doctors appointment......are you kidding?

[hightara]

son rang up yesterday, he has been unwell with what seems like a chest infection

granted i rang up and got him an antibiotic 

but wanted him to get checked out properly..........earliest appointment (with any doctor in the surgery)

two weeks away

and this is normal............ you could be dead and buried before that

[fishpieface]

That's ridiculous isn't it Hightara, honestly they seem to prefer people to get

more unwell when, if they were seen a bit sooner, they could probably just

carry on as normal.  It's the same with our surgery, you can ring on the day

you feel unwell enough to need an appointment and get one at least a week

later or they say ring in the morning and we'll put you in for that day or the next.

I wonder why they can't do that in the first place?!

Anybody who has the beginnings of something serious could be in real

trouble by the time they get to see the doctor, or in less serious matters,

better.  But it must be very worrying for those who are not very well at all.

[guardpig]

Have the opposite problem.  All appointments have to be booked on the day, regardless of whether they could wait 2 weeks or not. Receptionists just couldn't understand that, for something non urgent, OH would be at work and children at school when i rang and that they couldn't be produced for an appointment like a rabbit out of a hat!  Still have the problem with OH.  If Doc isn't busy they try to make you take the next appointment rather than the last because Doc could finish early if you do!.

[stan3502]

Arghhhhhhh doctor's receptionists, don't even get me started on that one ................

[stroppy*cow]

That's why I never go to our doctor's surgery, all I use them for is repeat meds. If I am ill I either go to the walk in centre, or A & E. At both, I may well have to sit for hour or so, but I will be seen and the appropriate meds prescribed.

The GP practice is dire - ever since they became a "group". You are supposed to phone up at 8am for an appointment, and are likely to be told that the next free slot is 2/3 weeks away, and at a surgery miles away (the local surgery is 2 streets away). If it is an "emergency", the doctor will phone you, diagnose over the phone and you can pick up a prescription from the surgery later. Sometimes if you are sufficiently stroppy they will find you an appointment with the nurse practicioner. This is the same nurse who pulled off the dressing on an abcess without washing hands, using gel, or putting on gloves, and after poking at it, settled down to type on the computer, still without washing hands or using gel. She never made any attempt to cover the abcess and when I asked for a clean dressing, very reluctantly put a square of gauze on and two strips of micropore tape.

[ilove2patch]

What awful stories. At mine you phone at 8.30 for a same day appointment. I have never been told I can't have one or you can book any time in the future for routine appointments. Sounds like my surgery is in the minority.

[stroppy*cow]

Our surgery USED to be like that Maggie, was a single doctor, and whilst you would get a locum when he was on holiday or off sick, there was no problem. They would even do a home visit.

Then they joined up with another (much bigger) surgery and became part of a group and everything went downhill.

[ilove2patch]

Ours has six doctors & two nurse practicioners. 

[stroppy*cow]

I haven't really got a clue what ours has got!

[carolyorkie2010]

With you on that one, Stan!

[guardpig]

Ah now most of our receptionists are lovely.  Some have been there since the kids were born.  They cuddle babies while you see Doc if it's quiet, they know all the regulars, recognise your voice on the phone, know it takes a good hour to get son down there and that hubby is at work.  Doesn't stop them sticking to the rules or liking a few minutes off on a Friday but they will put themselves out for you if you don't muck them around.

[guardpig]

Best one is my daughter's.  If you heave in sight(physically) before noon they will get you seen IF they think it is an emergency.  If not there's a 3 week minimum wait.  Daughter once threatened to make an appointment every week just in case.

[hightara]

good lord stroopy............ that is horrific 

[chickengrandma-2008]

Ours went over to the 'you ring the receptionist and ask for the doctor to ring you back'  who would then diagnose you and act accordingly, but now they've gone back to booking appointments.  You can book them on line which I prefer because you can choose which of the free appointments suits you best.

We have about ten doctors I think, at least two HCAs and two nurse practitioners.  

[ed_blackadder_1]

What horror stories, My doctor is wonderful and we have been with him for 20 years, we can ring on the day and have never been told no, we can book advanced appointments as well if its not urgent.  The receptionists all know us and still speak to my son about when he was a baby, he loves it sooo embarrassing he is 21.

None of us go very often, my son has asthma and goes twice a year for check ups and flu injection.  Hubby has been more than me with the dreaded cholesterol. I have probably been twice in the last 3 years one about the change and once for pills for my back.  Oh I did tear the tendons in my shoulder but I had an emergency appointment for that and saw another doctor, but my own doctor rang me the next day to see how I was.

I feel sorry for anyone having problems with doctors,

Now NHS Dentists that's a whole new subject...................

[ed_blackadder_1]

Forgot to say this is not a small practice, we have about 12 doctors, some of whom specialise in womans health, some children, etc,

There are probably about 8 nurses/sisters, who deal with all sorts of clinics, along with health visitors and physiotherapist (to see one of them you only have to ring to make an appointment and don't usually have to wait which is handy when you are in pain.

However they are very friendly and don't make you feel like you are getting in the way.

The dentist on the other hand...................................

[chips-and-brown-gravy]

Completely Innapropriate use of A & E.  Its ACCIDENT and EMERGENCY, not somewhere to go because you are unwell.

No wonder A&E departments all over the country are under such pressure, and people are having their lives put at risk because people go there rather than their GP. 

If it is urgent a GP will see you, if not you may be triaged and may have to wait.

Do you also realise the difference in cost to the NHS of a visit to the GP rather than A&E? - A&E costs about 7 times as much.

No wonder the NHS is struggling for money.

Sorry of this sounds harsh, but people just don't understand the consequencies, if you want to keep a 'free at the point of use' NHS use it responsibly and sensibly.

If the treatment you received from the nurse practitioner was innapropriate, and completely against all the rules of infection control - report it to the practice manager and/or the local healthwatch who will do something about it, rather than posting it on an ebay message board!

[cookiecookuk]

our doctors is great they have about 6 doctors and a nurse and 2 nurse practitioners.if you want to book an appointment you useually have to wait about a week but if you ring at 8 o clock on the day you are seen that day.i have never been told they are fully booked.

but i do remember about 6 years ago when we had a smaller practice. i had an appointment about 9.30 and i turned up to find the computer was down.we had the doctor the paper notes for each patient but because the computer was down he could not see anyone.????????we had to wait about 1 1/2 hours til they mended it.

[rose2008-2008]

My doctors are like that. they say ohh two weeks time or you have to ring on the day first thing???. I do not understand??. Its very bad. very bad.

[bitsnknots]

At our doctors there is one full time doctor, a part time doctor who is a pain in the you know where, a nurse practitioner, a nurse and a health care assistant.  If you want an emergency appointment, you have to ring at 8.30 and you'll be seen that day.  If the appointment isn't urgent, then you'll get an appointment in a week or two so ours isn't too bad I must admit.