Waiting time to see a doctor at your surgery...

[NeilF]

...just phoned my local surgery for an appointment... EIGHT DAYS!

What on earth is the point in that?


They've build a brand new purpose built building for our local surgery, spending God knows how much. Maybe they should have put a fraction of a that money towards a couple of extra GPs

 

[NeilF]

It depends on what you're going to see them for at the moment tbh they're still trying to cope with all the cold and flu victims that insist they have somthing worse

Oh indeed, one of their questions was, 'is it a serious'. Now, me not having a medical degree, I therefore having no idea if a cough with pain (muscle?) down my side, and a metalic taste (when coughing), which can be caused by blood, is 'serious' or not...

I'm phoning their duty doctor... It's daft! Eight days!

 

[NeilF]

Never had to wait more than 48 hours to see a GP.

If it's serious you can usually ask for an emergency appointment for the same day, or call NHS Direct to see if your NHS Trust provides for example a GP service at your local hospital. Alternatively, find a new GP - 8 days is too long tbh.

I have no idea if it's serious or not... That what the GP needs to do. NHS Direct cannot really diagnose from symptoms, so said to talk/see my GP...

 

[NeilF]

Phone up the duty doctor, described my symptoms, being seen this afternoon...

All is forgiven NHS!

 

[NeilF]

...just phoned my local surgery for an appointment... EIGHT DAYS!

What on earth is the point in that?


They've build a brand new purpose built building for our local surgery, spending God knows how much. Maybe they should have put a fraction of a that money towards a couple of extra GPs

Things have seemingly improved at my surgery!

Just phoned up for an appointment, and it's only SEVEN DAYS this time!

 

[NeilF]

Frankly I think it's pathetic! Last two times I've booked, 8 days and 7 days!

When I go to the surgery next week I'm going to complain. It's ridiculous! Basically I suspect more people are trying to book than can be seen, with a good number of people phoning up, hearing it's a week+ wait, and just saying 'don't bother!'

 

[NeilF]

christ, that's shocking

they should have some kind of general nurse or something to get through the moaners so people with real problems can see their doctor on the same day!

Oh, if I kick up a fuss or want to see a nurse I could probably get in sooner, but none-the-less the general wait is a week or more, which is diabolical in my book!

 

[NeilF]

7-9 days usually.

Dreadful... That just rings of actually even a longer list, and people phoning up and just not bothering!

 

[NeilF]

Stop being such a knob, if it was something serious then goto A&E and wait.

KaHn

Did I suggest my arm was falling off? Did I suggest my heart has stopped beating? Was there the slightest suggestion I'm not intelligent enough to realise what merits going to A&E, or just needs a chat with a GP? Didn't think so... Stop being a truncheon!

 

[NeilF]

thus proving that you didn't need to see the doctor anyway. You just needed to give it a little more time, as would have been suggested had you got to see the doctor when you first tried!

Possibly, but:-
1) Maybe the doctor could have prescribed something to ease the pain.
2) In the case of my friend who had bad headaches for a day or two, asked to see the doctor and got an appointment that day - It meant the brain tumour they diagnosed was being scanned that afternoon and was not ignored until a week (or more) later as might have been the case.

 

[NeilF]

Well why complain that you have to wait to see someone who probably has more important things to do than tell you why your itchy under your arm or something else as trivial as that.

Yet you want to complain to a nurse/doctor/secretary who has no control over the waiting list to make your self feel better.

Just grow some balls and get on with your life and stop worrying about how long you must wait to see a doctor.

KaHn

Goodness me - Having a bad day are we...?

You have no idea of my condition, yet are willing to tell me to first of all to go to A&E? But now change your tact and tell me my condition is insignificant (trivial) and not to even bother the doctor with it.

Did I say who I was going to complain to? Did you consider I might ask at the surgery who to complain to? Or that not logical enough?

Grow some balls? Again, you have no idea what my condition is, and surely 'growing balls' is about doing something, like maybe looking into complaining? Rather than being an internet warrior like yourself who just appears to be sticking an oar into a thread to stir it up.

Suggestion, just grow some balls and get on with your life and stop being a class (a) nonse!

 

[NeilF]

If your problem is not trivial go to A&E if it warrents being seen the same day, if not put up with it untill you can be seen by a GP.

From your comments you seem to think its the fault of the surgary that you are not seen the same day.

As I've said before grow some balls if you are in pain go and wait at A&E if not wait at home untill you can see your GP and get on with your life.

The 3rd option is to go private.

KaHn

But you fail to see the obvious issues here:-
1) You are suggesting people self diagnose their problems. While obvious things are clearly obvious, there's many cases which people are simply on the fence about and will therefore just wait to see the doctor for. If someone is having chest pains? How do they gauge how serious/important? A&E or doctor in a week? Minor dizzy spells? A&E or doctor in a week?
2) Quite simply though - and really the main issue this thread is about - you should not have to wait for a week or more to see a GP. If the waiting lists are that long, it clearly suggests they are under resourced and there is a fundamental problem. At certain times (eg: last dec/jan) when call rises (due to flu etc) I can see why waiting times increase, but my two experiences are from Jan and Mar (for an ongoing painful condition) and things consistantly seem poor.

