I can never get an appointment

My docs open at 8:30. If you don't ring by 8:40, you ain't getting an appointment.

They last resort is the 'sit and wait' session from 16:00 which are done on a first come first served basis, but because of overflowing appointments you'll be waiting at least an hour.
 
I already complained to them that they are not big enough to handle the amount of patients, but they don't have no incentive. From their perspective as far as i am aware, if they don't see more patients it makes absolutely no difference to their salary. From their perspective it is within their interest to see as little amount of patients as they can get away with.

All of them driving convertible mercedes or top range bmw and just take it real slow, spend 30 mins on each patient which could easily take 10 mins. But why from their perspective should they hurry up, no incentive.
 
OP, shut up.

Elderly people - funnily enough they have ongoing health issues for which they must regularly see their GP, they also have more sudden onset ailments due to their age. They've paid their taxes all their life and worked hard so they can have the NHS to accommodate them in their old age.

Not so some jumped up entitled little toerag like you can come along and act as if you're gods gift and you deserve to see a doctor more for whatever presumably small penis related ailment seems to have befallen you.

If you have an emergency - go to the emergency room.

Otherwise book an appointment or phone up at 8am to check for cancellations on the day. Or there are walk in centers which will see you if need be.

Other than that go pay hundreds of pounds to see a private doctor, I'm sure he'll polish up his best microscope and gear up for a laugh.
 
Last edited:
I am just pointing out that the NHS gps have no incentive to see more patients, how does that make me a tool. I am pointing out that the problem is systemic. They all getting paid loads to take the **** in my opinion. These guys see probably half the amount of patients that ive seen private doctors see in SA per day.

I rarely saw old people at the doctors in SA. I did see them but not like here, here there is something seriously up with that. I mean to have old people going to the doctors more than twice a week and the doctors till give them appointments, it just shows of rank systemic problems with this model.

You can't phone up at 8am the phones are not open. You can't even get through the on the phones 90% of the time, they just don't answer for appointments. The online booking system says you can book appointments but doesnt let you pick the date, just says a range from between next monday and the end of the month. Then the doctor tells you when your appointment is. they are so kind you can pick whether you want a morning or afternoon appointment.
 
Last edited:
It's really frustrating the way ours is run. Needed a sick note renewing as the hospital only issued one for two weeks for a full knee replacement (after being told a minimum would be 3 months), no appointment was available for two weeks and was told to call the next day for a same day appointment. Called for an appointment and was given one for 8.30am.

It is such a waste of resources when people are trying to get appointments in the morning before work and can't, yet someone who is off work for 3 months renewing a sick note has now taken one of those slots.

The last time I needed to see a doc was in 2010, walked to my registered surgery, waited 30 minutes in an empty waiting room because the receptionist was "busy", to be told I'd have to wait 4 days for an appointment. Walked 30mins down the road to a NHS walk in centre, filled in a form and was seen to within 10 minutes and prescription issued.
 
the GP im registered with sounds familiar to be fair.

My missus called to get an appointment on a Monday morning, she got given a spot 3 weeks the following Wednesday.... I ended up taking her to a drop in centre 2 days later, good job as they referred her to hospital immediately.

They also offer a walk in "sit and wait" type of thing.. but only on Thursdays between 3pm-5pm ... useful when you are at work full time.
 
Every time I see a fellow ex-pat bitch and moan about something far superior to what we had in SA, I die a little inside and move ever closer to just considering myself a Brit who happens to have holidayed a lot in SA.
 
They have walk in clinics in SA as well, but they are for the very poor people and you do get some good nurses there, but if you have any serious problems it can be a waste of time. Plus you end up having to wait many hours just to see a nurse.

I don't even need to see a doctor per se, i just need him to refer me to a specialist that ive already seen before. Basically had an appointment a month ago and he said come back and ill forward you to to specialist who i have already been to before. I only need the appointment to try and convince him to send me back to the specialist. So going to a walkin clinic is not going to work because they won't have my records and ill have to explain it all again, total waste of time.

Far superior? oh plesae. cost me R300 to see a doctor including medicine and get an appointment within a few hours. Which is like about £30 back then. It realy was tremendous service compared to NHS, people think its free as well but it costs me £100s per month in tax.
 
So you're complaining that people who need to see a doctor are making you wait to see a doctor that you don't really need to see. Righto.

You must be needing to upgrade that shovel soon.
 
I am complaining that because it is "free" people see the doctor more than they would have even if they had to pay £20 per visit out their own money. I see old people coming there more than once a week and young mothers coming there because the baby is crying or a lot or some other non issue. Its just over used because its "free" and as a result people who work and pay for it can't even use it without waiting several weeks.
 
I was watching that GPs: Behind Closed Doors on Channel 5 and one foreign family who couldn't speak English would use up 6 appointments for just 2 members of their family :eek:
 
anything I don't mind said:
I am just pointing out that the NHS gps have no incentive to see more patients, how does that make me a tool. I am pointing out that the problem is systemic. They all getting paid loads to take the **** in my opinion. These guys see probably half the amount of patients that ive seen private doctors see in SA per day.
Click to expand...
They're seeing as many patients as they can see - they aren't rushing a diagnosis like a south African doctor getting paid by the patient.

You're suggesting old people are some kind of burden who don't need to see doctors and that your needs are greater - despite them clearly needing more medical help due to their age. Need I tell you what that makes you? I feel forum rules probably prohibits it.

I rarely saw old people at the doctors in SA. I did see them but not like here, here there is something seriously up with that. I mean to have old people going to the doctors more than twice a week and the doctors till give them appointments, it just shows of rank systemic problems with this model.
Click to expand...
Probably all dead from curable conditions because they were too poor to see a doctor or rich enough that they didn't ruin their body working it into the ground.

You can't phone up at 8am the phones are not open. You can't even get through the on the phones 90% of the time, they just don't answer for appointments. The online booking system says you can book appointments but doesnt let you pick the date, just says a range from between next monday and the end of the month. Then the doctor tells you when your appointment is. they are so kind you can pick whether you want a morning or afternoon appointment.
Click to expand...
That's how it is - either move to a quieter surgery or go private.

If your sailors rot is that bad go to the walk in clinic.
 
Last edited:
So you are judging the needs of others based on what you see in the waiting room? Wow, the NHS should sign you up as you are clearly far more effective than 7 years in medical school or millions of pounds of diagnostic equipment.
 
krooton said:
Every time I see a fellow ex-pat bitch and moan about something far superior to what we had in SA, I die a little inside and move ever closer to just considering myself a Brit who happens to have holidayed a lot in SA.
Click to expand...

+1. They always make the rest of us look incredibly bad...
 
anything I don't mind said:
Far superior? oh plesae. cost me R300 to see a doctor including medicine and get an appointment within a few hours. Which is like about £30 back then. It realy was tremendous service compared to NHS, people think its free as well but it costs me £100s per month in tax.
Click to expand...

Yeah, and I had an emergency appendectomy that cost me £6k (thank god for travel insurance) which would have been free had it happened in the UK.
 
When I lived in London I had to wait about 3 weeks for an appointment or arrive early in the morning and wait there all day with no guarantee of seeing anyone. Now I live in a town in Hertfordshire I get appointments in less than a week.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom