GP appointment system doesn't work
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Our local practice has now opted for an appointment system (to see the GP), which sounds wonderful until you wake up one morning, in pain and need of advice. You reach for the phone (if you are lucky enough to own one) and call the surgery. You may get through if you hold on the line for long enough, at which point you ask for an appointment with your GP. Once the chuckles have died down you are told there is nothing free for days on end! |
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True, if it were an emergency, they may offer another option but when you have been brought up to respect people’s time you tend not to class your illness as an emergency (unless it is clearly life threatening). So now what do you do? Well if you are old and fragile, living alone, you will start to worry which makes your illness feel a thousand times worse. You could go private but this is way beyond your means (and income) so you soldier on the best you can. When the day of your appointment comes you’re too ill to visit the doctor. So what may well have been only a minor illness now becomes a much more serious condition. |
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But hold on one moment; how much time and money is really being saved here? Our GP’s. don’t appear to work long hours, at least their surgery times don’t suggest this. Previously their surgeries were packed with patients but now, since some have an appointment system, how many patients do they actually see? Do many languish at home in need of the help which is now so difficult to find? More importantly does anyone really care? Perhaps we could be forgiven for thinking that medication was fast becoming a rich man's privilege, as for the rest of us what do we do for treatment? |
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Comments from visitors
The idea of paying £25 per annum is not new. One GP practice in the West Midlands tried this some 30 years ago - the idea was that one member of the family would pay to be a private patient whilst the rest of the family were NHS patients. At the time there was nothing illegal about it and it seemed quite good value - today £25 would probably be around £85 and the GPs income would be similar to his NHS income. Not sure how popular the idea would be in the NHS.
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Bob Kingfisher - 27-Jun-11 22:04
Everyone should pay a £25 fee to see a GP. And complain if the GP does not give them value for money. the average GP consultation lasts 10 minutes. The GP would earn £150 an hour - more than enough for the the level of skill provided. GPs must provide value for money - direct value.
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I wonder why we tolerate a situation in this country where we cannot be seen by a GP with ease on the same day and within a few hours of making the request. Yes, you are faced with a tricky telephone system, press button B and get change, a tricky telephonist who yes seems quite surprised that you expect to see the doctor of your choice that fortnight let alone the same week or same day. Sometimes one hits lucky and see your on GP.
The answer lies in the way general practice is now run and funded. No longer is there a national control on the number of GPs working - the Medical Practices Committee has been abolished. A budget is now paid to each practice to pay GP salaries and practice running costs. It is inevitable therefore that GPs will find the most economic way of running their practices rather than put patients first. To be fair many practices offer an excellent service but clearly there are still those that don't (An ex-NHS GP Practice Manager now rertired
The answer lies in the way general practice is now run and funded. No longer is there a national control on the number of GPs working - the Medical Practices Committee has been abolished. A budget is now paid to each practice to pay GP salaries and practice running costs. It is inevitable therefore that GPs will find the most economic way of running their practices rather than put patients first. To be fair many practices offer an excellent service but clearly there are still those that don't (An ex-NHS GP Practice Manager now rertired
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Bob Kingfisher - 23-Jun-11 20:40
I visited the walk in centre in my local town recently it was brilliant. No Bolshy notices stuck around the place telling me what I should or should not do as a patient. I think walk in centres are the way forward, for patient & medic.
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Training camp for NHS doctor's surgery administrative staff
http://bpp.org.uk/gulag113.jpg
Big Brother overseeing healthy nation
http://www.lewrockwell.com/chartier/stalin-with-kids.jpg
http://bpp.org.uk/gulag113.jpg
Big Brother overseeing healthy nation
http://www.lewrockwell.com/chartier/stalin-with-kids.jpg
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No Appointment Today! my baby& - 27-May-11 10:28
It's not acceptable for a patient to be late or miss an appointment without prior notice but how is it ok for your doctor to be late in seeing you? My doctor saw me 25 minutes after my appointment was due and made me late for work. The patient isn't allowed to be late but doctors are?
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I normally only visit the GP for my children, with the duty doctor calling me back if receptionists thinks its an emergency. Its always worked for me that way and Im pleased with it. If I do need to see the doctor I normally get an appt within 5 days so I cant complain. On the over hand, my mums OLD surgery is tripe!! Phone in morning for same day appt, by the time you get through the are all gone! Or make an appt for 2 weeks time if you can wait! She has now changed and very happy that she can see a doc on same day if need be or usually within a few days.
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ashford Beauty - 6-May-11 18:22
Without doubt the NHS GP appointment system is failing the general public. Why does it take days to get in to seek a doctor? My health centre (in a small village) has 4 doctors, I have tried for 4 days to get an appointment but am constantly being told there is none available and for one doctor I was told no apointments have been released for her yet this week???
Its a shocking system, Health centre managers and staff are often disinterested and appear not to be looking how to improve the system.
I have observed our health centre and have noticed that it has never been filled and an average of 8-12 people visit in any 2 hour period with an avaerage time with the doctor being 3 minutes.
Doctors (GP's) earning in and around £90K + per year should be doing more... and for those GP's who comment about the time spent training etc, that is totally irrelevant... you chose to do the job and know what it entails and you get very well paid once qualified.
The solution is to revert to the 0900 - 1800 opening times and treat everyone who comes through the doors during that time... Do away with appointments all but for the most routine and really minor issues... the NHS is in a poor state, the GP's appointments are nothing more than scandalous... I hate to say it... it won't change!
Its a shocking system, Health centre managers and staff are often disinterested and appear not to be looking how to improve the system.
I have observed our health centre and have noticed that it has never been filled and an average of 8-12 people visit in any 2 hour period with an avaerage time with the doctor being 3 minutes.
