Doctor's appointments

[Gemini]

There has been some discussion around the forum about the ease, or otherwise, of making an appointment with a doctor or nurse at your surgery.

Blood tests with a nurse are readily available at our surgery! Soooo many of them. As we go to Asda for this is is no help to us.
There are no appointments with a GP for the week ahead and hardly any for the week after. The ones that are there go fast. To see my own GP who I haven't seen for about 3 years, I had to book 3 or 4 weeks ahead.
I recently discovered something however. I was hoping to get a different appointment a couple of weeks ago, as the one I had would have meant me either taking 2 year old GS with me, or changing his mum's work plans. I found out that if you have time to keep checking several times a day, appointments appear. They go fast (twice I was pipped at the post as I attempted to book an online appointment) By persevering I got one the day before I was due to go, and cancelled the other.
It has taught me that you just have to keep logging in. OH and I thought that if there were none for this week there were none. We didn't realise that regularly checking pays off!'

Sometimes you can get an appointment sooner by phoning (if you can get through!) but not always.

[Enfys]

We find if you look online on the Sunday evening or early Monday morning you can sometimes get in that day. Otherwise you have to wait maybe 3 days. However if you say it is urgent you can often get in on that day or at least speak to a doctor for advice then they might say come in anyway.

[Gemini]

Yes, Enfys, I have sometimes phoned to speak to a Dr then they will phone you back. I have used this when I had had cystitis and not really needed to see anyone but needed a prescription.

[Oma]

My appointment last Monday with our Dr ( like gold dust with this Dr) I made online . At first there was nothing then on the Friday just as I was checking again one suddenly popped up . Someone must have cancelled just as I was logged on so I jumped at it . It's really difficult to get a one unless like Friday when he wanted to see ME !!! Suddenly there was a slot our receptionist will only make appointments up to two weeks in advance .
You can phone each day to check for a one that day but they go very quickly .

Our practice nurses are pretty good . Sometimes the one taking Bloods is very busy but we have one who will see you for minor things . We can also have consultation s by phone after surgery over

[Nanto2girls]

Hubby has an appointment on Monday morning.
I made the apointment 2 weeks ago.
It's not to see a doctor or nurse,it's with the phlebotomist, to have his thyroid function test.

[Daisy]

The first online booking system our surgeries had was a complete nightmare. It would have been easier to infiltrate MI5, MI6 and GCHQ! They now have another system, but I haven't used it yet!

They release same-day appointments at 8 am which means the familiar constant engaged tone. But, generally, it's not too bad. If you really do need an urgent appointment you can get one, and you can book up to 3 months ahead. You can also book a phone consultation with a doctor or nurse. They also have GP appointments at the local hospital every day, including all day Saturday.

For blood tests you have to go to the phlebotomists at the hospital but it's a very good walk-in service and you don't often have to wait more than a couple of minutes.

[Gemini]

Sitting in my Dr's waiting room today I read the sign on the wall. This urged us to see our GP rather than go to A&E, stating that the average cost of a trip to A&E was £117.
As this thread proves, easier said than done sometimes!
OH and I observed when we were at our local A&E last week (for a broken wrist, a genuine A!) that many people, seemed to be neither injured or unwell in an emergency seeming way.
They shouldn't do it, but you do have some sympathy when appointments are so hard to get.

[Plantaholic]

We have a minor injuries clinic at our nearest hospital, having sat there in pain I think a lot of the people there were minor, minor injuries and the whole family seemed to be there. Our nearest A&E is at Stoke Mandeville some 40 mins away.

[Gemini]

Plant, we noticed few jolly families seeming to be having a good night out LOL.
In one family of 5 or 6 people first the little boy of about 4 or 5 years old, happily running around , was seen and soon came out. We wondered why they didn't then go home as it was late for a little boy to be out. A while later the dad was called in. We thought they must have decided to get their moneys worth from the NHS!

[Plantaholic]

You certainly need patience when you have to visit A&E.

[Daisy]

Plant - I think you're right! You do wonder if some of those very minor 'injuries' or whatever could actually have been dealt with at their local pharmacy. I would always got there as a first port of call - ours has a little consulting room and you don't need an appointment. We even go there for our flu jabs.

[Gemini]

Our pharmacy has that too Daisy. I have never had to use it, but it's useful to know it is there.

[Clover]

On several real life hospital programmes I recall seeing patients with symptoms that could have been dealt with by GPs if only they could have got appointments.

[Grauntie Mag]

Our appointment system has gone to pot it seems! Ring from 8am is the instruction, but it is impossible to get through. The only way to get an appointment is to go and make one in person. This is fine if you are well enough to do so, you can usually have an appointment the same day, but the good Lord only knows what happens if you can’t get there.🙄 They do have an on line system but only for non urgent appointments at least three weeks hence!
Moan, moan, moan!

[Qwerty]

Isn’t it a rubbish system GM ours is the same and then they wonder why you get ratty with the reception staff