What is it like getting a Doctors appointment for you ?

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nogoodnamesleft

Well-Known Member
It's a phone queue,and you start at 08-00 and wait,sometimes it is better to ring 09-30 and hope,but Mrs P came up with a good idea.Press a button at their request and they ring you back.She got a late afternoon app same day,i wonder if they keep a few back just for that.
Obviously I've no idea about your practice and I've not seen my GP for over 2 yrs but mine used to be if you see a Nurse Practitioner" through the same day urgent condition and it's outside their remit they can make you a GP appointment same or next day. Same if you see a GP and they want a follow-up eg in a week they can make you an appointment.

So clearly practice holding back appointments so maybe later in the day some held back appointments not taken so calling eg early afternoon and they'll have some imminently available?

Guesswork but maybe gits what my practice was doing.
 

postman

Squire
Location
,Leeds
I saw my gp today and showed him my eye swelling and the bit of blood seepage,he said Mr Mee make an appointment on Wednesday next week,when it has settled down,but i must finish my shopping with the wife.
 

TrishE

Veteran
Ours has an app called patient access and it's easy to make an appointment with the doctor of your choice so I see my own doctor when I need to.
 
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Dave7

Dave7

Legendary Member
Location
Cheshire
I have been notified that I will have a phone chat with "someone" today...... anytime between 08.15 and 18.15 so keep my phone with me.......why have I paid into the system for 50 years :blush:
 
Location
Widnes
I have been notified that I will have a phone chat with "someone" today...... anytime between 08.15 and 18.15 so keep my phone with me.......why have I paid into the system for 50 years :blush:

Thing about that is that I wonder how it works with people who work


If you work in an office and can take a phone call at any time then it is fine

but a lot of jobs don;t allow for that
Certainly there were times when I was teaching and I needed to talk to a doctor - I could be available anytime after 3:15 but before that I couldn't just answer the phone and talk about health things with nearly 30 14 year old kids in front of me!!!

It kinda assumes that you will take the whole day off - but not everything is like that
 
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Dave7

Dave7

Legendary Member
Location
Cheshire
Thing about that is that I wonder how it works with people who work


If you work in an office and can take a phone call at any time then it is fine

but a lot of jobs don;t allow for that
Certainly there were times when I was teaching and I needed to talk to a doctor - I could be available anytime after 3:15 but before that I couldn't just answer the phone and talk about health things with nearly 30 14 year old kids in front of me!!!

It kinda assumes that you will take the whole day off - but not everything is like that

That is a good point.
 

presta

Legendary Member
Can you not vote with your feet and move practice?
No. I tried that once, long before the special measures episode, and I was told "We don't poach other doctors' patients".
Ours has an app called patient access and it's easy to make an appointment with the doctor of your choice
We used to be able to do that, but they stopped it when covid came along.
 
Location
Widnes
No. I tried that once, long before the special measures episode, and I was told "We don't poach other doctors' patients".

We used to be able to do that, but they stopped it when covid came along.

Patient Access still works for our GP

But some GPs seem to have stopped using it

they are supposed to be moving over to the NHS App

I should also note that if you decided to try the NHS App to see if it is better
Then I found it to be a one way trip - once I got to a certain point Patient Access was blocked to me!!!
 

presta

Legendary Member
Patient Access still works for our GP

But some GPs seem to have stopped using it

they are supposed to be moving over to the NHS App

I should also note that if you decided to try the NHS App to see if it is better
Then I found it to be a one way trip - once I got to a certain point Patient Access was blocked to me!!!

Ours wasn't Patient Access, it was systmonline, but the ability to book for yourself was the same. We still have to use systmonline for ordering prescriptions, but the appointment requesting system has changed multiple times.
 

nogoodnamesleft

Well-Known Member
Patient Access still works for our GP

But some GPs seem to have stopped using it

they are supposed to be moving over to the NHS App

I should also note that if you decided to try the NHS App to see if it is better
Then I found it to be a one way trip - once I got to a certain point Patient Access was blocked to me!!!
My GP used to use Patient Access and it was a nightmare. I had to have some dealings with the company and horrendous to deal with them (relating to privacy).

Fortunately GP abandoned them.
 
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