Seeing A Gp.

[Tilly2]

I rang the surgery today to ask for the next available appointment. Much humming and arring from the receptionist who finally came up with May 3rd.

What? I could be dead by then...

[johnny.5]

if you are dead by then
make sure you phone them up and cancel your appointment

[Patsy33]

I know. Thats what I thought! Its like nobody cares anymore. I did ask the receptionist what eas going on. She said we have more patients to see. Dont believe it. It suddenly changed over night!

[Tilly2]

Yup!

[tamborine]

Book into a different surgery if they see you sooner

[wiltsman]

When I eventually get an appointment, there's a few medical terms I need to get my head around:

Artery: The study of fine paintings
Bacteria: Back door to cafeteria
Barium: What doctors do when patients die
Catscan: Searching for kitty
Cauterize: Made eye contact with her
Coma: A punctuation mark.

[david small]

The appallingly incompetent GP surgery's proliferating this country are a national disgrace. They engender fear and worry in case we fall ill. This state of affairs should never have been allowed to proliferate. The government needs to take urgent action now, immediately, straight away. It's like spitting in the wind.

[Tilly2]

Exactly, David.

[murraymints]

3 week wait for a telephone appointment here..4-5 for an appointment..which is why I rarely bother

[fraserstuart]

i rang surgery for an app which opened at 8 00 am and was told you are 39 th in the queue

[Canis_Lupus]

May thats a positive emergency appointment.
Saw Dr last week who told me that I should get a follow on appointment with her after 7 day antibiotic coures finished, went to reception and was informed that to see Dr x the next bookable appoint ment was in August. Afraid I got a bit upset and said I assume thats this year, have now been informed by the practice manager that I need to find a new Gps practice. No comment

[albaqwerty]

My GP phoned me on 17th March (yep, a Saturday) gave me some info and asked me to make an appointment to see him in 3 weeks.
Phoned on Friday last week - to be asked to phone early on Monday for same-day appointment - guess what?
They'd all gone by 08.40 - did I want a phone back from the GP ?
Yes
Saw him yesterday.
A patient went to the reception desk to ask about getting appointment to see GP in 4 weeks as GP had asked them to do.
They only take bookings for 2 weeks time frame so he has to phone on the morning as soon as possible

and the cycle begins all over again..........

[Tilly2]

You must have been pretty upset and you obviously upset the receptionist. Dear, oh dear!

[Tilly2]

My comment was for Canis.^

[Patsy33]

^^^^^^
A good excuse to get you off their books. One less to bother about! Shameful...

[gness]

Crikey, Canis....that's shocking.....I have to say I have a great GP practice.......they went out of their way to get to know me when I arrived here and communication and appointments have been excellent...
But it makes you wonder what's going on when you hear of the poor service some are getting...x

[Tilly2]

I blame JH.

[jourdain2]

We're lucky with our GP practice. If you say 'non-urgent', you'll get an appointment in about 2 weeks. If you explain that it is urgent, they will find you an emergency slot after a few questions.

E.g. I started with a pink mark on my shoulder one Friday, which was really painful. It worsened over the weekend. I rang 1st thing Mon. as I was beginning to feel wobbly and the pain was intensifying.

I got a same-day appointment with the nurse-practitioner, who agreed with my self-diagnosisis of Shingles and issued an immediate prescription for anti-virals (available from the pharmacy on site). I was still pretty ill and have only just recovered, but the anti-virals helped immensely.

All GP surgeries should be able to operate like that - or even better.

[Canis_Lupus]

Tilly2.
Yes I was upset, but that was not the point. When a gp asks you to return in X days for a follow up consultation then you expect to be given an appointment within a few days of the requested follow up, not nearly 4 months!
My last named gp retired some 3 years ago, and just before he retired I asked him which gp in the practice he would recommend he replied "none of this B###### Shower" enough said I think.
Would gladly change practice but the next nearest one is 14 miles away with no direct public transport links, had to return driving licence on medical grounds and wife can't drive.
thank you for your comment.