Progress

[Sqad]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2652276/Dont-fall-sick-afternoon-One-four-GP-surgeries-shut-half-day-week.html

40 years ago one could see and consult their GP on the same day as the request was made.

Now, although it varies, one may have to wait up to 7-10 days.

What do you think has gone wrong and who is to blame?

[jackthehat]

It's hard to lay the blame anywhere else than at the door of GPs.

[weecalf]

I blame it on the bossa nova all that dancing about .

[Prudie]

I don't know if it's a funding issue but agree it appears to sit with the GPs. Perhaps if they didn't stick their noses into our private lives with inundations of preventitive stuff they'd have more time to see those who genuinely need them. At my practice you nearly always have to wait until the second week of phoning to get an appointment. The receptionists are frosty and disdainful and every time I have gone I've seen a different locum.

[sunny-dave]

A combination of increasing expectations from patients (the average number of consultations per patient has gone up quite considerably over the years) and decreasing hours worked by the GPs.

If a GP surgery isn't greedy (not an over-large list of patients) and is well organised then there is no reason not to have access on the day of the request.

My surgery does it, many other surgeries in Coventry do it, but some can't/won't change their working practices and have long waiting times.

Patients are also crap at turning up for appointments - I've seen figures of up to 25% for 'no shows'.

Because it's 'free at the point of delivery' people don't seem to understand the concept of 'please cancel if you don't need the appointment'. I was talking to a GP the other day who had seen less than ten people out of fifteen that morning - the others just didn't appear. Yet his receptionist was telling people that he was fully booked ...

[kvalidir]

You can always see a Dr at our surgery on the day, they operate an appointments system for most of the Drs but one is always there on a first come first served basis turn up and wait system. They are a very large practice covering an enormous rural area and they are bloody great, they couldn't give better care and the whole surgery and team has a lovely atmosphere of actually caring about their patients.

[anotheoldgit]

In my area I have never known surgeries to open in the afternoons, one either had a morning appointment or an evening one.

Although I must admit years ago if one took ill enough so as not to be able to attend the surgery, one just had to pick up the phone and the duty GP would come round to one's home the same day.

But even now all one has to do is to book an appointment on-line, generally the next day, unless there has been a cancellation.

[black_cat51]

one can usually consult A GP on the same day if it's urgent
If you want to see a specific GP, you expect to wait. Closing 1 afternoon a week does not seem a problem - nor does closing for lunch!
I don't think anything has gone wrong

[Sqad]

\\\\I don't think anything has gone wrong\\\
Ah! sorry black cat, reading the newspapers and watching TV news, I must have got the wrong impression.

[Everhelpful]

Never a problem at my GP's,sqad,see him the same day if needed. He is brilliant,gets you to stick your tongue out of the window, because he says he can't stand the Guy who works in the office across the Street.

[Sqad]

Ever.....LOL

[DrFilth]

> Now, although it varies, one may have to wait up to 7-10 days. <

mine use to be 14 days from the day you phoned up

if you were in pain or an emergency a doctor would see you the same day as you would go in at 12 and just wait. you could wait anything up to 2 hours but you would be seen

we now have a new system but i just get a repeat prescription as they have moved away from me i now have to get a taxi to get there

[youngmafbog]

I dont have too much of a problem, if its to do with my asthma I have always had same day, if your not fussy you can usually get a next day appointment on line. My GP also offeres early morning appointments (from 7:30) although I find it annoying to see very old people booking them when they have all day.

If you go during the day it is chocca with pensioners. Many seem to use it as a social event and i know from Drs I have spoken to many really dont need to be there. With a growing ageing population this can only get worse.

But by far the biggest problem, as already mentioned, are the DNA's. I thin we may have to move to charging people for a no show, including those on benefits/old etc - in other words no exclusions.

[New Judge]

Yes but why do they have to have half day closing.

My surgery has at least eight doctors, three nurses, three receptionists, a practice manager and an assistant practice manager. These sixteen people cannot even man the phones, let alone provide any treatment for more than about 34 hours a week. They are open for business from 8am to 5pm, but close for lunch for an hour and a half and do not reopen after lunch on Thursday. No evenings, no weekends, that's it.

[redman41]

Our Doctor is called Harold Shipman.
Never have problems making an appointment as the Practice is quiet :-))

[Sqad]

Yes.......a mixed bag of answers, sporadic unhappiness,but the general opinion seems to be one of satisfaction.

If the punters are happy, then no need for change.

[DrFilth]

it is not the dark ages

sqad can't remember if i have posted this before

http://www.livescience.com/203-maggots-leeches-medicine.html

[murraymints]

My surgery has am and tea time surgery doors firmly closed between 11.30 and 4.30 ...have had to wait two weeks for appt before better by the time I get there !

[woofgang]

Sunny Dave
"If a GP surgery isn't greedy (not an over-large list of patients) and is well organised then there is no reason not to have access on the day of the request."

Not always greed SD The surgery i go to has asked to close its list as it feels it can't give a good service to more patients and the commissioning body has refused them permission.

[zebo]

We can either sit for an hour with the phone trying to catch it unengaged or schlepp down to the surgery, which I did this morning, The Doctor I have been dealing with isn't in today so I'm off to see someone else as they can't book "future appointments", ie tomorrow when he's in, we're expected to go back to the start and go through it all again tomorrow, in the hope that he's in and not booked up.

[black_cat51]

but you ARE seeing someone else. Same day.