Why is it so hard to get a doctors appointment?

[irenewilde 10]

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.

 

But you were offered an earlier appointment, you just had to ring at the correct time. Of course you couldn't tell them how long the consultation would be (that was a daft question to ask you) but I think your dcotor would be unlikely to lob your wife out if it went on any longer than 5 minutes.

[gnvqsos 10]

................bring back then old days when you sat for (in my case the longest was 1hour and 45 minutes!) to see the Dr. At least you knew you would be seen. They do a 3-4 day week for over £100.000 plus 'perks' not a bad number if you can do it. My GP still has the 0844 number which is a nightmare, it costs fortune. You get through then it's 'one for this two for that' etc you press the service you need and then it tells you the 'line is busy'. Some time ago I waited for over 10 minutes to get through, at 48p per minute not funny.........

 

If a doctor only works for three days then how many hours does he work in that week?If you are paying 48 pence a minute for 0844 then change your doctor and your telecoms provider.

[Kat326 10]

I can't complain about mine at all, they are brilliant. For an emergency appointment yes you have to call from 8.30 for that day but I always have managed to get in for either myself or one of the children. I've even turned up with no appointment with my son before practice started to get an appointment and when one of the GPs saw him he took us straight in.

[francypants 441]

Yeah i could do that but i like my doctors and don't want to lose their services, which i'm sure i would eventually doing this.

 

Well I'm still at the same doctors and have been since my children were young, ( they're in their 30s now ) It always works for me.

[Spanadora 10]

That's a shame that its so bad. I can't complain about mine, they can always fit me in the same week for none emergency appointments. Plus I am poorly quite a lot and when I get bad they always manage to squeeze me in on the day. I still have to wait a good 40 mins when I get there but if they can fit me in on the day can't complain.

 

Plus my Gp is lovely, she only works a few days a week but has known me since birth and that helps with a lot of the issues I have, so I don't mind that its sometimes hard to see her.

 

Greenhill medical centre, Lupton rd lowedges if anyone this side of town wants to change surgeries!

[Nagel 10]

My doctors surgery (Ecclesall Medical Centre) has a target of seeing every patient within 48 hours of their request for an appointment. There must be times when the can't reach their target, but so far I've managed to be seen within a couple of days every time I've needed an appointment.

 

It's unbelievable being told you have to wait three weeks(!) for an appointment.

[Phili Buster 10]

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.

 

 

You should have rung up three weeks ago to make an appointment. As you didn't do this, it is obvious that your capacity for forcasting the future is not working so I would suggest you also book an appointment with the doctor to get your serious condition sorted as soon as possible

 

I do hope that your wife is recovering without the medical assistance that she should have been provided with.

[EyesOpen 10]

So I've just rang my local Doctors in S5 and was told the next available appointment is next Mon/Tue.

 

It's very rare I use the Doctors, in fact it's been years since I've been there but the waiting times back then were no where near a Week, maybe 1/2 Days.

 

My question is this, is this normal throughout Sheffield, or indeed the UK?

 

A Weeks waiting time would be like heaven in a lot of countries, I know this so I'm not moaning, but this decline is somewhat worrying if the trend continues.

 

Just where on earth is all the British Tax money going? everything just seems to be going to crap but people are paying more Tax than ever while the national Debt is still increasing while the Government is still borrowing 100's of Billions to pay off interest.

 

Just what the Hell is going on?

[francypants 441]

There's already a thread about this in Sheffield discussions, I think it was started yesterday and at present it's sitting on page 2.

[Ms Macbeth 73]

Threads merged, just one current thread per topic please.

[HOLIDAY 10]

It's so annoying, I had same problem myself, but theres nothing you can do !!

[Looker 10]

I had the same problem myself on Friday at the designated time 8.30 in the morning I phoned my surgery and was told there was no appointments free. I was in agony after taking 2 weeks off work with that cold bug that was going around which had subsided and had left me with an awful sinus infection. If I had been given antibiotics on Friday I could of been back in work for Monday. But I ended up suffering all weekend, I could of gone to the walk in centre but was in no state to drive..We all have the choice of which surgery we sign up to and this was the first time in years I had needed my doctors support and signature on a prescription and I felt so let down. I would of gone ballistic if it had been my daughter who had to see the doctor. In years to come these surgeries will be shouting for support when the government decide to close them down and set up more walk in centres because people have given up using them because of unavailsble appointments and using walk in centres more. To me its as if the doctors surgeries are passing the book because once you use the walk in centres you are taking away your own doctors diagnosis skills and giving that to the doctors in the centres. People are also saying that buying medication online is dangerous but if you know what you need and can t see your own doctor, then people have no option than to go down this line. I think its a shame that the surgeries demise will be their own fault but what else can we do apart from change our doctor and receive the same treatment from elsewhere.