Reasonable time to wait for Doctors appointment
Discussion
I've booked to see my Doctor as I'm having a little nerve pain in one buttock sometimes when my bladder is full.
My Dr is booked up solid, the next available Doctors appointment was 12th May 16' when I called up today.
Like most chaps, I'm allergic to Doctors and hospitals so I have no idea if this is normal to have to wait 3 weeks to see a GP? Seems like a long time to wait to me.
My Dr is booked up solid, the next available Doctors appointment was 12th May 16' when I called up today.
Like most chaps, I'm allergic to Doctors and hospitals so I have no idea if this is normal to have to wait 3 weeks to see a GP? Seems like a long time to wait to me.
944fan said:
Christ I went on line this morning and have an appointment this afternoon at 16:40. Admitidley I just go and see which ever Dr is free rather than the same one each time. The Dr I am seeing this afternoon is a partner and not a loucm as well.
Mine was 7 weeks because i needed an evening appointment (1930)I visited mine a couple of weeks ago I had to arrange it about a week in advance although if it's serious they do advise to ring at 8am and they'll try and squeeze you in. The thing is I turned up for my 08:30 appointment and was the only person in the waiting room and I still had to wait 15 minutes before the doctor decided he was ready to see me. I went this morning for a follow up and it was exactly the same, just me and a 15 minute wait to see him so clearly not that busy.
A little tip for all of you who can't get an appointment:
Ring 111 and get assessed. If they agree you need to see your own GP, they will message them and then you can call your surgery yourself and say '111 say I need to see a GP today/tomorrow' and they have to find you that appointment.
Ring 111 and get assessed. If they agree you need to see your own GP, they will message them and then you can call your surgery yourself and say '111 say I need to see a GP today/tomorrow' and they have to find you that appointment.
condor said:
We have to ring our surgery at 0800 and then we can be seen between 0830-1045 that day. There is a limit to how many patients will be seen, but the few times I missed out on a morning visit I was given an afternoon appointment or telephone consultation.
Yeah ours is the same set up. But there are a couple of tricks we have found. Firstly the surgery is 2 mins walk from my house, so queuing up outside before it opens get you first access to the appointments. Few people have clocked this so you have to get there about 7:40 if you want to be first.Using the online booking is the best thing though. Sometimes a few appointments get released when the surgery closes the day before. The main bulk of the appointments go on at least 2-3 minutes before the lines open at 8. No one else seems to use it hardly (certainly not problems accessing it).
jurbie said:
I visited mine a couple of weeks ago I had to arrange it about a week in advance although if it's serious they do advise to ring at 8am and they'll try and squeeze you in. The thing is I turned up for my 08:30 appointment and was the only person in the waiting room and I still had to wait 15 minutes before the doctor decided he was ready to see me. I went this morning for a follow up and it was exactly the same, just me and a 15 minute wait to see him so clearly not that busy.
Doctors don't just sit there waiting for patients to turn up: https://www.google.co.uk/search?client=opera&q...
jurbie said:
I visited mine a couple of weeks ago I had to arrange it about a week in advance although if it's serious they do advise to ring at 8am and they'll try and squeeze you in. The thing is I turned up for my 08:30 appointment and was the only person in the waiting room and I still had to wait 15 minutes before the doctor decided he was ready to see me. I went this morning for a follow up and it was exactly the same, just me and a 15 minute wait to see him so clearly not that busy.
Shh.... We're trying to keep it a secret!! Unfortunately this is a problem that is only likely to get worse
The main culprit is increasing demand. We see increasing numbers of patients wanting to see their doctor before trying simple self management for minor ailments. In addition, there is increasing demand to be seen NOW for problems that have been present for weeks if not months. On top of this, prominent public health campaigns educating the masses on the presenting symptoms for serious conditions, whilst being a good thing, further increases demand.
To top this off, the funding for GP is steadily falling, good GPs are hard to recruit, and there is more and more administrative work thrown in.
