Doctor's appointments

[Gemini]

For some reason (supposedly in the name of Improving Things) online appointments available at our surgery for the next month or so are only for blood tests (which we go to Asda for anyway) or smear tests or Flu Clinic.
Annoying in this day and age, but there is still the phone.

This morning in an attempt to make an appointment for my Mum's annual medication review I have tried to phone, a few times.

The last time I was sent round in circles, pressing this pressing that. I should have timed it but it was well over 10 minutes. Just to be told that then I was 10th in line
Someone like my mother would never even get through, what with hearing and deciphering all they say (there was a long talk about the changes initially, before you get to the button pressing) and she would be unable to cope with all the button pressing and getting the right numbers each time.

What happened to phoning and an actual person answering??
It worries me on behalf of older people who don't have family members or friends to do this for them.
There is a feedback form. It will hear from me.

[Oma]

I agree Gem , I have trouble understanding it at times never mind the elderly , then it will say at the very end hold to speak to a receptionist , by then most older people would have hung up

[Nanto2girls]

Hubby got a letter today from the surgery. it was about going for CVD.(cardiovascular) review.
He doesn't need to see a doctor,the practice nurse does it.
I rang this afternoon to make him an appointment,and got one for monday afternoon.
I know it would have been a different story if i had wanted to make an appointment with the doctor.

[Mimi]

Three of the biggest NHS doctors practices have merged into one huge, all singing, all dancing medical group , known for short as HMG.
It will improve things they said, patients will get a smoother, quicker service they said. They were wrong
Well we have gone from waiting 24 hours for an appointment to 6 weeks . Now I am sure it’s not just me but I am failing to see where the improvement is.
Added to the fact that a new super surgery is being built to accommodate these 3 practices with little room for parking and no bus routes service.


Gem, I agree, older patients aren’t going to use the telephone service that leaves you hanging in a queue and as for the online service, I cannot see them getting to grips with that also.

[Gemini]

Quite true Mimi.

[Nana]

Gem that's one of my gripes too. I foned the hospital recently to cancel & rearrange an appointment & was kept waiting 1/2hr 'in the queue'. Good job I wasn't on my mobile with a low battery. It's not surprising people don't try to cancel & just miss appointments, costing the NHS a huge sum of money.

Mimi I can't believe you have to wait 6wks for an appointment! Is there an alternative dr's practice you could join instead? It does make you worry that they're putting people's lives at risk.

[Sunshine]

It seems as if people’s jobs are being replaced more and more by machinery.

[Daisy]

Gem, your mum is very lucky to have you to do these things for her, and I agree, many older people (ie older than me!) struggle with navigating these infernal phone systems.

In my opinion waiting 6 weeks for an appointment is tantamount to neglect of the duty of care GPs have to their patients. Their first obligation is to "do no harm". If you have to spend 6 weeks waiting for an appointment who knows what harm is being caused!

Sunshine - I'm going to have a rant about that in a minute!

[Plantaholic]

I have just made an appointment to see my own doctor, nothing urgent, I have another suspect BCC I would like checked, it is for the 19th November! We don't have enough doctors in our practice, we can see a very nice gentleman who is a paramedic within a few days. Of course you can phone and get an emergency appointment.

[Daisy]

Plant - at least you know you can get an emergency appointment should you need it, but waiting over a month for a routine one isn't good!

[WeeGranny]

I couldn't even get an emergency appointment the other day. A doctor rang me at 4.45 to discuss my problems! Luckily the local pharmacy was still open to collect a prescription.

[Nana]

How awful that our NHS is being so torn apart. I wonder if we will get to the point where we pay to see a Dr like Mum did when I was a child? Politics eh?😡

[Plantaholic]

We had a lovely family doctor, we just went along and waited our turn, seemed to work well.

[Nana]

Well that was a surprise. Must have been the first person to get through to the Dr's earlier. I said it's regarding a mental health issue. I have an appointment with my dr at 11.05 today. Wow! Will catch up later.

[Lizzie48]

Good morning everyone, I lost this thread and just found it! How can you wait 6 weeks for a doctors appointment?? Our service is very good here, I phoned on Thursday as my back hurt, a lot, I could have gone the same day but was doing coffee so went on Friday morning, it was a strained muscle from lifting a heavy plant. If we phone before 9am we can usually get in the same day, there is also a "walk in" from 8am to 9am, just for 5 minutes a person and one problem. If we need a doctor in the evenings or weekends there are "Doctor's post's", situated near the hospital, not A&E, the doctors from the area are on duty so many times a year, we have to phone to explain the situation and they will decide if we need to go in or to our own surgery the next day, I have only been once in all the years, I had cystitis so bad I could hardly walk. Our surgery has 4 doctors, one that has been there for 36 years has just retired, he always said we grew up together. Now there are 4 female doctors.