Why is it so hard to get a doctors appointment?

[PeteMorris]

mairaaa

 

Do you need some help with posting? I see you only have 3 posts, it can be a bit tricky if you're not used to it!

[Rupert_Baehr]

The point is, we didn't get triage from anyone!

 

In your case, the system was broken and needs fixing. I suspect you are not the only person to have had difficulty in getting an appointment. Putting a 'sticking plaster' on the problem won't cure it, however and perhaps the whole system needs to be reviewed?

 

Also, if everone uses the walk-in, what's the point of having a GP surgery at all?

 

I use my 'GP' (in the US) to monitor my overall healthcare. I go to see him once or twice a year for a routine appointment in which he checks my records and reviews (some of) my medications. (Any other doctors I've been referred to or have sent for urgent care will have sent copies of their diagnoses/treatments to him.)

 

If I need urgent healthcare - anything other than I would get in the 'routine' appointments - I go to an urgent healthcare provider. - And because there are no walk-in facilities where I live, I end up going to an A&E.

 

Things are (slightly) different in Germany. When I lived here full-time I had a Primary Care provider who had office hours from 0730 to 1630 Mon-Thu and 0730 to 1300 on Fridays.

 

There was no 'out of hours' provision. - If I needed a doctor out of hours, I was advised to go to an Emergency room.

 

I was also registered with 2 specialists, who did have 'out of hours' emergency numbers. - They would come to the hospital, but they didn't do home visits. (Which seem to be extremely rare here.)

 

One major difference (advantage?) between the German system and the NHS is that each and every procedure or treatment has a fixed price (a price set by the Bundesrepublik.)

 

Any doctor or treatment facility (other than a private practitioner who has taken you on as a private patient) can charge that price and that price only.)

 

If there is a demand for a particular treatment in a given area and if the providers can make a living from providing that treatment, then somebody (or more than one) will set up a practice.

 

If a provider can't make a living, there will be no practice and the government will have to adjust the fee chargeable to encourage providers to set up shop.

 

If the people are annoyed because a particular treatment is not available, they know exactly who to blame. - The government.

 

The government can't 'weasel out of it' - they can't blame the failure to provide a service on the practitioners. Practitioners will provide a service if it is cost-effective to do so and it is up to the government to ensure that it is cost effective.

[Rupert_Baehr]

Remember, that the planned health reforms empower GPs to deliver and commission more services. As a lot of them are failing now it makes me very nervous.

 

That sounds like 'passing the buck'.

 

The NHS provides health care in the UK. The government is (or should be) answerable for failures or shortcomings in the provision of healthcare.

 

The government - each government - will claim that NHS expenditure is rising 'in real terms.'

 

I'd be surprised if it wasn't. The size of the population is rising 'in real terms', the age of the population is rising 'in rel terms'. the number of treatments (theoretically) available is rising 'in real terms' and he cost of treatment is rising 'in real terms'.

 

The NHS does not provide 'every treatment known to man' - it never has done so and it probably never will. Perhaps there should be a detailed list of what is - and what is not - available through the NHS, together with a (binding) 'Patient's Charter'?

 

That charter would be binding both ways, of course. - 'No Show' patients would be required to recompense the NHS for the time they caused to be wasted.)

 

Perhaps (ideally) the NHS should provide all the treatment - and not 'contract out'.

 

You can delegate authority - but you can't delegate responsibility!

 

If I bought a house from a builder who had sub-contracted some of the construction (for instance, the tile laying) and if the tiles were laid badly, my claim would be against the builder - not against the tile layer. It would be up to the builder to sort out his problem with the tile layer.

 

If the NHS wants to 'contract out' some of the services it is supposed to provide and if the contractor does not do a good job of providing those services, then surely it's the NHS' problem - and it's up to the NHS to sort out their problem with the contractor.

 

The government can devolve authority to GPs to provide services - but it can't (or shouldn't be allowed to) devolve responsibility.

