I can never get an appointment

anything I don't mind

anything I don't mind

anything I don't mind

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Joined
28 Dec 2009
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Location
london
I finally figured out why i can never get a doctors appointment it is because there is too many old people going there twice or three times a week. Every time i walk past as i live next door its fill with old people coming in and out. They line up there before it opens to get their prescriptions.

Does anyone else experience such terrible service at their GP or is it just london that has to put up with this. If it wasn't "free", if people had to pay even £20 to see a doctor i bet 100% i would have been able to see a doctor today. But because it cost nothing these old people go in twice a week like its something to fill their time with. I see them just mulling around their like its a local hang out or something.

Is this the same everywhere or can you walk in to your doctor or call up and get an appointment on the day?

When i used private doctor in the SA, i was sick i was never not able to see the doctor on that same day. It just doesn't happen that you can't see a doctor, its usually only 10 mins anyway, how can a doctor not spare 10 mins... old people getting their free doctors that's how
 
nope, call in a morning, guaranteed same day appointment, for further out book on web, select doctor/time and book

if you ring as soon as they open you had best be ready as sometimes the appointment can be in under 30 mins
 
I can never see my London GP quicker than two to three weeks from booking. Last time, I waited a month only for the GP to call in sick. Got another three weeks before I can see one again.
 
I live next door so i just went in there and there is a line of old people out the door. Then I finally speak to the woman behind the counter and she pretty much laughed in my face when i asked if there was any chance of seeing a doctor today. She then told me to come back at 8am tomorrow and line up outside like a communists waiting in a bread line.

I don't understand how the doctor can not spare 10 mins. Even 5 mins would be sufficient.
 
I always wait at the door at 8am, far easier than having to ring up.

If you live next door what's the problem just popping outside and waiting?
 
Strange that when I go to my GPs practice his too is full of mainly old people and also young children. Funny how the two most vulnerable population groups actually present to the GP more.
 
They should make a rule that these old people and young mothers can only come once a week to the gp unless its a real emergency. These people with no jobs nothing better to do than go to the doctors twice a week.

I wish it was private, if next door was private then i would already have seen a doctor, it would have cost me an extortionate amount thanks to the nhs pushing up the prices, but at least i would have had my 5mins with the doctor.
 
Rotty said:
nope, call in a morning, guaranteed same day appointment, for further out book on web, select doctor/time and book

if you ring as soon as they open you had best be ready as sometimes the appointment can be in under 30 mins
Click to expand...
 
I go there at 8 am there is a breadline outside of old people waiting for their drugs or waiting in the hope to see a doctor. Then they say that there is no guarantee that you will see a doctor from 8, so you could be waiting outside for hours.
 
I can't get one either, been trying since Wednesday last week. If I book in advance they told me they are now taking appointments for June.

Other weeks it is fine. It is frustrating as I had an X-ray over a month ago and I still don't know the results.
 
I never have any trouble getting a doctors appointment and I need them pretty frequently (penis reduction is a time consuming business)
 
My Mum works in my local Health centre, the amount of old people and people that need repeat prescriptions yet forget to order them is unreal. They then ring up to see if the health centre has ordered their prescription even though they havent put in the form, they say "oh i forgot to order the prescription" and then complain that their prescription isnt in even though its their fault.

There are also different windows, one for signing in for your appointment and one for getting prescription with signs above saying which is which and people sometimes try to sign in at the prescriptions window for their appointments and order prescriptions at the sign in windows (admittedly i did try to sign in at the prescription window once, though did apologize when i realized)

I do get what you mean about old people constantly at the doctors, doesnt matter how many times they've been to the doctors theres always something wrong with them. Plus you always hear them on the bus complaining about X part of body that isn't doing what its supposed to and about the 50 appointments they have at different hospitals over the next week
 
anything I don't mind said:
I live next door so i just went in there and there is a line of old people out the door. Then I finally speak to the woman behind the counter and she pretty much laughed in my face when i asked if there was any chance of seeing a doctor today. She then told me to come back at 8am tomorrow and line up outside like a communists waiting in a bread line.

I don't understand how the doctor can not spare 10 mins. Even 5 mins would be sufficient.
Click to expand...

You've kind of answered your own question about not being able to spare 5/10mins with your comments on the queuing. It's busy.

Why not try a drop-in centre?

Or, the NHS 111 call service - my missus (a Yank) was over here recently, down far way from her registered GP and at the weekend so no chance of one with my GP. It was pretty urgent but by no means life-threatening, so called 111. Very efficient service, and within 15 minutes of waiting for a return call, she had an appointment at 9pm that same day at the local hospital.

Try it for yourself as they may be able to filter you out on the phone and calm your worries.
 
anything I don't mind said:
I go there at 8 am there is a breadline outside of old people waiting for their drugs or waiting in the hope to see a doctor. Then they say that there is no guarantee that you will see a doctor from 8, so you could be waiting outside for hours.
Click to expand...

So you became part of the problem by joining the queue, then? /s

Did it ever occur to you that they are just doing what you are trying to do? By the way, that's rhetorical. It's obvious it didn't.
 
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