Why is it so hard to get a doctors appointment?

Labour's GP deal in 2004?

 

"Labour's 2004 deal with GPs was complicated, but the devil is in the detail. For example, buried in the small print, it helped GPs to secure a 50 per cent pay rise, thanks to a new bonus system - and, at the same time, took away any obligation to see patients in the evenings or at weekends"

 

from here:

 

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/10099044/The-graph-that-shows-Labour-is-to-blame-for-the-pressures-on-AandE.html

Exactly that. I'd like to see the Government undo this mess but after looking at the aggro with the reworking of junior doctors contracts, I'm not surprised no one wants to deal with it.

Exactly that. I'd like to see the Government undo this mess but after looking at the aggro with the reworking of junior doctors contracts, I'm not surprised no one wants to deal with it.

I have a friend who is a doctor and can remember him literally jumping for joy when that happened...

What may not help in getting a Doctors appointment is that many GP's are on a very decent wage, allowing many of them to work "part time" as a choice. Nowt wrong with that if it is their choice, but it cannot help a busy Practise - can it?.

Angel1.

During 65+ years, I have been fortunate enough to call only occasionally on NHS services. And so, when I needed to present with a condition and turned up as I always had, in the pre-0800 queue at my local surgery for a same-day appointment, I was surprised to be told this system had been scrapped. "People phoning in were annoyed that there weren't any appointments left." So, I went home, and hit the phone line frequently during the appointed window. No luck....but finally, a message "All routine appointments are now taken".  So I have now joined the ranks of the annoyed, without an appointment. Hmm.

1 hour ago, boldforester said:

During 65+ years, I have been fortunate enough to call only occasionally on NHS services. And so, when I needed to present with a condition and turned up as I always had, in the pre-0800 queue at my local surgery for a same-day appointment, I was surprised to be told this system had been scrapped. "People phoning in were annoyed that there weren't any appointments left." So, I went home, and hit the phone line frequently during the appointed window. No luck....but finally, a message "All routine appointments are now taken".  So I have now joined the ranks of the annoyed, without an appointment. Hmm.

Does your doctors use this

https://support.patientaccess.com/

I use it to book appointments, check my records and other useful stuff but the main reason is appointments as there always seems to be more available through Patient Access than when I used to ring the GP

The reason why it is so hard to get an appointment with your GP is because they are so short of them. Newly qualified doctors do not want to be a GP, therefor the GPS already in practice are desperately overloaded with too many patients. This will not alter in the near future.

49 minutes ago, BobOfRoth said:

Does your doctors use this

https://support.patientaccess.com/

I use it to book appointments, check my records and other useful stuff but the main reason is appointments as there always seems to be more available through Patient Access than when I used to ring the GP

I use that website to order my medication.

It's no good for appointments unless you know you will be ill in a months time.

I have just logged on and tried to book one out of curiosity ....nearest available is the nurse on the 22nd of Feb at 10 30 for 10 minutes.

Usually a  doctor is available a month in advance... no choice of time or one date though.

1 minute ago, davyboy said:

I use that website to order my medication.

It's no good for appointments unless you know you will be ill in a months time.

I have just logged on and tried to book one..nearest available is the nurse on the 22nd of Feb at 10 30 for 10 minutes.

Usually a  doctor is available a month in advance... no choice of time or one date though.

Id change your GP then mate. Looking at the website I can book an appointment for this Wednesday and Thursday with a choice of times in the morning and afternoon  on both days, Friday I can pick from 3 times in the afternoon.

Next week I can book an appointment on Tuesday Thursday and Friday again with several choices when it comes to the time.

Also on about two thirds of those appointments I can choose from a reasonable list of doctors too.

3 hours ago, BobOfRoth said:

Id change your GP then mate. Looking at the website I can book an appointment for this Wednesday and Thursday with a choice of times in the morning and afternoon  on both days, Friday I can pick from 3 times in the afternoon.

Next week I can book an appointment on Tuesday Thursday and Friday again with several choices when it comes to the time.

Also on about two thirds of those appointments I can choose from a reasonable list of doctors too.

You're  one of the lucky ones, it's  not  like that at most surgeries.

3 minutes ago, jaffa1 said:

You're  one of the lucky ones, it's  not  like that at most surgeries.

It’s not like that at mine !

4 hours ago, BobOfRoth said:

Id change your GP then mate. Looking at the website I can book an appointment for this Wednesday and Thursday with a choice of times in the morning and afternoon  on both days, Friday I can pick from 3 times in the afternoon.

Next week I can book an appointment on Tuesday Thursday and Friday again with several choices when it comes to the time.

Also on about two thirds of those appointments I can choose from a reasonable list of doctors too.

You have no idea.

This part of Kent  has fewer doctors per head of population than  most of the UK.

You can't just walk into a surgery and get on their list.

New comers to the area have to wait for months to get the nearest surgery .

You are blooming lucky mate.

14 hours ago, davyboy said:

You can't just walk into a surgery and get on their list.

New comers to the area have to wait for months to get the nearest surgery .

You are blooming lucky mate.

You was just like that with dentists, now its getting worse and its GPs too.