could have had. I explain this to the Doc and I might as well been talking to a muppet.
Next time I have to do this I'm going to leave an A4 on the reception as soon as I get there.
Another occasion I was able to book a phone call with him that same day to save me going in. Its unbelievable how smart these Doctors can be at times.

 

[LooPrEvil]

Hello is that the surgery?

I will be ill on May 24 th so can I have an appointment with the doctor please?

Sorry, the doctor is on annual leave for that week

 

[joinerjohn]

Hello is that the surgery?

I will be ill on May 24 th so can I have an appointment with the doctor please?

Sorry, the doctor is on annual leave for that week

"I can make you an appointment with the locum doctor, but he can't speak English." "Will that be alright then?"

 

[libby lou lou]

Had it for the last, 9 month?.

Easy way out, make an appointment for say, next friday, if your not ill 24 hrs before, then cancel it, rebook an hour later for next week, really thought of doing it.

 

[^woody^]

They are all 0845 numbers now, so you can't call them and use any inclusive minutes. Every time the phone connects, just to get a message that the "surgery is busy, please call back later" costs 10p or so.

We had three three phones on the go late last year just trying to get into the queue to get an appointment, and then with each connection charge and then the time in the queue, it cost me £18.50 to make a bloody appointment.

And then when you get through and they say "no appointments today, try tomorrow or the next day", and you think hang on, I'm ill today!

Can't really complain though, when you finally get to see the doctor, and he says "How long do you need off?" and he starts to write the note before you can say "Whoo-hoo"

 

[libby lou lou]

We can turn up if we think it could be urgent. I would anyway, and sit there if i had to . especially with grandchildren., the staff have an habit of asking what's wrong, and giving advice, not sure if this is normal?

 

[raebhoop]

Exactly the same here in Sutton in Ashfield.I use a walk in health center surgery 3 miles away it's easier.Longest wait was 45 minutes.
You've got one in Derby on Osmaston Rd I think...there are doctors there 7 days too unlike your local surgery.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

I find the system now much better than it was a few years back.
I can call or visit my local surgery make an appointment for the same day.
Before you had wait weeks before they would see you, by then you were either better, much worse or dead!
1) The current set up at my surgery is the GP has a block of appointments that can be pre-booked, no more than three weeks in advance.
2) You can call or visit the surgery on the day, to make an appointment for that day.
3) You can book an appointment on-line.
4) you can sit and wait
or you get a letter from them saying you have not been ill for awhile come and see us, so we can check you out.

 

[RigidRaider]

I find the system now much better than it was a few years back.
I can call or visit my local surgery make an appointment for the same day.
Before you had wait weeks before they would see you, by then you were either better, much worse or dead!
1) The current set up at my surgery is the GP has a block of appointments that can be pre-booked, no more than three weeks in advance.
2) You can call or visit the surgery on the day, to make an appointment for that day.
3) You can book an appointment on-line.
4) you can sit and wait
or you get a letter from them saying you have not been ill for awhile come and see us, so we can check you out.

More or less the same here in Lancs; I can ring up and usually get an appointment on the same day or the following day if it's not urgent.

 

[joinerjohn]

Exactly the same here in Sutton in Ashfield.I use a walk in health center surgery 3 miles away it's easier.Longest wait was 45 minutes.
You've got one in Derby on Osmaston Rd I think...there are doctors there 7 days too unlike your local surgery.

Believe me, I considered going there Raebhoop, but as my main medical records are at my doctors surgery, I'd rather go there.

 

[Big Tone]

“Doctor doctor, you and your surgery keep ignoring me”

“Next”