4 week waiting list for GP

[DT1975]

What are things like where you are ?

I don't often bother the doc but as age catches up it's happening more.

I thought I had a hernia (large lump in abdomen) rang the GP and for the first three days all I got was recorded message saying ring back tomorrow. This is a practice with 8 GP's serving an area of about 12,000 people in a nice area of southern England. (I'm saying not inner city type thing that may be very busy)

When I did get through I was told there was a 4 week waiting list - I was gobsmacked but was asked about my symptoms (secretary doing triage and trying to work out if my condition was serious - do they get paid enough for that ?)

She erred on the side of caution and got me in the following day.

I only started ringing as the missus pressurised me, to then get a potential 4 week wait before even seeing a GP for diagnosis then referral is an appalling state of affairs in my opinion. Is it just the time of year, I know hospitals are under pressure as usual.

Likewise my NHS dentist went private last year, two fillings have fallen out. Is this going to get any better or is it now considered the norm ? (not my teeth obviously I'm going to have to go private to get those sorted)

[Sheets Tabuer]

I've been experiencing the same, had multiple chest infections since October, might be the same one for all I know but anyway, I couldn't get to speak to my doc for love nor money so arranged a private appointment online for £50 off a website.

Filled in the forms and waited for the Doc to call me.

It was my Doc.

[Rough101]

No waiting list here, you need to phone every day at 8.00 exactly and you may or may not get an appointment, then phone the next day, and the next……

Hopeless if you’re trying to work.

[Jazoli]

No issues here in South Cumbria, ring doctors in morning, get appointment that morning or afternoon, we are really thankful that we aren't blighted by the issues elsewhere in the Country, referrals for hospital appointments however are a bit slow.

[Badda]

So you were seen in 24 hours? Sounds good to me. They've done a good job there of triaging you.
If you'd called about blood pressure, PSA, weight, MH, aching shoulder etc (some of the things on PH recently), then would you agree that these probably weren't as crucial and could afford a little time?

[The Leaper]

We live mid Surrey

No significant problems (yet). We can book appointments on our GP practice's website, usually a few days wait. We can book emergency appointments by phone before 10:30. The other day I went to the practice at 11:30 about an issue my wife was having,

• got an appointment for her with a GP at 2:30 that afternoon,
• this produced an instant referral via NHS,
• NHS called that afternoon, referred to a local hospital,
• that hospital called that afternoon,
• she got an appointment within a week to see an ENT consultant.

We thought this was a reasonable service.

R.

[Badda]

The Leaper said:

We live mid Surrey

No significant problems (yet). We can book appointments on our GP practice's website, usually a few days wait. We can book emergency appointments by phone before 10:30. The other day I went to the practice at 11:30 about an issue my wife was having,

• got an appointment for her with a GP at 2:30 that afternoon,
• this produced an instant referral via NHS,
• NHS called that afternoon, referred to a local hospital,
• that hospital called that afternoon,
• she got an appointment within a week to see an ENT consultant.

We thought this was a reasonable service.

R.

Do you think it was perhaps better than reasonable? Sounds fantastic to me.

[towser44]

Not GP related, but I was referred to the NHS by my Private Dentist for tooth extraction in November 2023. I've had 2 pre-ops now, the second because they needed an updated one after 6 months elapsed from the first and yet still waiting for an actual appointment for the extraction lol!

[Dbag101]

I’ve gone fully private now. On line GP appointments, and rapid referral, if necessary. Also no waiting lists. The NHS is buggered

[JQ]

Badda said:

So you were seen in 24 hours? Sounds good to me. They've done a good job there of triaging you.
If you'd called about blood pressure, PSA, weight, MH, aching shoulder etc (some of the things on PH recently), then would you agree that these probably weren't as crucial and could afford a little time?

This. I’m not really sure what you’re complaining about, you got seen really quickly. Also sounds like the receptionist did a really good job of making sure the doctors time wasn’t being wasted.

I’m in Cheshire and made an online request for an appointment at 7:30am on Wednesday and was given an appointment at 10:30am on the same day.

[Motorman74]

With ours you either phone for an urgent appointment same day at 8am and hope you get through, or if it's not so serious you fill in an e-consult.

I've had varying responses to those ranging from phone the surgery for an appointment within the next couple of weeks, to an almost immediate call from the surgery asking if I can get there later that day, depending on what the triage process has picked up.

I also have private healthcare through work, including access to a private GP via video link any time - I've used it once, and they sent a prescription to the local supermarket pharmacy on a Sunday afternoon for me to collect. I've also used the no referral services they offer to access physio, and a skin check after a mole changed significantly.

In general I can't fault my local GPs but it is nice to have the luxury of the private option.