[Daven]

what many people do not know is, the walk-in centres will charge your doctors surgery a fee and the A&E will charge them even more. If more people used these services than just allowing the waiting times for an appointment, surgery's would wise up and sort themselves out.

 

I understand your logic - but PLEASE don't encourage cases that are not an accident or an emergency to attend A&E - they are always under pressure to treat sick patients and should NEVER be used as an alternative GP surgery.

Walk in centres all the way.

Thank you.

[Ms Macbeth]

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.

 

I agree with your suggestion. Fortunately the GP surgery we go to is a 5 minutes walk away, if I need to see a GP the same day I turn up at 8 and wait. Alternatively I can try ringing up at 8.15.

 

I think the reception staff must also be well trained - my OH came home one day from work feeling very weak and looking grey and clammy. 11 years previously he'd had a heart bypass. I rang to see if he could see a GP urgently. The receptionist spoke to a doctor, and arranged for an ambulance to the NGH. I think the positive actions of the receptionist and doctor saved his life. He was really unwell, and it took a couple of weeks with lots of scans and tests to diagnose what was wrong, but eventually he had a second heart op, and 5 years on he's fine.

[onewheeldave]

My OH felt a bit unwell last week with chest pains, which sort of came and went. She phoned the doctors to see if she could get to see someone that day. She was told that the earliest appointment she could have would be 2 weeks. Either that, or try phoning at 9:00am the next day, and she may get an appointment for that day. (bear in mind that phoning at that time is almost impossible as you can almost never get through, due to the world and his wife trying the same thing!...I know, I've tried. It's even more difficult if you're at work trying to get through too).

 

She concluded to give it a try the next day!...HOWEVER...That night (around midnight), she had a worse attack, and I had to phone 999 and get an ambulance. They took her into hospital and it transpires she had had a heart attack, albeit a mild one fortunately. She spent a week in hospital, and now she's back home again, but on long term medication.

 

Surely, there should be a better system whereby you can actually get to see your doctor straight away?

 

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 definitly think you should make an official complaint

 

http://www.nhs.uk/choiceintheNHS/Rightsandpledges/complaints/Pages/NHScomplaints.aspx

 

as your wife was very lucky- if her heart atack had not been so mild, she could well have died.

 

If the surgery is allowed to continue with that level of ineptitude, others will die, assuming someone hasn't already.

 

It could well be that the surgery management are not aware of their receptionists negligence- if so you'd be doing them a big favour.

 

Chest pains should mean being seen asap- it does not take advanced medical training/knowledge to assess that one.

 

In complaining, you would not be 'rocking the boat', you'd be performing a public service for your community.

[charlie_boy]

Im glad your partner got sorted out and i hope she never has ill health like that again. As for doctors, yep its a nightmare! Fairlawns and tramways in S6 is the worst ive ever known!

I used to have a doctors who did a 'sit and wait' service in a morning and then appts in the afternoon. I much preferred this, yes it was a pain having to wait, sometes a couple of hours BUT knowing i would get seen made it worth it in my eyes! It was difficult with work and not being able to tell them how long i would be but of i needed to see a doctor then so be it!

[bladebeer]

It has probably been discussed before, but I rang today for a doctor's appointment for my wife. She has been treated for high blood pressure, but was feeling very poorly. I was told she could see her usual G.P. in 3 weeks, or one of the other doctors in the practice in 10 days. There was some 5 minute appointments left but I would have to ring in at a certain time to book one.

I asked if I could book it there and then, but was told "No you will have to ring in at the time I told you and will the consultation only take 5 minutes" not being a doctor I am afraid I could not tell her.

I know that it may sound strange ,but she isn,t poorly in 10 days or 3 weeks , she is poorly now .What a strange society we live in.

[molly44]

if its that high they only thing you can do is go to the A+E. i have done that myself with the exact same thing. they wont do anything but you get the reassurance that its not a heart attack or or stroke.

[teeny]

Just insist on an appointment or a phone call appointment