GP appointment system doesn't work

There are two types of appointments. Routine ie standard Contraceptive Pill checks and Blood pressure reviews, discussion about your diabetes. These type of appointments should (and are) bookable in advance this means sometimes you book them 2-3 weeks away.
Emergency problems are on the day and GP practices try their best to see as many as they can.
BUT people also need to be aware of the amount of ABUSE of appointments and waste that happens.
People turn up with not just self limiting minor ailments but they know they are self limiting and we cannot treat them (note cannot not will not). Despite onthe day booking many people still dont turn up.
Many people complain when we over run but then produce a list of 5 items they want to cover in 10 minutes.
I work 55 - 60 hours per week. I earn a reasonable salary it works out at about £40 per hour pre tax. My job does involvve seeing patient in clinic BUT also involves lots of things that dont involve sitting in clinic these are done on my "afternoon off". JUST BECAUSE I AM NOT IN CLINIC DOESNT MEAN I AM PLAYING GOLF.

No I dont work over night anymore the reason ITS NOT SAFE to do that and then have to do a whole days work, seeing patients.

I often dont see my Six year old for several days as he is asleep when I come home.

Am I moaning NO, but I am sick of the constant narrow minded, ill informed rubbish many people spew out as a result of constant attack from the media and government.

We see thousands of patients per year and are funded per patient on average £60 per year for this per patient. You try insuring a dog for less than that.

Just phoned my docs to get an appointment.

Same old story as everyone else "You need to phone in the morning to get an appointment", so you quote the Government guidelines/targets about being able to see a GP within 48hrs and just get silence down the phone from the other end.

So I now have an appointment for 10am on Tuesday, I phoned at 3:30pm on Wednesday. Will be complaining to them next week in person.

I am nurse practitioner in a 2 GP practice, myself and the GP's work a 52.5 hour week from 8am - 6.30pm. We have an appointment system where 1/2 our appointments are reserved for people calling in on that day with acute problems, and the other 1/2 are pre-bookable for those that work and need notice to have the time to attend. On reception we have an experianced practice nurse who advises receptionists and takes calls giving medical advice. Yes... all of our appointments are always full at the end of the day, so of course it can still be difficult to get in if demand is high at a particular time. My point is after all that, is that my place of work seems to differ from most of the posted complaints on this site, BUT... we receive regular complaints regarding our appointment system aswell. Im afraid it seems to me, you just can't please everybody???

I have just come out of hospital as I have just had an operation to remove a kidney stone. A week after I had a lot of blood in my urine so I went straight to the night doctors service that is part of my local hospital where they gave me tests and told me to go and see my GP urgently. The next day I rang me GP, told the receptionist what happened and the earliest appointment they gave me was in 4 weeks time. So if I have anthing wrong with me again I eitheir go to my local A and E dept or I ring / go to the GP night service, I dont bother with my doctor at all. Once I did see him a few years back with bad pains down below, he put it down to IBS, not kidney stones, It took me 2 years of going (and in lots of pains back and for about 25 times) to the hospital A and E dept to get a diagnosis that I had kidney stones. Ive never heard from my doctor once in that time. I would not want to see him anyway.

After waiting 2 weeks to see my doctor, just as leaving, asked why appointments were so hard to come by & was this something to do with Goverment targets. His response was that their patients list had increased by about 800 over the last couple of years to about 8500 (4 Dr. surgery) and nothing to do with Government. . I asked him why the surgery waiting room had no one there in afternoons, he said that it was probably because 2 Dr's were on 1/2 days. So, they only work 4 1/2 days a week now, instead of 5 1/2 days 2 years ago!!! And they have just received big pay rises!!!!! Hmmm perhaps I should re-train.....

