Why is it so hard to get a doctors appointment?

[BobOfRoth 0]

23 hours ago, davyboy said:

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.

Wow..well  to be honest it seems like I am one of the lucky ones. Sorry you guys dont have the kind of GP's I clearly seem to be fortunate to have.

[redruby 279]

There should be an online booking system and patients should be charged if they don’t turn up.  To get an appointment at my doctors you have to try to get through the  8 .00 am scramble, if i do get through and there are actually any appointments left, the receptionist will hurriedly offer a late morning appointment which will mean taking the whole morning off work for a 10 minute appointment.

[Doubtful 0]

I'm sure there are various contributory factors but it can't be helped by nearly 2/3 rds of GPs being female and 80% of these female GPs working part time.

[redruby 279]

21 hours ago, Doubtful said:

I'm sure there are various contributory factors but it can't be helped by nearly 2/3 rds of GPs being female and 80% of these female GPs working part time.

Hmmm, a quick google reveals that 54% of gps are female and 61% are part time.  And apparently the gps most likely to be planning to reduce their hours are male gps in their 30s and 40s.  And who can blame them? I would rather see a gp with a sustainable work life balance than an overworked full time gp.

 

[steve68 66]

On 28 January 2020 at 07:21, redruby said:

There should be an online booking system and patients should be charged if they don’t turn up.  To get an appointment at my doctors you have to try to get through the  8 .00 am scramble, if i do get through and there are actually any appointments left, the receptionist will hurriedly offer a late morning appointment which will mean taking the whole morning off work for a 10 minute appointment.

our G.P surgery has online booking which works really well, it's a busy place with several doctors and plenty of appointment slots,  you can also order medication it does make it so  much easier, 

 

A few years  ago when I couldn't  get an appointment at my G.P I was given a same day appointment  at the Crookes hub made by my G.P receptionist 

 

http://www.primarycaresheffield.org.uk/extended-access/patients/

[catmiss 12]

For about a year My GP ran early morning appointments from 7am, I used this regularly when I was working and always got a next day slot. This was stopped as there were not enough takers to make it viable

[alchresearch 213]

S13 seems to have major problems.  Someone posted on the S13 FB page today:

 

Quote

189 attempts to get through to Richmond medical centre just to be told they have no more appointments for today grrrrrrrr

 

[steve68 66]

1 hour ago, alchresearch said:

S13 seems to have major problems.  Someone posted on the S13 FB page today:

 

 

189 attempts sounds a bit fanciful

 

No doubt they might need an appointment for RSI after that!

[ECCOnoob 1,017]

7 hours ago, steve68 said:

189 attempts sounds a bit fanciful

 

No doubt they might need an appointment for RSI after that!

It certainly does.

 

If we are talking and average working day the said poster is seriously trying to suggest that they rang continuously for a minimum of 27 times each hour all working day. 

 

If we are talking less than a full working day it will be even more calls per hour than that.

 

I don't think so.   People just love to moan for moaning sake.  

[davyboy 17]

2 hours ago, ECCOnoob said:

It certainly does.

 

If we are talking and average working day the said poster is seriously trying to suggest that they rang continuously for a minimum of 27 times each hour all working day. 

 

If we are talking less than a full working day it will be even more calls per hour than that.

 

I don't think so.   People just love to moan for moaning sake.  

You are a bit harsh on AlchResearch.

I have punched the redial on my mobile ,as far as I can recall,

146 times  before I got through to the surgery.

My wife was using  the landline at the same time with no success.

A lady with an ill child redialled 120 times before she got through not on the same day as me.

[Chekhov 488]

I have to say I am shocked.

Our surgery used to accept appointments in advance but no longer.

I tried to get a GP appointment last Thursday, my day off, but was unable to as at 1 min past their opening time I was 15th in the queue, and when I finally got through a quarter of an hour later, all appointments had gone. To be fair the GP's is only open half day on Thursday so the receptionist, who I had sympathy with (because 'll bet they get all the annoyance), said try Monday as we're open all day and, strangely, it's often less busy on a Monday.

So, I got through today (Monday) at 10 seconds past 8.00 and was already 25th in the queue ! TBH I did not have half an hour to wait in the queue, particularly as it is likely there would not actually be any appointments left anyway, so had to leave it, again......

 

I cannot see any reason at all why people cannot book in advance, even if the GP only release half the slots for that. My wife is cynical about it as she works for the NHS and she cannot book any day off if an appointment has already been booked on that day. On the other hand, if the GPs haven't got any appointments in advance they can theoretically have a day off at no notice at all which must be nice for them !

Edited September 12, 2022 by Chekhov

[Guest sibon]

13 hours ago, Chekhov said:

I have to say I am shocked.

Our surgery used to accept appointments in advance but no longer.

I tried to get a GP appointment last Thursday, my day off, but was unable to as at 1 min past their opening time I was 15th in the queue, and when I finally got through a quarter of an hour later, all appointments had gone. To be fair the GP's is only open half day on Thursday so the receptionist, who I had sympathy with (because 'll bet they get all the annoyance), said try Monday as we're open all day and, strangely, it's often less busy on a Monday.

So, I got through today (Monday) at 10 seconds past 8.00 and was already 25th in the queue ! TBH I did not have half an hour to wait in the queue, particularly as it is likely there would not actually be any appointments left anyway, so had to leave it, again......

 

I cannot see any reason at all why people cannot book in advance, even if the GP only release half the slots for that. My wife is cynical about it as she works for the NHS and she cannot book any day off if an appointment has already been booked on that day. On the other hand, if the GPs haven't got any appointments in advance they can theoretically have a day off at no notice at all which must be nice for them !

My GP surgery has a good system.

 

If you need an urgent appointment you call and ask for one. Same day appointments only though.

 

If you have a less urgent issue, you fill out an online form. The GP team review your case and either phone you, or see you face to face. Takes a few days, but it is stress free and you get to see/speak with a GP who already has an idea about your concerns.