Gp Surgery - Open All Hours

[MWG14]

A GP Surgery in Northampton has obtained planning permission to stay open from 8.00am until 8.00pm, seven days a week.

You would think that the patients would be delighted but no, neighbours are complaining.

Well you just can't please everybody all of the time, can you?

[hc4361]

Of course I'm prepared to travel, Sqad, but it would mean half a day off work, not an hour.
The GP is providing a service like any other, is running a business and should either restrict the number of patients he (or she) takes on or extend the opening hours to provide an adequate service.
If more people could see their GP same day or next day it might cut down on the number of unnecessary visits to A&E.
I am very fortunate to have a fantastic GP with same day appointments but many in my area are not like that.

[bednobs]

the walk in centre in my town has been open 8-8 7 days a week for at least 7 years. It also functions as a regular gp surgery, and you can get an appointment for whenever

[hc4361]

That's great, bednobs. Is it easy to see 'your' GP?

[maggiebee]

Back when Adam was a boy we just went to see the doc when required. Sat in the waiting room awaiting your turn - no appointments. There was also an evening surgery for those who worked.

[bednobs]

no idea, it's not my surgery, sorry :)

[Buenchico]

>>> Well, the people who work office hours, should take the time off to see their GP.....they would only be away from work for an hour at most

Many of the office workers who live in my town work in London, which is a 2-hour commute by train in each direction!

I'll give my support to anything which moves us closer to a 24-hour society. All businesses should be open 24 hours per day, 365 days per year.

[Sqad]

With more GP's retiring early and few, if any applicants for many of the vacant posts, would anybody like to explain how Gp's can maintain a 24 hour service?

[Rockrose]

An hour away from work?
Where is that? Cloud cuckoo land?

[hc4361]

Perhaps it should be a condition of doctors' training that on qualifying they spend x amount of years as an NHS GP.

[Sqad]

h.c that has been mooted for years and years and has it's supporters, however it has it's antagonists, particularly those who want to specialise.

[NellieMay]

Ours is open 8.00 am until 6.30pm weekdays and an extra couple of hours morning and evening twice a week, and for 3 hours on Saturday and a Sunday morning. Twice recently my GP has phoned me at about 8.00pm to discuss things with me. We also have early morning telephone appointments and a triage system available daily which ensures you can be seen by someone on the same day. A nurse will pass you on to a gp if necessary. I am not complaining!

[Sqad]

RockRose....hardly cuckoo land, as if you did work away, you could ask your GP for an early appt and you could pop in on the way to the station or to work.
A bit of thought and effort eh?

[sherrardk]

It’s currently a 5 week wait for an appointment around here and that could be at any one of a number of surgeries.

[New Judge]

//However, my sister and I spend maybe an hour a week on average cancelling appointments for people that have no wish and no intention of going... they have just been invited.//

And that is because of the ridiculous practice of making an “appointment” for somebody unilaterally. The idea of an appointment is that it is a mutually agreeable arrangement. To make one without consulting the person concerned (and calling it an “Invitation” as if they had been invited to a wedding) is just, well…stupid.

//And I doubt everyone even bothers to cancel,//

And why should they? If somebody makes an appointment for me for something I didn’t ask for, probably don’t want and for which they didn’t bother to check whether I did or if I was available, why should I go to the trouble of “cancelling” an arrangement I was never party to? And so we see this:

//It’s currently a 5 week wait for an appointment around here//

Has it never occurred to the people allegedly managing the NHS that no commercial company would make an appointment for one of its customers without first checking that (a) they actually want one and (b) that they can come at the time suggested? It ain’t rocket science.

[Rockrose]

I start working at 7am so it would mean taking time off to attend even an early appointment

[Sqad]

RockRose

So...ask for a late one on the way home.

[Rockrose]

Have you been on the cocktail Sqad? You were complaining about late appointments!

[pixie374]

Well, exactly, nj...
Sqad, that might work if RR was their only patient, but when hundreds want only before or after office hours, it becomes a competition.

[Sqad]

RockRose.

"You were complaining about late appointments!"

Not so! I was complaining about the need for a 12 hour surgery, 7 days a week.

[alavahalf]

My guess is the 32,000 patients at our surgery would apppreciate more flexible hours. Not everybody needs to see a doctor immediately. But after normal working hours appointments would be would much appreciated by those that work 8am to 5pm.