Getting GP appointment (not a medical thread!)

Sudden

Sudden

Sudden

Soldato
Joined
15 Nov 2005
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2,955
Location
London
This is a query regarding just getting an appointment with my GP quick(ish)ly.

I'm not really used to this process since i've been to a GP once or twice I think and that was maybe 8 years ago. I moved to my 'new' place 6 years ago and signed up with a new GP on 5 October this year. They said I couldn't be seen then and there since I have to wait for registration to go through (fair enough) and suggested I call at the earliest on Wednesday for an appointment. I gave it an extra couple of days since it wasn't super urgent, but when I called on Friday (9 October), they didn't have anything for that day or the next and suggested I call again on the Monday. I was travelling for work, so couldn't do it until yesterday. Tried again and they had nothing for then, today or tomorrow. When I asked the earliest they did have, it was 3 November :eek:. The only other option there was that they suggested was to call at 8am each day to see if they any cancellations. I think (correct me if i'm wrong) that the same applies to their 'walk-in' service, operating between 8-10 am Monday - Friday.

Is this...normal? Taking over two weeks to get an appointment? It's not super urgent, but seems to be getting slightly worse so would like to be seen sooner rather than later...Anything to be done to expedite this?

At the moment debating between showing up at 8am for the walk-in and seeing if that works, or just flying home to India and get seen there =/.

I also have private insurance, but to claim under it, I first need to go to a GP and get an 'open referral' apparently.
 
The NHS service is gettiong worse and worse, in the summer I booked an appointment with my GP for hayfever. 6 weeks I had to wait.
 
I think the tactic is: "if people are willing to wait weeks for it rather than call up every day then it can't be that serious"".

Just call up every day until you get one like you were buying hot tickets. I usually get one in a day or so.
 
Ace Modder said:
The NHS service is gettiong worse and worse, in the summer I booked an appointment with my GP for hayfever. 6 weeks I had to wait.
Click to expand...

Did you say it was for hayfever? If so, you should have just said you need an appointment with the GP.

Got to play the system to get anywhere now.
 
For me to get an appointment I have to ring bang on 8am to get an appointment on the day.
 
My Dr's has a walk in service between 7:30 and 10 I think, First come first served basically.

Other than that they have the oddest times available and I think one day for people who commute to work where they have them till 8pm
 
I was told that my doctor was fully booked (2.5 weeks ago) when I rang to make an appointment. I Was asked to ring this morning as that is when they would take new bookings.

I have rang at 8:30, the lines are usually jammed, and got through reasonably quick. My appointment has been made for Monday 2nd November, the next free appointment.

They do have emergency appointments available and there are at times occasion that I have needed those but if I want to have continuity of seeing the same doctor then wait times are horrendous.
 
I think our GP surgery actively discourages people seeing the same doctor. If you ask to see a specific doctor, there are no appointments 'for weeks'
If you say you'll see 'any doctor' then chances are you will get the doctor you originally wanted to see anyway...
NHS 2015...
 
ours guarantees same day if you ring before 12

for routine stuff you can book on web if you want and pick your doctor though this is not same day
 
When you call in and get told that there are no appointments, just make sure to tell them that you will go down the local walk in centre instead.

I'm pretty sure that the surgery has to pay a penalty each time someone has to go down to the walk in centre so they suddenly might have an appointment become available.
 
pretty stupid system when u have to call the second the line opens to get an appointment that day, or wait a month or so for an appointment if its non urgent. There should be something in-between that day and a month...
 
Yup this sounds like the norm in this country, especially in densely populated areas like London. You could try ringing NHS Direct - there may be some other services you could use e.g. walk-in centre at local hospital.
 
new boy said:
pretty stupid system when u have to call the second the line opens to get an appointment that day, or wait a month or so for an appointment if its non urgent. There should be something in-between that day and a month...
Click to expand...

cause the same old people are there every damn week.
 
I surmise it helps with the over-prescription of antibiotics.

I couldn't get an appointment a couple of months ago, a really lousy throat infection, called the NHS line. They told me that I needed to see a doctor within 6 hours. I called the doctors surgery back and told them this, the surgery fitted me in within 20 minutes.
 
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