making an appoitment at the doctors[don't make me laugh]

jennyb

Got up at 7.30 made my tea and porridge then sat waiting for the clock to strike 8.00.

Then it begins ringing until you get through, at 8.10 gets to talk to a human,asks to make an appointment with doc who's been seeing me for the last 7 mths, he's not into day but he will be in tomorrow,ok i will try tomorrow.

Next day same routine, gets through at 8.20, sorry she says no docs left to day but you can come and see the trigage, wot ever that is,i explain i need to see the doc who has been treating me as he knows my problems, and the meds he has put me on aren't working.

There is no way i am going to be able to see a doctor today if i would like to phone tomorrow i might be able to see doc then, oh wait a minute your doc is nor here then but he is on friday so try again then.

So if i get through and all the appointments haven't gone i might get to see him on friday, i go away for 2 weeks the following week so this is my only hope.

Getting an appointment leaves me more stressed then what is wrong with me.

mouseymousey

Hello Jenny - Sorry to hear you are having problems. Would it be worth ringing and ask for the practice Manager (explain to him/her)? My doc has some 'emergency' appointments that they keep free (you need to know about them) drives me mad too....best wishes

joyful164

Would it matter if you saw another GP in the practice. Second opinion and all that. They do have your case record in front of them on the screen.

My GP retired from the Practice this year but does 2 days a week on contract to the surgery. I wanted to see him on a number of occasions because he has PMR also, so he has experience of what I am going through.
I can never seem to be able to see him now so I went to another doctor who had actually worked in the Rheumatology dept and he was a big help. The other day, I was suppose to see him and the receptionist rang me to say that he had gone home sick (what gives the drs a right to be sick I ask myself) and would I like to cancel. I was really angry with her and said that it was vital I see someone because of the pain I was in and I needed some more pain patches. So I go to another dr in the practice and after I had seen him, he was just so helpful, I came away de-stressed because he had answered so many questions. He had my case history in front of him and he knew what I wanted and suggested other possibilities for me. So go ahead, see another GP. It might help you in the end.

Joyful

frogmorton

Hi Jenny
:!: :!: :shock:
I do not know what to say for once.
Apart from Mousy's idea is good as is the one about seeing sonmeone - anyone!!! Espacially in light of the cruise
Take care
Toni x

eastmidlandsman52

Hello Jennyb.

I'm so sorry to read of the problems you have with getting any kind of appointment at your surgery.Its the same here in Spalding and I so sympathise with you. I guess (rightly or wrongly) you live in a rural community like I do.

I would suggest you write a formal letter of complaint to the Practice Manager about the trouble you have getting an appointment. You should list the problems you've had,along with any dates and times,and let them know you're not very happy with the way you've been treated. From memory,your complaint will be investigated within a given time-scale and a reply given.I would like to think that you will gain a successful outcome.If not,there are further complaints you can make,but only after you've dealt with the surgery.

It isn't right nor proper that you cannot access the services of a GP and am appalled by the way you've been treated. You do not have to tolerate they way you've been treated. Given how you're going away in two weeks,you should be a little more forceful and forthright (but not rude or insulting) in making sure you get the appointment you need.

I do wish you well for your treatment and for your holiday.

jennyb wrote:

Got up at 7.30 made my tea and porridge then sat waiting for the clock to strike 8.00.

Then it begins ringing until you get through, at 8.10 gets to talk to a human,asks to make an appointment with doc who's been seeing me for the last 7 mths, he's not into day but he will be in tomorrow,ok i will try tomorrow.

Next day same routine, gets through at 8.20, sorry she says no docs left to day but you can come and see the trigage, wot ever that is,i explain i need to see the doc who has been treating me as he knows my problems, and the meds he has put me on aren't working.

There is no way i am going to be able to see a doctor today if i would like to phone tomorrow i might be able to see doc then, oh wait a minute your doc is nor here then but he is on friday so try again then.

So if i get through and all the appointments haven't gone i might get to see him on friday, i go away for 2 weeks the following week so this is my only hope.

Getting an appointment leaves me more stressed then what is wrong with me.

woodbon

Hello, I don't like the sound of your system, at least we can always see the duty doctor, the GPs take it in turns to do it and they see anyone who comes along. The only thing is, you have to be prepared to wait, but if you need a doctor badly, then waitiings no problem.

I'm sorry, its such a worry. What would happen if you turned up at the surgery at 8 and asked! :shock: It may just work. Love Sue

mrsdalloway

you are not alone think part of the problem is the special training that the receptionists have! I don't think I have ever come across a group of people with so little empathy for other human beings. :roll:

joanlawson

Hi Jenny

I agree with you that it can be very frustrating trying to get an appointment with the doctor of your choice.I also like the continuity of seeing the same doctor,but sometimes it seems like you are asking the impossible. My doctor's is a large practice, but most of the doctors work there part-time, so that makes it even more difficult to see the one you want.

All this ringing in is dreadful. Everyone rings at the same time,so you can't get through. Then when you do eventually manage it, you are told that all the appointments for the day have gone. However, I have found that it pays to use the word "urgent". We have a triage system too, just to give us one more hoop to jump through, and the triage nurse is all-powerful. But you just have to be persistent, and tell them that it is urgent for you to be seen because you are going on holiday.