It's safe to say that the morale of most GPs is at a low point currently, and it doesn't help having the ignorant assuming we are not busy, when this couldn't be further from the truth.
There appears to be only two solutions, either more funding - for more appointments, or people's expectations need to change. Personally, I can't see either happening any time soon!
The main culprit is increasing demand. We see increasing numbers of patients wanting to see their doctor before trying simple self management for minor ailments. In addition, there is increasing demand to be seen NOW for problems that have been present for weeks if not months. On top of this, prominent public health campaigns educating the masses on the presenting symptoms for serious conditions, whilst being a good thing, further increases demand.
To top this off, the funding for GP is steadily falling, good GPs are hard to recruit, and there is more and more administrative work thrown in.
It's safe to say that the morale of most GPs is at a low point currently, and it doesn't help having the ignorant assuming we are not busy, when this couldn't be further from the truth.
There appears to be only two solutions, either more funding - for more appointments, or people's expectations need to change. Personally, I can't see either happening any time soon!
Edited by meddyg on Sunday 24th April 21:59
meddyg said:
Unfortunately this is a problem that is only likely to get worse
The main culprit is increasing demand. We see increasing numbers of patients wanting to see their doctor before trying simple self management for minor ailments. In addition, there is increasing demand to be seen NOW for problems that have been present for weeks if not months. On top of this, prominent public health campaigns educating the masses on the presenting symptoms for serious conditions, whilst being a good thing, further increases demand.
To top this off, the funding for GP is steadily falling, good GPs are hard to recruit, and there is more and more administrative work thrown in.
It's safe to say that the morale of most GPs is at a low point currently, and it doesn't help having the ignorant assuming we are not busy, when this couldn't be further from the truth.
There appears to be only two solutions, either more funding - for more appointments, or people's expectations need to change. Personally, I can't see either happening any time soon!
I don't disagree per se, but also I have seen some very poor management and appointment arrangements at some GPs. You mention people being seen now for long running symptoms. For quite a while the only way to get an appointment at my GP was to phone on the morning and take an appointment that day. Not really urgent but you had no choice. Now the let you book non urgent appointments a couple of weeks in advance.The main culprit is increasing demand. We see increasing numbers of patients wanting to see their doctor before trying simple self management for minor ailments. In addition, there is increasing demand to be seen NOW for problems that have been present for weeks if not months. On top of this, prominent public health campaigns educating the masses on the presenting symptoms for serious conditions, whilst being a good thing, further increases demand.
To top this off, the funding for GP is steadily falling, good GPs are hard to recruit, and there is more and more administrative work thrown in.
It's safe to say that the morale of most GPs is at a low point currently, and it doesn't help having the ignorant assuming we are not busy, when this couldn't be further from the truth.
There appears to be only two solutions, either more funding - for more appointments, or people's expectations need to change. Personally, I can't see either happening any time soon!
Edited by meddyg on Sunday 24th April 21:59
More funding is needed, a lot more. I can't imagine why anyone would want to become a Dr these days. Seems like a thankless task and they all seem stressed and stretched when you do see them.
944fan said:
I don't disagree per se, but also I have seen some very poor management and appointment arrangements at some GPs. You mention people being seen now for long running symptoms. For quite a while the only way to get an appointment at my GP was to phone on the morning and take an appointment that day. Not really urgent but you had no choice. Now the let you book non urgent appointments a couple of weeks in advance.
More funding is needed, a lot more. I can't imagine why anyone would want to become a Dr these days. Seems like a thankless task and they all seem stressed and stretched when you do see them.
It sounds cruel I know but a lot of the time GP surgeries are just clogged up with older people who demand to be seen straight away and given every antibiotic under the sun because they sneezed a couple of times in a row the previous day.More funding is needed, a lot more. I can't imagine why anyone would want to become a Dr these days. Seems like a thankless task and they all seem stressed and stretched when you do see them.
Gassing Station | Health Matters | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff