doctors appointments

[gina32]

what happened to the good old days when you could just walk into the waiting room and wait until the doc called you?? at mine you have to tell the receptionist whats wrong then she passes it on to the "on call" doctor who then decides if you should be called back early or late and then after you telling him/her the problem whether or not you should have an appointment or if he/she will just leave you a prescription!!!

[AB Editor]

Ah, yes, the good old days!

[gina32]

id much rather wait in a queue then have to do what i said goes on in my doctors

[ummmm]

I phone my doctors in the morning and they will give a same day appointment. No questions asked..

[LoftyLottie]

Me too Gina. You always got to the see the doctor even if you had to sit and wait for hours. And doctors didn't have receptionists or nurses in most cases. And what's more they came out to see you when you weren't well enough to go to the surgery. Their wives manned their phones. They earned their salaries in those days!!

[McMouse]

Ah the good old days.....the walls were so thin you could hear everything. I didn't mind waiting.

[mightywease]

Same as ummmm - I phone them on the day and get an appointment. It can be a pain having to keep re-dailing the number first thing to get through but once at the docs it's as it ever was. I wait, I get called, I see the doc.

[Sqad]

<<<Their wives manned their phones.<<<

and were not paid.

<<<<And what's more they came out to see you when you weren't well enough to go to the surgery.<<<

Complete waste of time doing home visits.......basically a UK thing.......vary rarely adopted in other countries.

[LoftyLottie]

I have to admit we do get to see someone on the day we phone, but if I want to see my own doctor I may have to wait 2 weeks!!

[LoftyLottie]

The home visits were a waste of time eh!! Not if you can't get out of bed because you are really ill. I was told that the GP's got an extra allowance if their wives were involved in phones, etc. Is this not true?

[MrIncredible]

"you have to tell the receptionist what wrong"

I would never discuss the reason for my wanting an appointment with the receptionist!
I would politly tell them that its a private matter! (whilst scratching myelf :o))
.
if there are no appointments at our's then you can see the triage nurse who can give out prescriptions!

But i would never tell the receptionist about my most intimate problems!

[Sqad]

It must have changed...........perhaps someone more up to date will answer concerning the wives pay.

<<<<Not if you can't get out of bed because you are really ill.<<<<

Can you give me an example?

[bednobs]

they ask you about what's wrong so they can tell if you need to see a nurse or a doctor. And boohoo, lottie, you have to wait 10 whole working days to see a doctor of yur choice, but admit you can see another one on the same day! Dosen't anyone else think it's marvellous you can call and be seen the same day by a doctor and not have to pay?

[tiggerblue10]

I have to book 2 weeks in advance for an appointment.

[mightywease]

I miss home visits too - I know you can still kind of get them but it isn't easy - there are certain circumstances when home visiting is, well, vital.

Also I do kind of miss seeing the same doctor each time, you can request it at my surgery bit as LoftyLottie says may have to wait longer, as if you have a long term condition then talking to someone who knows you and your history. However for one-off things I am happy enough seeing any doc tbh.

[Sqad]

doc

<<<great fun walking up to the receptionist with a cucumber down your trousers.

Then say, in a loud voice " About this viagra stuff"<<<

Down your trousers? Don´t you mean "up the front of your shirt"?

[237SJ]

I can vaguely remember the doctor being called out to me when I was about four years old. Apparently I was rolling around in bed delirious and sweating. I had severe heatstroke as it turned out. I don`t think he was wasting his time visiting me.
My surgery has a system where you phone at 8.30 for an appointment that day or you can go down there at 9am and book one personally. No way would I be explaining to a non-medically trained receptionist what is wrong with me. I don`t blame them having a same-day system because so many people used to book appointments and not turn up.

[LoftyLottie]

Plenty of examples Sqad, but I am now going out!! However:

Last time I had the doctor out, I had actually fractured a vertebrae!! I should have called for an ambulance but thought my needs were not that great!!

The time before I had pneumonia and could hardly breathe.


And what happens if you don't have your own transport or anybody to take you to a GP!!