How does your local Doctors appointment system work?

Things change I've changed

Things change I've changed

Things change I've changed

Soldato
Joined
27 Jul 2005
Posts
13,290
Location
The Orion Spur
Recently our local Doctors surgery has changed it's appointment system so that the only way you can see a Doctor now is you have to ring up first and tell them what the problem is, then the Nurse will tell you a Doctor will ring you back within so many hours (not a specific time) for a telephone assessment, and then he/she during that assessment will decide if it's worth coming in or it.

****ing pathetic.

Since when has seeing a doctor become a 'near' emergency only process?

Is this becoming the norn now?
 
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We phone up, and can make an appointment within half an hour. There is always someone available to see us. Of course its not free at the point of treatment here..
 
Doctors are overrun with people suffering with a cough or sore throat.

My local doctors has a 2 week waiting list, if you asked to be seen that day = phone put down.
 
I just ring, chat up the receptionist by telling her how ill I am and get to see the doctor usually within 24 hours. You must be doing it wrong. :p

We're lucky with our surgery but from what I hear waiting over a week is quite normal for many.
 
You have to ring at 08.30 by 08.40ish it's too late.
I don't even get the doctor ringing back it's a nurse and only if she deems it so will a doctor then ring and then you just might get an appointment.
 
lowrider007 said:
Recently our local Doctors surgery has changed it's appointment system so that the only way you can see a Doctor now is you have to ring up first and tell them what the problem is, then the Nurse will tell you a Doctor will ring you back with so many hours (not a specific time) for a telephone assessment, and then he/she during that assessment will decide if it's worth coming in or it.

****ing pathetic.

Since when has seeing a doctor become a 'near' emergency only process?

Is this becoming the norn now?
Click to expand...

Exactly the same as our doctors :(
Now they've brought in that you cannot phone up a repeat prescription - you must take the piece of paper in or take it into a chemist. Talk about moving technology forward:confused:
 
I can only make an appointment on the day I want see the Doctor. The Surgery phone line opens at 8am and is always rammed by loads of people all trying to get through at the same time. It can take up to an hour to get through and on the worst days, if you don't manage to get through in time, you're screwed because all the slots have gone which means you have to wait till the next day.

Absolute farce to be honest. :mad:
 
neil3k said:
Ring up get appointment job done.

They even opened late when my little girl had a 40C temperature.
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I'm surprised they didn't just tell you to go straight to A+E.

I've not been registered with a Dr in about 8 years, the only problems I've had in that time have either been straight to A+E (dislocated shoulders) or a 30 minute wait at the local walk in center.
 
Andre said:
Exactly the same as our doctors :(
Now they've brought in that you cannot phone up a repeat prescription - you must take the piece of paper in or take it into a chemist. Talk about moving technology forward:confused:
Click to expand...

That's been the case at every GPs surgery I've been registered at for the last 15+ years - apparently it's an anti-fraud measure :rolleyes: Agree it's really inconvenient. I use Boots online pharmacy now, so I can order my repeats online - takes blooming ages (2 weeks+) before I actually get my medicines though :(

@OP - we phone up, ask receptionist for appointment, can normally get them the same day apart from the commuter appointment slots. There's also an online appointment booking system however it looks like a real ball ache to register for so I haven't bothered.
 
I have to ring up at 8:30 and keep hitting redial and there is no phone queue system and hope there is a free slot during that day other wise have to do the same the next morning.
 
Andre said:
Exactly the same as our doctors :(
Now they've brought in that you cannot phone up a repeat prescription - you must take the piece of paper in or take it into a chemist. Talk about moving technology forward:confused:
Click to expand...

yep, my GF was asked to just write down what meds she wants on a piece of paper and hand it into the doctors surgery and the Doctor then takes two days to sign off on it, think how many people that must make spelling mistakes for example.
 
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lowrider007 said:
Recently our local Doctors surgery has changed it's appointment system so that the only way you can see a Doctor now is you have to ring up first and tell them what the problem is, then the Nurse will tell you a Doctor will ring you back within so many hours (not a specific time) for a telephone assessment, and then he/she during that assessment will decide if it's worth coming in or it.

****ing pathetic.

Since when has seeing a doctor become a 'near' emergency only process?

Is this becoming the norn now?
Click to expand...

My surgery tried this a year or so ago and it was a total failure. It lasted a few months then they gave up on it. Too labour intensive and it ****** off all the patients.

Now they reserve the right to ask on reception for basics of what you are coming in for, but you can refuse to tell them if you don't want to.

We can also book online if appointments are available, up to two weeks in advance.
 
Phone up, get told it's 4 weeks til the next available appointment, emigrate, get treatment, move back home, renovate house, go to doc's, get told "you are fine stop wasting our time"

Or at least that's how it seems. I was told 4 weeks so I went to A&E at 6am and despite it being empty, still took 4 hours.
 
bulletv1 said:
I have to ring up at 8:30 and keep hitting redial and there is no phone queue system and hope there is a free slot during that day other wise have to do the same the next morning.
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This, except it's 8am.

Pain in the backside if you do shift-work.

Appointments can be gone within 10 minutes.
 
Mine is also a massive annoyance.

You call up, and their automated system is absolutely diabolical. You can book an appointment without actually speaking to someone via the automated system, but it will only let you choose if you want a nurse or a doctor, male or female (you can't say that you don't care which gender they are), and if you want an early appointment or a super early one. Basically, it ends up just that you get the next available appointment with any doctor, and you can't choose who it is.

If you fumble the phone a lot, though, you end up speaking to someone, which works out OK. They still have very few appointments and the chance of you seeing the same doctor twice in a row is pretty much non-existent. Often they won't have an appointment for days, although if you ring as soon as they open they don't actually answer the phone.

It's all very weird and it seems to have gone backwards rather than forwards. For the most popular doctor in the surgery, you have to book a month in advance. The doctor looks absolutely exhausted whenever I see her, poor lady, but she is an absolutely superb doctor, and I'm very thankful for how she's helped our family. Being on good terms with your doctor certainly helps get things done, which is great when you have a chronic condition or something very serious.
 
Andre said:
Exactly the same as our doctors :(
Now they've brought in that you cannot phone up a repeat prescription - you must take the piece of paper in or take it into a chemist. Talk about moving technology forward:confused:
Click to expand...

See if they have any sort of patient access online service. They are obliged to offer some form of patient access by April 2015 contractually and often this will allow you to order repeat prescriptions online if registered. I would think that most will have this service up and running by now, but you may need to ask about registering for this. Our patients can order online in this way and the script sent to their nominated pharmacy that they can then pick the prescription up from a few days later
 
Mine is... call at 8.30 in the morning and book for that day or next day only. Once all appointments are gone then keep trying next day. In reality it is engaged at that time every day as it is a race ti get the appointments.

Utterly useless and results in me having to use a mi or injuries clinic or a quite distant weekend walk in clinic instead as I can rarely get an appointment at my doctors.
 
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