Doctors (GP's) earning in and around £90K + per year should be doing more... and for those GP's who comment about the time spent training etc, that is totally irrelevant... you chose to do the job and know what it entails and you get very well paid once qualified.
The solution is to revert to the 0900 - 1800 opening times and treat everyone who comes through the doors during that time... Do away with appointments all but for the most routine and really minor issues... the NHS is in a poor state, the GP's appointments are nothing more than scandalous... I hate to say it... it won't change!
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Tried-email-system-telephone-a - 28-Apr-11 11:11
to the comment made by GP London...what a pretentious idiot to write what you have...quite typical of the patronising approach many UK physicians take and I am so glad I live in the USA for my healthj care... loser GP's!
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Very frustrated by the fact that I cannot get a routine appointment to see a doctor for eight days. Why don't they have walk-in centres staffed by fully qualified GPs. When we were over in Spain recently my wife had a problem with her neck. We went to the local health centre on a Sunday morning and she saw a doctor within ten minutes! He gave her a prescription and she quickly got better with the medication. Puts the UK to shame!
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angry daughter, you can start making a noise, and you have today and tomorrow to do it!
If you ring NHS direct they will give you medical advice about your mum and they may be able to tell you if you have the right to demand an appointment for the next day at the surgery.
If they can't help much and say you can't demand an appoinment (or don't know) you can try ringing the out of hours service. (It should be on your sugery's answering machine message while they are shut.) Tell them about your mother, and if you lay it on a bit thick and say you are really worried they will send out paramedics. Tell them as well that you've been trying to book an appoinment for two weeks!
Hope you get a good result!
If you ring NHS direct they will give you medical advice about your mum and they may be able to tell you if you have the right to demand an appointment for the next day at the surgery.
If they can't help much and say you can't demand an appoinment (or don't know) you can try ringing the out of hours service. (It should be on your sugery's answering machine message while they are shut.) Tell them about your mother, and if you lay it on a bit thick and say you are really worried they will send out paramedics. Tell them as well that you've been trying to book an appoinment for two weeks!
Hope you get a good result!
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grumpyoldwoman - 29-Aug-10 09:20
My Mother's doctor runs a worse system. You can only book an appointment for that day. So as soon as the line opens they are engaged and by the time you get through the appointments are gone. My mother has now been trying to get an appointment for two weeks for a minor problem. She has been in pain for over three weeks. Stupid system.
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angry daughter - 28-Aug-10 05:06
It's three weeks before you see your own doctor, he sends you for a blood text,takes two or more weeks to get the appointment, the app is for two weeks time,,,,it's them another three weeks to see your doctor again, but know he'll send you for xray,,, and it's all over again,,, It's 8 months now since I been under the so call services from my surgery, and I'm none the wiser as to what is wrong with me!!
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I've been seeing the doctor for the same issue for the last 8 years allmost, i'm allmost 30 and the issue is still present.. At 1st I was getting seen but everything was just so drawn out, scans which were months away, refered to this, refered to that, then after about 2 years the doctor looked me stright in the eys and told me not to persue this any longer!! so what am I supposed to do then??? just live like it for the rest of my life?? After he said that I was gutted, I went away and I just sat at home for basicaly 2 years with no prescriptions or benefits, I never even asked for any, I started trying to treat myself, I tried allsorts of things but nothing really helped.. So after 4 odd years a letter about a yearly checkup arrives and I go and I bombard the doc and I leave with a prescription and a sick note, this sick note and the prescription became long term and each time I see the doctor which is isn't often it's usualy becuase of another issue like a urine infection or something.. I don't dare ask about my actual issue after what he said to me.. My life is going to waste, for allmost 8 years now i've just wanted anwsers, to have a diagnosis and proper treatment but the doctor seems to think just handing me another 6 months worth of prescriptions at a time will keep me away.. I want to have a life and i'm gutted that so much time has passed now and i've just sat around while life slips by becuase that's all i'm capable of doing. If anybody has any advice they can give me they can get in touch througth warrick@vfemail.net.
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My partner has just had an ultrasound scan, she has been given high blood pressure tablets a while back, and takes drugs for arthritis, this is all needs following up, bu shes had no regular blood tests, shes just been left, today I made an appointment for her to see a doctor at our local surgery, the earliest they can give me is July 1, thats 3 weeks 2 days to wait, surely this canot be right, so what does she do, stop the tablets or not as shes suffered bad pains in her right side for years, but no ones listening??
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Message in response to Paul June 2009: yes by all means "retrain." The country needs more doctors. It will take you 10 years to become a GP, funding your training during 5 years of medical medical school and the frequent and expensive post graduate exams. Then perhaps once you have worked in the job and experienced what it is like and start taking the daily responsibility for patient care you will be in a better position to comment on the nature of the job and the value of GP's work.
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We solved this problem by counting our daily demand for appointments (we never refuse to see anyone on the same day if they need seeing) and providing 10% more appointments than the predicted need. This way we have a redundancy built in and have no need to put aside appointments for "advance booking" or "same day emergency". We allow the system to reach its own balance point as it now has the flex to do so. Some of my colleagues feared demand would rise. It has not after 18 months.
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Another GP, Berks. - 3-May-10 17:36
I was told by an hospital doctor that the guidelines state I must have an appointment to see the doctor of my choice at my local surgery within three days. As a pensioner, mornings are not kind to me and with a repeat prescription it is a year since my last visit. However I was told this morning that the doctor I wished to see was fully booked today but I could make an appointment for one in a week or phone the surgery tomorrow at 8.30am and I might get an appointment. Where can I read the guidelines re- Surgery Appointment does anyone know?
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Frustrated S. Wales - 14-Apr-10 11:10
I think sometimes receptionist staff are told which patients are considered priority and others less urgent in keeping with their medical history and set their appointments accordingly.
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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.
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.
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