Your GP’S appointment system, good or bad ?

[niki61 0]

It would be interesting to know if you are happy with your Gp surgery appointment system, are you able to get appointment easily, how long do you have to wait for an advanced appointment etc. what is good and what is bad about your system

I work in a surgery and at the moment the appointment system isn’t very popular, we are looking at ways to change it, it would be interesting to hear how other surgery’s operate their appointment system and if it is working for the patients

thanks in advance for your replies :)

[Mister M 1,609]

Mine isn't too bad. My GP works only part time, so can be a bit hit and miss if I see her, though I'd be just as happy to see one of the other GPs. I'm generally in good health so I don't use my G.Ps v. often. Our surgery opens twice a week in the early evenings, which is very helpful, and the receptionists are generally helpful.

Colleagues describe theirs and it sounds horrendous - 1st come, 1st served. 

I've noticed that the receptionists no longer ask patients about their illnesses when making an appointment. I understand they were probably  trying to triage patients to the most appropriate service, but in a busy waiting room it's just not a good idea.

Edited May 29, 2019 by Mister M

[ez8004 10]

Never had a problem getting an appointment. Especially for my children when they tend to get one of the reserved ones at the end of the day if it gets busy. Nice for them to keep emergency slots for the young and vulnerable. 

[Janus 28]

My Gp surgery: Advance appointments are  always in early  morning for some reason-never in the afternoon. Advance is 3 weeks away.

 

Phone lines open for appointmenta at 8am and are constantly engaged. When you finally get through even at 10am all the appoinments are taken.

 

If you get up at at 6am to get ready, and drive to the surgery for 7am (which is when the reception desk opens), there has never been any problem getting an appointment for later that day.

[catmiss 12]

No problems with my surgery, non urgent appointment usually within a week and emergency same day. They did try early am appointments from 7am which was good when I was working but stopped due to poor take up. Sometimes difficult to get through on the phone but they are introducing on line booking 

[Halibut 12]

I've no idea. Haven't tried to make an appointment for over 20 years.

[vwkittie 10]

Not too bad. Phoned this morning at around 10am and got an appointment for this afternoon, not an emergency.

[Gunstar_Hero 10]

Terrible.  Last three times I called no appointments available, despite phoning the second they are supposed to open (and somehow it was engaged and I had to redial several times) gave up in the end and went to the nurse, but I'm still poorly with the original ailment, just have to soldier on.

[Baron99 779]

Our doctors use an online system called 'SystemOne' but I think it's more down to resources than the actual system as to why it can take a good 2 weeks to get an appointment with a doctor.   We're able to see practice nurses more quickly & they can do for most things. 

 

Generally I think they want you to trail to the walk in clinic in town. 

[Resident 1,185]

On 29/05/2019 at 18:27, niki61 said:

It would be interesting to know if you are happy with your Gp surgery appointment system, (1)are you able to get appointment easily, (2) how long do you have to wait for an advanced appointment etc. (3)what is good and what is bad about your system

I work in a surgery and at the moment the appointment system isn’t very popular, we are looking at ways to change it, it would be interesting to hear how other surgery’s operate their appointment system and if it is working for the patients

thanks in advance for your replies

1. No. Even calling for an urgent appointment (I hate it when staff call it an emergency appointment, if it was an emergency I'd be headed for A&E) is ridiculously difficult. You can call at 08:01:01 and the phone system give you the engaged tone and hangs up so you have to keep trying. On average I'd say I have to redial continuously for upto 15 mins before the call gets answered only to find out that ALL of the urgent appointments are gone but there are ANP slots (which given my existing medical issues they cannot help) Staff refuse to open my file, where it states not to offer ANP)

 

2. Advanced appointments or "routine appointments" as my surgery calls them, it's rare to get one within 10 days, average being between 16-21 days. I've even had times (before Docs got access to appointment systems) where Doc has said he wants to see me in 7 days and the staff have refused to book it when I went to desk claiming there were none available. Thankfully now our docs can book them in from the exam room before letting me go. 

 

3. I'm generally struggling for any positives. My surgery has 9 permanent docs on staff plus a daily locum so getting an appointment shouldn't be difficult.

 

My main gripe would be that the telephone system is archaic, yet the surgery building isn't even 10 years old. It doesn't have the ability to handle and queue incoming calls, it just hangs up.  I shouldn't have to redial upwards of 40 times to be connected

 

[tinfoilhat 11]

I ring up mid morning, get an appointment that afternoon as long as im not bothered which doctor i see. If i must see a specific doctor for whatever reason it might be a couple days, 5 max.

 

It's not down to systems - it's not hard, I don't read about vets having long waits for appointments- it's about catchment areas and the number of people on the books. My surgery is excellent But that could change when they throw up a whole load of new houses.

[jaffa1 10]

Ten days to two weeks for an appointment unless you start ringing at 8 am prompt  and if you're  lucky you just might get  through .

But what I object to is how the receptionists  can overrule  the doctor like Resident said in his/her post, the doctor says to come back and see him in 7 days time and the receptionists ( there are other names )  says no chance.