Good luck for Friday :!:

Joan

stralachlan

I'm just going through that frustration myself. The first time I can get a planned appointment with the doctor at the practice who specialises in OA is a month away :x so I spent 30 mins on Tues with my finger on the redial button trying to get an appointment on the day to be told it was his day off :x :x I could have seen any doc that day but I'd rather see the more specialist one. So I shall try again on Fri.

My pet rabbits need to go to the vets after a fight tonight - no problem - appt at 9.30am :roll:

mash65

hi all,thats shocking.i can get an appointment same day but not with the dr of my choice.
i now book all my appointment online within the surgery,this gives me the option of trying in advance to see gp that knows me.
i do like to see him at least every couple of months so i can keep him informed of whats going on with me.
i can also do my repeat prescription on line.so only 1 visit to pick up script then off to chemist.
is that on option for u,online booking :?: just a thought. debsx

livinglegend

You will always get difficulty getting through if you dial just as they open, as everyone else does. Wait ten minutes then dial as the first batch are being cleared.

When you get through insist on making an appointment, even if its for the next day. Wednesday afternoon is the quietest time of the week. Monday morning and Friday afternoon are the busiest.

Hitting redial persistently puts you back to the bottom of the stack. It just takes longer to work your way up. Don't use redial, use callback, it costs but gets you through as soon as there is a clear line.



If the surgery is fairly local, go in and make an appointment rather than phone, someone may not have turned up leaving a spare appointment slot, but be prepared to wait.

Joseph 8)

frogmorton

Joseph
There speaks a man who knows what he is talking about!!
Good advice!
Toni x

marie48

Same here, it is difficult& frustrating to get a same day appointment. You have to ring on the day and when you do, the phone is engaged and when finally you get through, thereare no appointments left. If there are, it must be serious, most of the time, I exaggerated my problems

nearlybionic

Hi
My surgery has a similar system, and if you ring and want to be seen on the day often all the slots have gone. Then they ask my favourite question....Is it an emergency? And my reply........no...if it was I would be ringing an ambulance not you!!!! :shock:
Usually when I want to make a prebookable appointment, I can see who I need to. If i need an appointment for the kids I mention its for a child and they are seen that day no probs.
NB

joanlawson

livinglegend wrote:

You will always get difficulty getting through if you dial just as they open, as everyone else does. Wait ten minutes then dial as the first batch are being cleared.

When you get through insist on making an appointment, even if its for the next day. Wednesday afternoon is the quietest time of the week. Monday morning and Friday afternoon are the busiest.

Hitting redial persistently puts you back to the bottom of the stack. It just takes longer to work your way up. Don't use redial, use callback, it costs but gets you through as soon as there is a clear line.



If the surgery is fairly local, go in and make an appointment rather than phone, someone may not have turned up leaving a spare appointment slot, but be prepared to wait.

Joseph 8)

Hi Joseph

I wish it were that simple :!: If you leave it for ten minutes at my doctor's, the appointments have all gone.One day, in frustration I drove to the surgery, only to be told that I couldn't make an appointment there, because you have to speak to the triage nurse on the phone.I was instructed to go home and ring in.You can't use callback,as it is blocked for that number. When you do eventually get through, you are not allowed to make an appointment for the next day; you are told to ring again in the morning, and the nightmare starts again.

I am sure that some people who need help just give up! I have learned to use the word urgent to my advantage.

Joan

livinglegend

The answer is to complain to your local Primary Care Trust that the Surgery is not following the NHS Plan guidelines. GP Surgerys' are paid extra to comply with the NHS Plan.

This states that:

QUOTE

It means that patients should be seen by a GP within 48 hours or a primary care professional within 24 hours if they wish to do so.

'A GP' - any general practitioner. This is not a named GP nor is it necessarily a GP at the registered practice. Naturally, the latter is desirable wherever possible. However, in the event of a practice not being in a position to see a patient within 48 hours, PCTs should agree joint working arrangements with local practices and other health service providers e.g. a NHS walk in centre to ensure that patients can still be seen.

'Within 48 hours' - within two normal working days (i.e. not including Saturday or Sunday) following the day when a request by a patient was made. For example, if a patient requests an appointment on Friday, they should be seen at a convenient time no later than Tuesday of the following week. The practice will need to make provision for out of hours services, especially at weekends for emergency care.

ENDQUOTE

Note: when a request by a patient was made It doesn't say it needs to be made by phone. If you walk in with a piece of paper with the time and date that you handed it in, that is then a 'request by a patient'. How they deal with it is their problem, what they can't do is ignore it. They have 48 hours to see you or you can make a legitimate complaint direct to the PCT.

More at: http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Healthcare/Primarycare/Primarycaretrusts/DH_4016138

Joseph 8)

woodbon

nearlybionic wrote:

Hi
My surgery has a similar system, and if you ring and want to be seen on the day often all the slots have gone. Then they ask my favourite question....Is it an emergency? And my reply........no...if it was I would be ringing an ambulance not you!!!! :shock:
Usually when I want to make a prebookable appointment, I can see who I need to. If i need an appointment for the kids I mention its for a child and they are seen that day no probs.
NB

Hi Guess what, when we first moved here you could press 5 and they rang back. Now they have a new system and if the do that a voice tells you that the system doesn't work, you MUST redial! No win situation. :roll:

frogmorton

Cheeky things Sue!!!
Does anyone know if JennyB got her apt?
Jenny?
Jenny?
Toni x