Why is it so hard to get a doctors appointment?

[shaznay]

Pete I dont know what surgery this is

 

I work in a surgery and we work on the same basis...book on the day or wait 7-10 days for a routine appt

 

we never turn patients away though, we have a triage system where the doc can ring you back or the nurse who can then bring you in if nessasary

 

this works well for our patients

with chest pains she should have been seen the same day

it is very frustratin for patients and us that work behind the phones

 

glad she is ok now, must have been very scary

[PeteMorris]

Sorry to hear your OH has been so ill but glad to hear that she seems to be on the mend.

You did the right thing in 'phoning 999 - chest pains of any kind should never been ignored and your GP was very wrong to deny your OH an emergency appointment.

You really must make a formal, written complaint to your GP practice manager - no one should EVER have to wait 2 weeks for a GP appointment !

It is time that GP surgeries extended their opening hours to provide a service to suit their patients and not just convenient for themselves.

I hope your OH continues to improve.

 

We know about the new NHS 'walk in' surgeries, and have had to visit one a few months ago (in Rotherham). Again because we couldn't get in at our own doctors. I suppose we could have gone there with her. But that's not the point! Besides, those walk in places are for 'minor' complaints.

[PeteMorris]

Pete I dont know what surgery this is

 

I work in a surgery and we work on the same basis...book on the day or wait 7-10 days for a routine appt

 

we never turn patients away though, we have a triage system where the doc can ring you back or the nurse who can then bring you in if nessasary

 

this works well for our patients

with chest pains she should have been seen the same day

it is very frustratin for patients and us that work behind the phones

 

glad she is ok now, must have been very scary

 

Thanks Shaznay. It's probably best not to mention specific surgeries, but based on my location there's only a few options...

 

I'm afraid I wasn't actually privvy to the actual conversation my OH had with the receptionist. But by all acounts, they were pretty offhand, and not really concerned with the gravity (or at least an attempt to find out how urgent it may have been) of the situation.

 

Also, I do think the free-for-all morning phone in, is a complete farce. As I said. I've actually given up before now, as you can never seem to get through without the engaged tone!

[Daven]

We know about the new NHS 'walk in' surgeries, and have had to visit one a few months ago (in Rotherham). Again because we couldn't get in at our own doctors. I suppose we could have gone there with her. But that's not the point! Besides, those walk in places are for 'minor' complaints.

 

Totally agree. Your GP failed to provide the service they are paid a lot of money to provide. This failure should not go unchallenged.

The outcome for your OH could have been so different.

Edited August 10, 2012 by Daven

[rubydazzler]

The appointment system most surgeries use is ridiculous. Usually by the time you get an appointment, normally seems to be about two weeks, you've either been rushed into the ER or whatever it was that was wrong has righted itself, after days of suffering.

 

I don't understand why they can't just go back to the old system where you went to the surgery and sat on a hard chair reading three year old Readers' Digests until it was your turn. It worked ok when most doctors worked alone, and yet now they have centres full of them, you can never get to see one?

Edited August 10, 2012 by rubydazzler
typo

[PeteMorris]

Totally agree. Your GP failed to provide the service they are paid a lot of money to provide. This failure should not go unchallenged.

The outcome for your OH could have been so different.

 

Yes I agree, but on the other hand, neither of us have been with that surgery for long, as we've only recently moved to the area. Neither of us are the type who visit on a regular basis with this that and the other complaint. We only go when we 'really' feel the need.

 

Is it worth 'rocking the boat'?...Yes I know things could have turned out disastrously, but fortunately they didn't.

 

Maybe a polite letter advising them of the circumstances, and a suggestion that they review their appointments procedure, as it clearly failed my OH?

[PeteMorris]

The appointment system most surgeries use is ridiculous. Usually by the time you get an appointment, normally seems to be about two weeks, you've either been rushed into the ER or whatever it was that was wrong has righted itself, after days of suffering.

 

I don't understand why they can't just go back to the old system where you went to the surgery and sat on a hard chair reading three year old Readers' Digests until it was your turn. It worked ok when most doctor's worked alone, and yet now they have centres full of them, you can never get to see one?

 

I agree, the system most of them use just doesn't work. I can remember many years ago having a doctor (amusingly she was called Dr Watson), you just turned up and waited your turn. Yes there were some days you were in there for a couple of hours. But she was savvy enough to get you straight in for something urgent. She was an elderly Scots woman, and ruled the surgery with a rod of iron. Nobody messed with Doc Watson!

[Daven]

Yes I agree, but on the other hand, neither of us have been with that surgery for long, as we've only recently moved to the area. Neither of us are the type who visit on a regular basis with this that and the other complaint. We only go when we 'really' feel the need.

 

Is it worth 'rocking the boat'?...Yes I know things could have turned out disastrously, but fortunately they didn't.

 

Maybe a polite letter advising them of the circumstances, and a suggestion that they review their appointments procedure, as it clearly failed my OH?

 

I can understand your concerns but someone else who is allowed to be fobbed off in the future may not be as fortunate as your OH.

A strongly worded letter may be the way forward on the lines of how disappointed you were with the lack of service provided. More training for clerical staff may be the way forwards.

Good luck and best wishes to your OH.

[rubydazzler]

I agree, the system most of them use just doesn't work. I can remember many years ago having a doctor (amusingly she was called Dr Watson), you just turned up and waited your turn. Yes there were some days you were in there for a couple of hours. But she was savvy enough to get you straight in for something urgent. She was an elderly Scots woman, and ruled the surgery with a rod of iron. Nobody messed with Doc Watson!

Those were the days when doctors were proper doctors. The last 'proper' doctor I remember was Dr Gillot who had his surgery at the corner of Woodbank Crescent and Chesterfield Rd, up until the early '80s. That man was incredible, total eccentric, but so kind and dedicated to his craft and patients.

 

I self medicate now, it has to be really desperate to force me to try to get an appointment. I just don't have the time or dedication to devote to sitting on the phone, dialling over and again. And then when you finally get through, it's because the time is up and the line's closed, because all the appointments are gone. Rubbish!

[PeteMorris]

Those were the days when doctors were proper doctors. The last 'proper' doctor I remember was Dr Gillot who had his surgery at the corner of Woodbank Crescent and Chesterfield Rd, up until the early '80s. That man was incredible, total eccentric, but so kind and dedicated to his craft and patients.

 

I self medicate now, it has to be really desperate to force me to try to get an appointment. I just don't have the time or dedication to devote to sitting on the phone, dialling over and again. And then when you finally get through, it's because the time is up and the line's closed, because all the appointments are gone. Rubbish!

 

As I said about Doc Watson. Nobody messed with her, and if she thought you were wasting her time on something inconsequential, she had no hesitation in rollocking you. The nett result was that everyone knew what she was like, and only visited when it 'was' neccessary. She was very very efficient and to my knowledge never got any diagnosis wrong. Those were the days eh?