What is it like getting a Doctors appointment for you ?

[Dave7]

Its getting worse in this area.
Situation for me is.......I have a problem that has reoccurred. I know the medication I need and it cant be bought over the counter
I phoned the surgery this morning to ask the Doc for a prescription.......that should not be a problem as the Doc is fully aware of the problem and the medication i need.
No chance !!!!! I cant even get a phone conversation and the earliest I can get a slot to even talk on the phone is SATURDAY PM.
That's a crazy situation.
There is a surgery much nearer and the website tells me they are taking new patients but google tells me that many existing patients are unhappy with the waiting time.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

Easy here. Kendal. Good over-the-phone triage service. Rarely do we use face-to-face but on the odd occasion we do, it is prompt.

 

[glasgowcyclist]

No problems here.

I recently lost hearing in my right ear overnight. I called the surgery and the receptionist gave me an appointment for that afternoon.

 

[fossyant]

Not great here either, and that's two practices (I'm at a different practice than my wife/daughter). We never get a regular GP at either practice. They did act quite quickly after I complained they ignored a letter from the hospital after I broke my pelvis - did end up with an ultrasound to tell my my rotator cuff was badly torn - got some physio months later but it's still knackered.

 

[Electric_Andy]

Easy here. Kendal. Good over-the-phone triage service. Rarely do we use face-to-face but on the odd occasion we do, it is prompt.

Same here in Plymouth, although I'm in one of the less populous and less deprived suburbs so maybe it's worse elsewhere. Phone appointment is usually very good. There is one Dr there who is famous for being brilliant, but the rest are ok.

I think the worst aspect is how you describe - the prescriptions and/or communication between the various wheels in the system. My partner uses pharmacy-2-you which is very good, however the GP and hospital told each other different things and she had to fight to get codeine, when they were insisting that they don't prescribe it, but she was prescribed it coming out of hospital, which the hospital said they didn't do, but they did! Much of it is human error and poor communication

 

[Dave7]

I have a repeat prescription for acid reflux tablets. When I need more I phone 'Click Pharmacy', a few days later its delivered to my home. Really excellent.

 

[SteveH80]

It's very good of here in the North Pennines, although obviously you need to travel as the smaller villages don't have a doctor. The pros of having more sheep than people in the area!
Face to face appointments can be a week or so but if it's urgent it usually the same day, a call back for a phone consultation is usually the same day and the NHS app works well.

 

[vickster]

Difficult to get a routine appointment with a specific GP (several months!) but the fill in an online form and get triaged is straightforward and will get a phone/f-f if urgent.
Last time I needed a prescription changed, it was done same day by the in house pharmacist.

BUPA provides GP and physio by phone with my work PHI. Bypasses the NHS completely for private physio or consultant referrals

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

Got to ring between 8.30 about 8.55 in the morning just to get an appointment. It's pathetic!

 

[presta]

Got to ring before about 8.55 in the morning just to get an appointment. It's pathetic!

That's late, it's 07:30 here.

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

That's late, it's 07:30 here.

It's a small practice and I was told that it would be easier to get an appointment, etc.

Load of 💩

 

[wafter]

The once-great surgery that supported me well throughout my childhood is now an absolute joke. Thankfully since moving my new local has been taken over by another with an excellent rep; and so far my experience has been very good.

A few cockups aside the logistics have all been great, and it was almost absurdly novel to actually speak to a competent, efficient, caring doctor rather than those I'd become accustomed to who seemingly couldn't care less and were more concerned with pushing me out of the door than actually resolving my complaints.

 

[SteveH80]

Because of the old NHS GP contract quite a few medical practices are leaving the NHS and going private. Apparently you can usually get seen within a day or two and consulting times aren't rushed, costs between £100 - 200 a go. For young professionals who visit the once every couple of years this is a bargain, it's a bit of a bugger though for anyone with ongoing conditions who need regular visits.
I can see GP's becoming like dentists where NHS appointments are a rarity - this is not a good thing (unless you sell medical insurance).

 

[nogoodnamesleft]

Not seen a GP for a couple of years (other than flu/vaccinations) but back then it was both good and bad.

Only way to get an appointment was to call at 08:00 for an appointment that day under the "urgent category". Routine appointments were always "we have none available, call next wed when they will be releasing the next set for 2 weeks time" (when you'd get "Call next Wed when ...".

But if your issue was "urgent" you get to see a nurse practitioner that day who would either treat/prescribe/request tests/dismiss or immediately go discuss with a GP or make a GP appointment as appropriate for clinical need. A fairly broad category of issues were treated as "urgent" eg a concerning area of dark skin that patient considers might be ABCDE is "urgent", etc.

 

[N0bodyOfTheGoat]

Not used GP much in last couple of years, but it often became more delayed to get anything sorted when I needed help with my long covid in '23, compared to needing stuff done before the pandemic began just over six years ago.