[Hugo Stiglitz]

Mines in a city centre. I live 4 miles away. Plenty local to me but they are awful. My wife's on her second locally and it takes weeks to be seen. Mine? Ring, today good?

[xx99xx]

Things have definitely taken a few steps backwards since COVID.

I used to be able to book an appointment on an app for up to a week ahead, which is usually fine for me if it's non urgent. They have now removed the online booking facility. Now you have to phone to get a telephone consultation, then wait a day or 2 for that consultation (even for something they can't obviously diagnose/treat over the phone) then get another appointment a few days later in person.

I'm not a doctor but my common sense says they are wasting (precious) time doing phone consultations on stuff they will obviously need to see in person.

[DT1975]

Badda said:

So you were seen in 24 hours? Sounds good to me. They've done a good job there of triaging you.
If you'd called about blood pressure, PSA, weight, MH, aching shoulder etc (some of the things on PH recently), then would you agree that these probably weren't as crucial and could afford a little time?

It was good she triaged me and got me in I agree, my point was the 4 week waiting list for anything else which is more than a 'little time'. Do you think that's appropriate, personally I don't which was kind of my point. However if this is normal nowadays then I'll accept it is but I'll still tell you that I think its unacceptable.

There has to be inherent risks with receptionists triaging people over the phone, not usually an issue with a few days waiting list perhaps but a month, there's no way that can be right.

[biggles330d]

Central Scotland here. Nice village with a surgery. If I need the GP, 90% of the time phone for an appointment and can get a call back same or next day. If it needs a visit to the surgery, not often more than a couple of days to get a slot.
Never had an issue.

[Voldemort]

Leeds. Rang last Monday at 0800 to get an appointment - appointments are released at 0800 for the morning of the same day and at 1300 for the afternoon. Saw the doctor at 0835.

Needed a blood test and X-rays. The blood test was done at 1330 the same day and I was sent a link to book x-rays the same afternoon too. First available x-ray was on Wednesday at 1400. Was in and out of St James' in 45 minutes (and 20 of those were spent ascending the multi storey carp ark behind the world's second worst driver (my late Canadian aunt will hold the title of no.1 for eternity as far as I'm concerned).

Got a text on Friday/yesterday to ask me to arrange a follow up appointment which I was able to do on line following a link they sent me and I'm booked in for this coming tuesday.

[Sheepshanks]

Motorman74 said:

With ours you either phone for an urgent appointment same day at 8am and hope you get through, or if it's not so serious you fill in an e-consult.

Same for us, in Cheshire. The 8AM scramble is a bit nerve-wracking - rang this week and was told was no 1 for 7 or 8 mins so wondered if I’d been parked (has happened before) but they did answer and had multiple time and location choices (they operate from 3 locations).

My wife had a bit of a bust up with them recently when they wouldn’t renew her prescription without a Dr appt, then said there were no appts. She told them to sort it out one way or another and call her back and amazingly they did.

[Riley Blue]

DT1975 said:

Badda said:

So you were seen in 24 hours? Sounds good to me. They've done a good job there of triaging you.
If you'd called about blood pressure, PSA, weight, MH, aching shoulder etc (some of the things on PH recently), then would you agree that these probably weren't as crucial and could afford a little time?

It was good she triaged me and got me in I agree, my point was the 4 week waiting list for anything else which is more than a 'little time'. Do you think that's appropriate, personally I don't which was kind of my point. However if this is normal nowadays then I'll accept it is but I'll still tell you that I think its unacceptable.

There has to be inherent risks with receptionists triaging people over the phone, not usually an issue with a few days waiting list perhaps but a month, there's no way that can be right.

At my surgery those 'receptionists' go through three months training before they're permitted to triage patients. Triage is carried out by following a clinical pathway similar to that used by the out of hours 111 service call handlers and it's continually reviewed and updated.
Patients with urgent clinical need rightly receive priority, less urgent are offered an appointment with the clinician best able to deal with their need within two weeks; no one waits four weeks. It's not necessarily a GP, for example a blood test can be done by a health care assistant, a nurse can carry out a smear test.

[Sheepshanks]

Above reminds me - I've seen quite a few comments from people who gave up trying to get a GP appt, rang 111, and 111 made them an appt with their GP.

[Ultra Sound Guy]

I’ve heard so many bad tales about this but never experienced it myself!
For 16 years I lived in Hampshire, with a practice in our village.
Never waited more than a week for an appointment, depending on how serious it would normally be same or next day. They also had their own pharmacy, 2 days between request to doctor and supply from pharmacy!
18 months ago I moved to rural East Midlands. GP 10 minutes drive away, appointments normally same or next day (worst case 4 days, best case 10 minutes). They also have their own pharmacy but it’s normal turnaround is 4 days. Excellent links to local hospitals for tests, scans etc.