I have visited all your sites and still cannot find the basic inffformation that you should always provide I am unable to get past my receptionists for to make an important because the are I think not working the appointment correctly.THat is why I am trying to get thios information from you. I had an appointment with my doctor She works partime.
She was recomending that I see a consultant and I should ask her to send a letter to him before his secretary could make an appointment further more I had an illness in the family so I would not be able to make the appointment. I called to change it but was told I could not have another for a week. I asked the receptionist if I could have an emergency appointment with my doctor and the answer was no I then asked if could leave a message for my doctor and she told me no also.She told me sto ring at 0830 for an appointment about 7days ahead, I pointed out that this does not always work. She still would not take a message as the consultant only worked at the clinic on mmonday then I would not be able to see him urgently as the doctor suggested. also I had various tests carried out adn I was advises that two of tests were positive and that I should speak with my doctor. So I asked if I cccould leave a message as I am unable in the near future to see her than perhaps you can give her a message asking her to call me. I also pointed out that if it was something worring I sure there is a procedure of advising the patient in person and not over the telephone and not by your own doctor. If an appointment procedure does not work because of uncaring adminestrative staff and also was unable to get to take my complaint.

Forgot to mention that when you do get into my Doctors surgery to pick up prescriptions, there are no patients waiting to see any doctors!! Is this because all the patients miraculously get well and don't then have to see the doctors whilst they are waiting for the appointments, or that they are in and out so quick in the mornings, that the doctors have free afternoons!!!!! This cannot be right surely. I do have an appointment on Tuesday which I booked 2 weeks ago, so will complain direct to the doctor.(after he has seen me of course)

On two occasions recently, I have asked to see my GP & was told that a non urgent appointment was some 2 weeks off. Fine, as I did not consider my case to be urgent, but it has made me so angry that this governments interference in everything, is now affecting the doctors surgery as well, that it has made my blood boil & my blood pressure fly off the scale. Perhaps with these symptoms I can now get an urgent appointment!!!!

My husband is 75 and rarely bothers a doctor,but today I rang to get him an appointment,the next appointment (with a doctor not of his choice)is 9 days time !! we thought that the NHS would be adequate for our needs,had we known what it would become we would have paid premiums for private healthcare,it is too late for us to do that now as the premiums are now far too high,we feel very let down and regret coming home from France where the care was first rate for all,we had no idea that healthcare here had sunk so low,we paid in all our working lives and like others deserve better.

Tried to book and appointment yesterday at a GP practice in Neyland, Pembrokeshire. I got told by the receptionist I could not until Tuesday (5 days later) and then the appointment would probably be around the third week in April !! I left the Surgery in disbelief and got my wife to phone up for an apoointment the following morning. She did slightly better as the person she spoke too was at least willing to make an appointment, however it's for the 17th April exactly 4 weeks from today !! It's a disgusting shame, this level of service is not acceptable at all. If you ring up to make an appointment to see a Doctor is it because you NEED TO SEE A DOCTOR because there is a problem, not for fun and it just not right to leave people worrying or suffering or indeed a condition untreated or getting worse. This situation just leads to the abuse of the emergency appointment system.
I was under the impression the Government had set minimum standards for waiting times ? or am I wrong?

One month waiting time to see my GP, otherwise emergency appointments only by calling 8 am and see any doctor. Disgusting.

Our surgery does not book appointments until the same day. You therefore have to ring when they open at 8.30am.
So, I'm on the doorstep at 8.30am.
They unlock the doors and in I go, first one at the reception desk.
"Good morning, I need to see my GP"
Name, Date Of Birth etc, is passed over to them.
"Well, we can get you in at 3.30pm tomorrow"
"Excuse me!"
"3.30pm tomorrow"
"I heard what you said but why can't I see my GP today?"
"She doesn't have any appointments available"
"But I thought you don't take bookings for appointments except for on the day?"
"We don't"
"Well, I'm the first one here today, so nobody else could have booked one for today yet, so why can't I have one?"
"We are fully booked for today we had a busy day yesterday and over-ran, sorry"
"Okay, I'll have an appointment for tomorrow at 3.30pm please"
"No problem, could you call back in the morning to book it please"
"Sorry, I don't understand, can't I just book it now as I'm here"

You know whats coming don't you!!!!!!!!!!!

"Sorry sir, we only take bookings on the day of the appointment"

I gave up. I've not seen my GP and I appear to feel better but who knows what's going on inside?