Do Any Of You Find Getting Appointments Etc Difficult?

[bluefortress]

Does anyone else find liasing with their gp surgery incredibly difficult. I was advised by my local phrmacist to speak to my go as they couldn't help my issue.

So I rang up the surgery and the receptionist convinced me that I don't need to see my go and that she would get the surgery's own pharmacist to give me a ring. 
 

Fair enough, I was going to ask the gp something else too but as it's minor I thought forget it. The receptionist said the pharmacist would ring on Monday afternoon, I asked her for a timeframe as I'm working and can't always drop what I'm doing to answer the phone but she said it will be anytime Monday afternoon. 
 

It brings back memories of when I was working on the wards during Covid and missed a few gp calls due to the same reason. 

Maybe it's me but don't you think the NHS could at least be better organised in terms of appointments and give people timeframes for when they ring. 
 

 

[Patsy33]

It would be helpful wouldn't it? Seems all one sided now. It makes people feel abandoned. It's not too bad where I live, to be fair.. I've heard some terrible tales elsewhere, though.

[bluefortress]

Sorry 'gp' not sure why I've been typing 'go' lol

[bluefortress]

Yea Patsy I've heard some stories. It's a shame as the idea of the NHS is great I remember my grandma telling me when it first started up how good it was. 
 

Not really sure what's gone wrong as I don't know enough about politics. 

[Hazlinny]

I feel incredibly lucky ..  my well-run Surgery usually can offer a next day appt. or at least a telephone call from a GP at a pre-arranged time.  On the odd occasion, a same-day appt.  can be given!  However, at a nearby Surgery, people have to wait three weeks to get an appt.  It seems as though it is down to good organization by the staff.

[Toorak]

We are lucky with my practice. When I had shingles a year and a half ago I phoned the practice first thing in the morning and had a telephone appointment with the senior nurse practitioner at 9.15am. She confirmed my diagnosis and sent a prescription for antivirals to the pharmacy for me to pick up that afternoon. The early availability of antivirals made a huge difference to the severity (and I suspect the duration) of my symptoms. 

[barry1010]

No, emailed my GP surgery on Sunday, they phoned on Monday offering same day appointment.  I saw him on Tuesday, my choice.  Never a problem for us

 

[bluefortress]

Where do ya'll live lol maybe I should change gp but I don't want to jump to somewhere else just to have the same issue, as I think the actual gp is good. 

[NoseyNose]

My GP Surgery is located in a ruaral village in East Sussex.

Due to the fact that it has low number of patients(per Doctor),I never have (in 24 years with them) had any problem getting a day or next day appointment to see my GP.

I shall soon be moving to a new GP Surgery in East Sussex,as I am moving house (about 10 miles from the old one) so we will see how different that will be?

[Smowball]

My doctors surgery uses the new(ish) DrIQ online app, where you type in an online consultation with as many details as poss - this goes thru to the surgery, where it is read, and depending on the severity they then reply with a time for either a fone call or a surgery appointment. So far it's worked brilliantly. A few months ago I said that I felt v short of breath, my inhalers weren't helping much, and wasn't sure if I had  a chest infection - within 45 mins I had a reply asking to come in within half hour, and I was put straight on a nebuliser.

Its when the issue needs referring to a hospital that it then becomes a major problem as it's out of the doctors hands. I'm still waiting for my 2nd serious spinal steroid injection, which I was meant to have 3 months after the 1st one as it was a course. That was last August : ( , and yes I've rang/emailed the relevant hospital department at least 6 times.

[davebro3]

Been ok up to now but with 1000s of new houses being built locally who knows if NHS services will keep pace...

[Patsy33]

Crikey, smow, I'd be screaming down that phone by now. That's unforgivable, making  you wait that long. I hope you get results soon.

[bednobs]

i also find getting appointments reasonably easy, although we have that new thing too smow, but i havent had to use it yet.

I wonder if ok is the norm and terrible is the exception?

[youngmafbog]

Virtually impossible round here.  Used to be excellent but since the Covid excuse has gone right downhill.

 

[Vagus]

Since our surgery started patchs online thingy, can't fault it, was pretty good before to be honest but now there's no hanging on at 8am to get through in the morning. 
I did patchs at 7.30am last Monday, had a message from gp at 9.10am to say he'd made me an appointment with the advanced clinical practitioner for me at 11.20. Saw her, she sent a px to the on site pharmacy and I was home by 11.45 taking first antibiotic. 
No complaints from me.

[Countrylover]

I phoned at 4.00 for an appointment today.  Duty Doctor phoned me at 6.00 and my medication will be available at the dispensary tomorrow.  I'm quite impressed.

[emily1890]

I was once refused an appointment because they didn't like the way I smelled.

 

that same surgery rang me a week later saying that they wished I got covid

 

so naturally I'm with a different one now

[237SJ]

There is absolutely no way anyone would get a GP appointment at my surgery.  I have been down there for routine appointments over the last couple of years - 17 chairs in the waiting room and all of them empty. The only people in the waiting room are seeing the nurse.  It's a disgrace.

[Moorea7]

^^^ I find that rather difficult to believe, Emily!

[237SJ]

I was talking to a friend of mine who went to see the Doctor because she had a bad knee.  There is absolutely no way our GP would see someone because they had a bad knee. 

[douglas9401]

Somebody needs to warn medics that they all *** off to Australia or wherever and they need to up their game.