Yes, you've repeatedly suggested (for some unknown reason, other than you probably think it sounds cool) I grow some balls... I'd personally suggest you grow some brain cells, or at least just cut the attitude

Why the hell should he have to pay for it when this is what a large chunk of our taxes get spent on?

It seems Kahn is mainly here to stir up the thread. He's practically just arguing for the sake of it.

 

[NeilF]

No my gripe is with people who want to complain about a service which is free, I get really peeved at people who will openly complain about something which helps so many people, the fact of the matter is that the system is abused by people who have no common sense and/or are hypocondriacts who want to see a doctor for the first sniffle, but that in it's self is human nature and we can't change that.

What it comes down to is you really do have 3 options when it comes to medical care.

GP and wait.

A&E and wait

Private and be seen and pay.

KaHn

First, it's not really free is it...

Second, yes, I suspect MANY people do go along to the doctor when common sense could dictate they should not. I'm not one of these people. I've had a chest complaint now for over three months. On my last visit to the doctor I was told to wait another couple of weeks to see if it would clear up (as three sets of anti-biotics have not helped) before resorting to blood tests and scans. I've infact given it over a month to see if it cleared up, and the pain and discomfort is increasing again, hence me booking an appointment for the further checkup. I now have to wait a further week to be seen.

A&E - I would not personally want to go to A&E. I've not had an accident, and not in an emergency. I would not want to clog their system up.

Private - I'm with BUPA, but I suspect the wait would be as long, and I really don't want to pay (an excess) just to get another checkup/diagnosis.


Again though, the main issue is if you have to wait a week or more to see a GP, there is a fundamental problem. It shows more people are trying to book than can be seen... This risks people who should be looked at waiting too long, or simply not bothering!

 

[NeilF]

How many of you people who are complaining would also like to pay more taxes to fund the extra doctors that would be required to lower the waiting times?

Ahh... The first Straw Man of the day

1) Maybe appointments could be better assigned or handled?
2) Maybe money could be better spend with less money being wasted in other areas, therefore meaning more GPs.
3) Maybe alternatives could be offered - eg: Walk in surgeries as done in some areas.

Our local surgery has just had a brand new building made for them with a lovely big waiting room, and lovely rooms for the doctors. So there's obviously money around. But what's rather odd is the last two times I've been in there, I've been the only person in the waiting room, yet I've had to wait a week to be in there? Odd!?

 

[NeilF]

If you had a problem which he told you to come back in a couple of weeks, why not book an appointment for a couple of weeks time when he told you that, thus negating the waiting an extra week, use of common sense? He is a doctor why wait a month when it didn't get any better after a couple of weeks like he said.

If it had cleared up before the two weeks cancel the appointment like most people do.

And like I have said time and time again the way the tax system works it is a planned expenadture of the taxes we pay, if we didn't have the NHS it would be another service taking up the cash and not lower taxes.

KaHn

Again, you seem more than happy to pass comment on something you know very little (or nothing) about... I should go to A&E, I shouldn't waste the doctors time, I should have booked an appointment for two weeks time... What is it? Seriously, just let it be

I've not questioned taxes and the funding for the NHS. My point has simply been the rather dangerous situation of waiting a week or more for an appointment to see a GP. Again, it means some people who should be seen (unbeknownst to them) immediately, either do not get seen for a week or more, or worse still actually don't even bother to see a GP.

Be this down to taxes, poor organisation or something else, is not the issue. The fact the situation exists is the issue.

On the matter of taxes and the NHS though - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/1934690.stm

 

[NeilF]

Thank lord I have a decent doctors. Late night appointments, weekend appointments, and receptionists who question what your illness is and what pain you are in and priortise accordingly.Neither my partner nor I and our children have never had to wait more than a day to see a doctor, and I got an emergency appointment when I had a pain in my stomach.

And this is the way it should be. If appointments are more than a couple of days away, then it shows a problem in the system which needs to be addressed.

 

[NeilF]

I normally have to wait a week max. Are you specifically wanting to see just your own GP or are you open to see others?

because you can often be seen earlier if it can be dealt with by the nurse in the surgery or one of the other doctors that isnt necessarily your own.

Well, in my case, to see any doctor would be a week.

I'm not overly concerned in my case, I'll have to put up with my discomfort for another week (had it for nigh on three months), but the issue is some people who probably unbeknownst to them should be seen immediately, are waiting a week+. And worst still, some people who should be seen probably hear 'a week' and don't bother!

 

[NeilF]

My surgery varies as to apointment times-can be up to a week but same day if you think it might be something serious.Last week when I rang up I was told 7 days and said I was happy to see any doctor but I really did not want to wait -so was told to come and sit -waited about an hour and was seen.

Fair enough, but there is the slight danger of relying on self diagnosis, and people not wishing to appear hypocondriacts, so people wait the week (when they really shouldn't).

 

[NeilF]

After having had chat with the surgery they acknowledge their long waiting times and are trying to address it. It seems there is a Government target of access to a GP within 2 working days, which is what they're aiming at.

2-3 days seems about right to me for general appointments. A week+ is getting silly...