Doctors

[Dizmo]

I'm going to have yet another moan about my local doctors surgery.

I've just called them and asked for an appointment and once again they said that there are no more appointments. I've tried ringing in the morning, the afternoon and even at night and don't seem to be getting anywhere.

I know I'm not the only person struggling to get an appointment with their doctor but this is getting silly.

Other than going private, what do you suggest I do?

[Dizmo]

anneasquith: Like I said and will say again, it's triaged at our surgery. You can't walk in and make an appointment, they take your details and ring you. They changed everything about 3 months ago to this new system which when working is good but they don't always call you - and yes my mobile is on 24/7 and stuck to me.

[237SJ]

Anneasquith - if Dizmo goes down to the surgery to make an appointment he will get one approximately 2 weeks away. Our surgery works the same way. You can`t make an appointment for the same day as the only same day appointments are emergency ones so you have to be triaged (on the phone)

[Dizmo]

237SJ: Cheers, you explained it far better that I did.

If I call the doctors back now and tell them I want an appointment with any doctor sometime next or the week after they will tell me to ring on the day I want the appointment.

The new triage system is set up for the doctor can make the appointment with the patient direct over the phone, if it's classed as an emergency then it will be dealt with on the day or following day. If it's not an emergency then they can book you in the following week. The last time I had impetigo they called me and said "are you sure it's impetigo", I replied 'yes' to which the doctor then wrote me a prescription for antibiotics that I then picked up at the surgery - I never once saw the doctor.

[bednobs]

that sounds like a good service. Anyway, if they start answering the phone at 8:55 that's when you need to ring

[Dizmo]

bednobs: I do ring at that time and get put on a triage list. Long gone are the times you could call the doctors at 8:30 and get an appointment the same morning. The same applies to sitting outside the surgery at 8am waiting for them to open - something I and about 20 others used to do. If you got there at 7:30 and stood it out until opening you would get the first appointment.

[baza]

Our doctors run the system where you ring at 8am for a morning or 12 for an afternoon appointment, no point in ringing after 5mins past those hours as nothing will be available. You can get a pre booked appointment within a month provided that the doctor is not on a course ( golf ).

[catswhiskas]

Our surgery was always good, could get an appointment whenever you wanted, then three years ago they allmoved in together, new posh building and all sorts of things, like x-rays and minor surjury etc, now you can only get an appointment, with great difficulty.I mentioned this to a new young nurse and she said they had probably taken on lots of new patients, perhaps this was the only way the NHS would have funded the move to new building.

[Baldric]

Back in August I went in for an Op. A week before I rec'd a call from the Hospital to ask me to get a prescription for 'So and so' Tablets from my Doc. as I needed to be on them for a week before Op.
Rang Surgery, spoke to Reception, pick up after 4pm they said.
At 4pm reception tell me to my face 'they' have decided I don't need them.
I'd been waiting some time for the Op. and it was a case of no Tablets-no Op.
I asked what Doc. had been involved in that, they said none, if your going into Hospital they can provide them.
To cut a long story short, I saw my regular Doc. within 10 minutes and had the 'script within 15 minutes.
That receptionist no longer speaks to me (btw, I didn't even raise my voice to her)

[ummmm]

I've never booked an appointment with my docs.

[Dizmo]

The doctors have just rung back and asked what is wrong. I've told them about the pain in my arm and my back and she replied "Well as long as it isn't causing you any pain and as long as you can still use your arm then just use pain relief". Well I tried! So if it's a trapped nerve I'm just to dose myself up on pain meds.

[ummmm]

Rest it, Diz. Have a hot bath xx

[Dizmo]

I've written a letter to the surgery with regards to the fluid build up on my left flank. The arm and the back will have to be dealt with with painkillers. Well at least they called back, I have to give them that!

[Baby_Sham]

My doctors are pretty useless too. Unless it's an emergency, then it's very difficult to get seen.
If you're in pain, then go to A&E. That's what I had to do and just told them my surgery wouldn't give me an appointment.

[Retrochic]

Ummmmm how have you never booked an appointment with your docs? is it a walk in only surgery? You must have seen your GP at some time to be put on their books as a patient.

[Retrochic]

I rang my doctors a couple of weeks ago at around 4.30 to book a non emergency appointment, she said 'can you come down in 20 minutes'? I couldn't so got an appointment at 9 am the next day.

[Dizmo]

I'm not going to go to A&E over this however the fluid build up which is causing the continuous abdominal pain might lead me there. I'll just be patient and see if I can get an appointment next week. I'm still breathing and kicking and the moment. Right I'm off, things to do, people to see etc.

[Baby_Sham]

Or... change surgeries.

[ummmm]

Retrochic.... I registered and all they wanted is ID and a blood pressure reading (they have a machine) this was all given to the receptionist.

[Dee Sa]

Dizmo are there no "walk in clinics" near you ?I don't know where you live, but we are lucky and have several of these clinics nearby and you just sit and wait. I suggest you either phone the NHS line or go to the A&E.