Gp Appointment Allocation

[jd_1984]

If the system at your local GP surgery is the same as mine... i.e - You ring in from 8.30am and are allocated an appointment with the next available GP at the next available time slot. Does this system bother you at all?

I had to go to the doctors 4 times last year with the same issue. Each time a different doctor and each time different feedback and approach to treatment.

I would take more comfort seeing the same doctor if going back with the same symptoms. But it is simply not set up that way at our doctors and quite often when you sit talking to the doctor, everything he needs to know is in my medical history and you spend 80% of the consultation repeating yourself to a new doctor.

I have to say every doctor is great at our surgery and in the end we managed to get to the bottom of why I wasnt feeling too good. But I havent seen "my own GP" in years now, infact cant remember the last time that I saw the same doctor consecutively.......

Perhaps I am being naive in even thinking that if you saw the doctor that you saw last time he would even remember who you are..... But if he was the one who, for instance sent you for tests and said "come back and see us in a month" i would like to see HIM/HER in a month....

[askyourgran]

I know what you mean jd. We have a system that you can ring at 8am and make an appointment, usually you are lucky to get one that same day. We also have a walk-in surgery every morning without an appointment 8-12pm for new non-serious ailments rashes etc. which is very popular. I find it easier to book on-line there are some appointments put on one side for on-line booking, sometimes with the doctor you prefer to see. It's rare we get to see the same doctor, in fact I don't know who mine is there are about six to choose from, two are not particularly liked very much there are always bookings available for them. One doc told me my cholesterol level was too high at 6.1 but another said it was OK when I went to see about it.

[daffy654]

We have to book and can wait between 2 and 6 weeks to see a particular doctor. In an 'emergency' we have to see a nurse practitioner.

[emmie]

you ring our surgery, get josephine bloggs on reception, the surgery operates a triage system, so josephine on reception asks you why you need to see the doctor, the gory details, what is wrong, and so you explain, this is the same if you present yourself at the surgery, so in front of all the staff and patients you tell your problems... so far so bad. if you haven't got an emergency problem, which quite frankly i wouldn't know what that constitutes, apart from having a heart attack either on the phone or in front of said receptionist, you won't get an appointment for weeks. If the receptionist is kindly, so rare, she will pencil you in that day, 5pm do you, ten minutes max, as of course it's an emergency appointment. If it's not considered remotely urgent, in other words you aren't bleeding to death on the floor, then you will get an appointment three weeks hence, by which time either the problem has passed or you have. No out of hours doctor service, so if have a problem you have to go to a local hospital, a Gothic pile that would look more at home in a hammer house horror movie. lovely.

[ummmm]

I haven't seen my doctors yet. Joined in 2011.

My OH is on a repeat prescription and when I ordered a new one the doctor phoned him and said he like to see him that evening.

Our doctors are open until 8pm and Saturdays until 1pm.

That's the only dealings we've had with them.

[woofgang]

other surgeries round her do the "tell the receptionist" thing. I always used to refuse to do it on the grounds that it was personal. Actually where I am now I wouldn't mind telling the receptionist, on the phone at least. One and all they are lovely people and nothing is too much trouble.

[Chinajan]

Does no one else's surgery use the emis online booking system? I can book with the GP of my choice online, and for emergencies there is also the 8.30 am phone call option.

https://patient.emisaccess.co.uk/Account/Login?ReturnUrl=%2f

[jno]

I have to wait up to 2 weeks too. I'd happily see any doctor anytime if it could be within 24 hours.

[MyBlackHen]

We must be very lucky.
We can not only order medication online, via Patient Access, we can also book our appointments online.

[MyBlackHen]

Plus, there is a sit and wait, every day at 4pm, for if you are worried.

[rockyracoon]

My old surgery used to have the emis online booking but they got taken over by a different lot and everything has changed. If one of the kids needed a non emergency appointment, I'd have to keep them off school until I knew what time I could get them fitted in as the surgery doesn't open til 8.30 and the kids would have been long gone by then. I've defected somewhere else now, where a family member is a receptionist! ;)

[petal54]

usually see 'own'dr,at surgery request,unless he is off,which often are,then see another.

[Purple_Popple]

You've all got great surgeries. I have to ring at 8.30am if I need an appointment and I can only book that same day and only if there are any spare. We cannot book in advance at all. It's a nightmare.