How does your local Doctors appointment system work?

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?
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This is how it works at my GP and it's the best system I've ever had, GP calls you back and decides whether you need to come in, get a specified time appointment to see the GP you just spoke to on the same day.
No queuing, no having to call first thing, no long waits on the phone.
 
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Recently changed doctors as previous closed down.
I phone up and am guaranteed an appointment within 48 hrs but can be a lot less if considered necessary.
New docs is also open 8 until 8 and Saturday 8 - 3?.
Excellent.
I work around 40 mins from my doctors so any previous trips always cost me at least an hours pay.
 
My doctors they open the phone lines at 2pm for appointments the following day. Basically its a scramble and you usually have no chance. If it is urgent then you'll have to keep trying for an emergency appointment by calling in the morning.

Even then they always try and fob you off with a Nurse by asking what the problem is when they shouldn't be asking as it is private business between patient and Doctor surely.

Luckily I've not needed to doctors since I was like 13 years old.
 
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Ring up & get an appointment within a couple of days if non urgent, or book it online if I cba phoning.
 
Mine used to be pretty good where you could get an appointment the same day, in the very few times I've had to go to the doctors the waiting room has been full of old people.

I think they pretend there are no slots for for a week or two because by then your symptoms will have gone so you don't waste the doctors time.
 
Waiting room is full of unemployed fatties or old people with a cough, because they are the only people who can waste hours on the phone scamming an appointment.

Anyone with a 9-5 job and paying taxes to support the NHS can just **** off and die.

Some of their staff are just epic though
 
I book online..you can view the availabilty of the 4 gps the practice has, or the practice nurse if its about vaccinations or regular clinics (such as the blood pressure one!)

can also book any repeat prescriptions this way as well...no need to ring up a busy reception desk!
 
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you also dont have to stand in a queue when you get there...you just check in using the terminal thats linked to the appointments system
 
ring up get told there's no appointments for at least 3 weeks....then get better before the appointment by 'self medication' with off the counter/pharmacy stuff. Our local pharmacy can give out certain medications luckily.

IF I'm very lucky to get through at the very start of the day (they never seem to pick up the phone) I might be able to get an appointment for the end of that day but it's pretty rare.

I just find it daft because there are people who can ring up and get an appointment without issue any part of the day for the stupidest of reasons (ie a cold) yet someone who rarely goes to the doctors can't get in to see them.... if I rarely visit the doctor and am trying to make an appointment then clearly I must be ill enough to require a doctor (or hell a nurse), I've haven't just got a cold
 
out of interest how do people perceive an appointment service should run? remember that if you are designing it you need to allow for all patient demographics and you have a limited number of doctors and nurses time. There is no point stating that you want to be able to ring up and have an appointment always that day or whenever you feel is convenient without doing something about the lack of GPs and nurses nationally and the lack of resources in primary care to pay for them even if there were enough anyway

The practice I run has a certain proportion of appointments that can be booked on the day (I think it is 6 per doctor, with 8 for the on call doctor) we also have about the same amount that can be booked online in advance, but they are often booked up well in advance by our silver surfers, or if someone rings then they can be used for a phone up booking instead (ie they arent solely for online booking), or people can ring to book appointments in advance also. We offer 8 telephone appointments per doctor daily split into 3 periods through the day, some of which will be booked by the doctor themselves for followups, but the majority are urgent appointments booked on the day or day after. We are always extremely busy and it is quite unusual for us not to end up adding extra slots at some point in the day (this can then mean we are running later and has a significant impact on our day). There is a limit to the amount of people that can be seen in a day and unfortunately it is completely impossible to design a system that is suitable for all people so ours is designed to reflect the majority of our patient list. I currently see 32 patients face to face daily, 8 telephone appointments, an average of 2-3 home visits, and if I'm the on call doctor for the day it can be more than that. I also have to deal with the reams of admin that seeing those patients makes. We also open 8-12 alternate Saturdays and

My day starts at 8am, and I generally leave around 7.45pm when our caretaker start to make grumpy noises that he never gets to see his family in the evening.

I think we offer a very good service as far as we can and we still get complaints that people want to be seen quicker. I am at a loss to see what significantly people feel is achievable without more resources given to us, so I would genuinely love to hear peoples ideas
 
8am phone scrum here for me, they have 2 numbers so i just constantly alternate between them (phone every 5 seconds), and usually get through within a few mins and get an appointment same day, not ideal, but just the way it is I guess
 
heeeed said:
out of interest how do people perceive an appointment service should run? remember that if you are designing it you need to allow for all patient demographics and you have a limited number of doctors and nurses time.
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Something like:

*Ring up*

Me: "Hi, I'd like to make an appointment please, it's not urgent, but needs to be after 5.30pm (my surgery is open till 6, so this isn't unreasonable)"

Them: "The earliest we have available is Tuesday the Xth (in 3 weeks time)"

Me: "That's fine, please can I book that one"

Them: "That's done for you"

Me: "Thanks"

*hang up*

It's 2015, we have computers with electronic diaries that can log, and even remind you of events which are going to occur in the future, there is absolutely no excuse for limiting advance appointments to only 2 weeks ahead.
 
It doesn't.

Seriously the method they changed to a few years back now is dreadful, especially for me. If I'm ill I have to go into work beforehand as I'm in before they open, I then have to leave my desk to find signal (because it's non-existent where I work most of the time) and to make sure I'm one of the first few hanging over the phone until 8:30 when they open to then blitz a call in. THEN, they get someone to call you back - within 2 hours... and depending on how the doctor decides you sound you then get a 10 minute slot (which is always 30mins or more later than you actually get given). Useless; thankfully I'm rarely ever ill, or ill enough to consider myself not well enough to go into work, even when sleep deprived due to my current condition - undiagnosed too for over a year now! :D It's great!
 
Ours has the day split up, so if you ring at 8am you can get an appointment on that day up to midday. Afternoon appointments are booked in advance and you can usually get one within that week. Seems to work well.
 
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