I have just had to drive over from Derbyshire into Sheffield to visit my mums GP to make an appointment for her. Phone lines are constantly engaged in the morning so you have no choice but to travel there to make an appointment. She is an OAP and very ill at the moment and can do without all this agro.

On arrival I rang the bell and was left for a good 5 mins while the clerical staff finished their chat. I was offered an appointment with mum's doctor for 4 weeks time YES 4 WEEKS :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:
If she was prepared to see another doctor the appointment would be only 2 WEEKS. This service is totally unacceptable. Besides which the receptionist had a face that would have soured milk...witha take it or leave it attitude.

Is this typical for Sheffield because in Eckington our health centre and it's staff are brilliant. Do you think it worthwhile me complaining to the practice manager? Don't suggest that she change drs as the other practice is equally bad. This is the reality of Mr Blair's caring gov't.

I'm sorry to read of the dreadful service you received at your mums surgery.

We've had nothing but excellent service from Sheffield's Firth Park surgery in the three years we've been with them.

Did they give explain why the appt would take 4 weeks?

I belong to the Broomhill / Crosspool surgery and have done since the 70s. As long as you don't mind which doctor you see or which surgery you visit there are no delays. The staff are pleasant and the doctors seem to have time to hear your problems. And yes, they are still NHS and not private.

I don't think you can blame anyone other than the practice management for the attitudes. Nice try, though.

Originally posted by "maxt"

I belong to the Broomhill / Crosspool surgery and have done since the 70s. As long as you don't mind which doctor you see or which surgery you visit there are no delays. The staff are pleasant and the doctors seem to have time to hear your problems. And yes, they are still NHS and not private.

I don't think you can blame anyone other than the practice management for the attitudes. Nice try, though.

maxt who do you think funds GP's surgeries? The NHS funds them which is in turn funded by the government. Yes surgeries may be fund holders but they are still accountable and are obliged to provide a certain level of service and care.

So frosty was the receptionist that I never got an explanation from her as to why the situation was so. Logic tells me that as this is always the case at this practice that one of 2 things be happening;
a) The practice has too many patients or
b) the practice has too few doctors

Perhaps it has escaped you maxt but this country has a very serious doctor shortage. You might enlighten me as to why this might be so (I don't suppose that that has anything to with the gov't either)

I accept most of what you say except the bit about there being a shortage of doctors. What there is, in my opinion, is a shortage of doctors willing to become GPs.

Unfortunately, no matter which government is in power, you'll always get sour-faced, rude surgery receptionists - that's the way of the world :wink:.

Originally posted by "Mo"

Perhaps it has escaped you maxt but this country has a very serious doctor shortage. You might enlighten me as to why this might be so (I don't suppose that that has anything to with the gov't either)

It's always easy to blame the gov't for things like this. Now, I don't know any facts about doctors, but In the recent local elections in Scotland many parties were saying "we'll give you more nurses" when the reality was that the vacancies were there, it's just that nobody wanted to be a nurse. Maybe it's the pay...? If that's so, then it may be fair to blame "the government" - but if it's not the pay, who can you blame apart from everyone that's not a nurse...?

(I realise it's not that simple, but I'm sure you get what I mean.)

I personally would have a word with the practise manager. It is their responsibility to re-organise to cope with demand and take the administrative pressure of the Dr's

My surgery used to have a similar problem. To get your doctor you were looking at a similar month wait regardless of how urgent your problem may be.

They now opperate two different appointment systems side by side. Every morning you can ring in up to 10am and make an appointment for that morning.
I believe all the afternoon appointments are on the ordinary system. But if you need in that morning it is a case of first come first served. Also if you see a particular Dr. you get to know what days they are on or off and can ring in. A day wait to see the Dr of your choice is better than a month.

Perhaps you should suggest this system to your surgery. It is working really well with ours.

Moon Maiden

You and your mother are just unlucky, we dont have any trouble at all to get or make an appointment, as long as we are prepared to see any doctor. Unfortunately, we the patients are on the begging end and have to accept what we are offered.

The health service is not perfect (what is) but it is in my view doing a wonderfull job especially in Sheffield. Some years ago I had to be rushed into hospital for a double strangulated hernia and to have lump removed from my neck.

They took me into the hallamshire hospital, gave me a private room, and the treatment I received was second to none, within a few days I was walking with the help of nurses and was able to come home in three weeks, due to the excellent care I received from all the staff.

I have nothing but admiration for the doctors, nurses, and eveyone was so friendly and helpfull. I know we do hear horror stories from time to time but that is not the fault of this government, not everyone who works in our hospitals is efficient and not everyone is nice.

What does everyone think of this idea then?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3483567.stm

Could it be the answer?

Originally posted by Lickszz
What does everyone think of this idea then?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3483567.stm

Could it be the answer?

With the exception of receptionists giving medical advice, that's pretty much how my surgery (Dovercourt, on City Road) works. I've been registered there for over two years now, and have had to see a doctor many times. I've never had to wait more than half an hour to be seen, the staff are all very helpful and friendly, not at all like your typical medical receptionist!

This morning for example, I arrived just as the doors were opening at 8.30am. There was already a considerable queue of people waiting, but I still didn't have to wait more than ten minutes to be seen by a nurse practitioner. As it was regarding a change of medication, she dropped me into the doctor's queue and he was calling me in just as I was heading back to the waiting room. All in all, I was out of there by ten to nine - an excellent service.

At the surgery I'm at, I get to see a doctor the same day so long as I don't mind which doctor I see. If I want to see a particular doctor then it can be 3 or 4 days.

However, at the surgery my fiancee used to attend in Derbyshire it was very difficult to get to see a doctor and could take a couple of weeks or more even if she didn't mind which doctor she saw!

I've always thought that doctors and nurses unions / trade org's are just like the teachers.

They spend too much time moaning about how bad it is which does nothing more than put people off entering those professions. They only have themselves to blame.

After all, £85k is hardly a bad wage for a GP is it? To cap it all, they won't have to do call outs now either!

If you are student, you can get an appointment on the day. So maybe if you know a student they can make an appointment for you and you can pretend to be them.

The practice i used can be bad, have to plan up to 2 weeks in advance if you want to see a specific doctor. Usually within 2 day if you don't give a crap who it is. Mind you a child throwing up on the receptionist while discussing the fact that she can't get you in til the next day is usually quite good at getting you seen quickly. Was in and out in ten minutes that time.