Seeing a GP

[Archangel]

If I phone up and ask to see "my" doctor then I can expect an appointment 2 days plus hence. If I ring up and ask to see "a" doctor I've always had an appointment the same day, sometimes with "my" doctor.

(I've probably only been about 10 times in the last 5 years though)

[CoolCat]

One of the best bits of London is being able to see a private GP immediately

[VectraMan]

Aren't you supposed to say you need an urgent appointment rather than vaguely "I'd like to see a doctor" if you want one sooner?

I don't know, are you? Part of the problem with it all being free is nobody really knows what you're supposed to do. Maybe everybody says that it's urgent, and I'm just a mug for being honest.

The receptionist sounded almost upset; certainly very apologetic. I guess she gets to spend her whole day listening to people complain about being made to wait so long. I don't think I'd want that job.

[d000hg]

Ours nearly always has appointments same-day.

Aren't you supposed to say you need an urgent appointment rather than vaguely "I'd like to see a doctor" if you want one sooner?

[SueEllen]

Yeah I always thought there was some legal requirement that you had to be seen within 2 days - but it's obviously not true.

At our GP if you call up they ask is it an Emergency? I used to ask them to define emergency in this context but now it just a lot easier to say yes. Then you most likely will get a phone call appointment.

Telephone appointments are useless if they have to see what's wrong with you in person, and you are an hour or so away.

I use to just use one of the walk-in-clinics then they closed them.

[malvolio]

Hmmm...

I've been offered same or next day appointments for the last 20-odd years at my surgery; have never had to wait any longer than 24 hours. That's three GPs covering a fairly large area with a shade over 5000 patients

[woohoo]

Yeah I always thought there was some legal requirement that you had to be seen within 2 days - but it's obviously not true.

At our GP if you call up they ask is it an Emergency? I used to ask them to define emergency in this context but now it just a lot easier to say yes. Then you most likely will get a phone call appointment.

[SueEllen]

Phoned up earlier to make an appointment, and yes you guessed it the first one available was next Monday at 5.30pm. I.e. 7 days away. Why do I keep hearing about seeing GPs within 2 days in the news when it's so far away from reality?

In related news, my GP surgery has come top in a patient satisfaction survey for Oxfordshire. So perhaps people like having to wait.

If you want to see a GP on the day you have to:
1. Phone up as soon as the surgery opens - and if you are lucky you will get through and get an appointment at 3.30pm
2. Line up outside the surgery for when the practice opens and make an appointment then - if you are lucky you will get an appointment for that morning.

If you want to book an appointment for another time then you can wait up to 3 weeks depending on the practice.

Oh and I forgot to say this all depends on how evil the receptionists are. If they are evil you won't get an appointment ever and you won't be able to change practices.

[original PM]

dissapointing i was expecting to read about yesterdays GP in Germany or the one in a week in Hungary...

[VectraMan]

Phoned up earlier to make an appointment, and yes you guessed it the first one available was next Monday at 5.30pm. I.e. 7 days away. Why do I keep hearing about seeing GPs within 2 days in the news when it's so far away from reality?

In related news, my GP surgery has come top in a patient satisfaction survey for Oxfordshire. So perhaps people like having to wait.