Doctors' Receptionists

[mattviatura]

I need an appointment with my GP, the bloke knows me and my history.

So I phone the surgery at half eight (as it opens)

Me "I'd like an appointment with Dr W please".

Nazi "He has no appointments today, I can get you another doctor".

Me "I'd rather see Dr W beca-----"

Nazi "All his appointments are gone today you can can see Dr O"

Me "Okay, I'd still rather see Dr W, does he have any apppointments available tomorrow"

Nazi "No, they've all been pre-booked (sic)"

Me "No problem, could I book an appointment with Dr W?"

Nazi "No, you have to phone up on the day"

Me "Well if he has booked appoinments for tomorrow how do I bo----"

Nazi "You have to phone up on the day, you'll have the same problem tomorrow"

Me (slightly perturbed) "I have just telephoned twenty seconds after your switch opened, it would have been impossible for all of the appointments to have been taken already, how do I book an appointment with Dr W on another day, as it seems other people have done?"

Nazi "Hang on"

Nazi (pissed off) "You're very lucky, we have a cancellation at ten past nine tomorrow morning"

IS IT fkING ME??

[parakitaMol.]

I don't know what is so confusing. Most GP surgeries run the same way.

There are booked appointments and there are the 'sit and wait' slots for emergencies.

You call on the day for being 'fitted in' as an emergency OR you book ahead - which can be up to 3 or 4 days for an appointment.

What is so hard about that?

[fadeaway]

Did you manage to not reply with something like:

"Well, I luck forward to speaking to you first thing tomorrow morning and hope that this appointment is still available"

[JRM]

You're clearly not seen as an important patient. I used think it was a nightmare, but maybe you are male and not very old? Now that I have seen the service my wife and baby have received I can kind of understand why it is like it is.
If my wife rings up and says the baby has a slightest issue she is instantly seen, which is how I want it to be, but it means a grown man with a bit of a sniff gets shoved way down the line. They pre-book most of the appointments for more important issues that might need to be dealt with immediately it seems

[bigdods]

parakitaMol. said:

I don't know what is so confusing. Most GP surgeries run the same way.

There are booked appointments and there are the 'sit and wait' slots for emergencies.

You call on the day for being 'fitted in' as an emergency OR you book ahead - which can be up to 3 or 4 days for an appointment.

What is so hard about that?

I think with the targets for waiting lists the way it actually works (as confirmed by my local surgery):


80% of appointments cannot be booked until 08:30 on the day. These are not counted as emergency appointments , just normal ones. There is only 1 receptionist and she likes to have a nice natter with everyone that calls. Prepare to be on hold for 20 minutes to get an appointment.

10% of appointments are kept free during the day for real emergencies

10% of appointments can be booked in advanced but you have to explain what is wrong with you in detail to some nosy busybody of a receptionist and she decides (not the doctor) if you are 'allowed' to book in advance.


ETA: And every now and then ALL the doctors will go away for a conference for a week leaving the entire surgery (6+ doctors) in the hands of locums. So when you take you youngster in with tummy ache instead of the correct diagnosis (bit of constipation!) that can be sorted with some prune juice they tell you that its something serious and start booking scans and specialists. This scares the crap out of your mrs and creates general panic until a real doctor returns and works out what it REALLY is.

Edited by bigdods on Wednesday 2nd December 09:02

[miniman]

My tactic:

Nazi: Is it an emergnecy?

Me: I have no idea, I was hoping the Doctor could tell me.

[Threeracers]

I have had one of those conversations with my doctor and someone has suggested that it’s to meet targets. Apparently there is a target of seeing someone within a timeframe of the request so if only allow appointments to be booked for the day you can say that you have seen everyone within a day.

It’s a deceitful way of fudging the figures if it’s true.

[mattviatura]

parakitaMol. said:

I don't know what is so confusing. Most GP surgeries run the same way.

There are booked appointments and there are the 'sit and wait' slots for emergencies.

You call on the day for being 'fitted in' as an emergency OR you book ahead - which can be up to 3 or 4 days for an appointment.

What is so hard about that?

Did you read my fkING post? - I TRIED TO fkING BOOK AHEAD

That's what's so fking hard

[Deva Link]

parakitaMol. said:

I don't know what is so confusing. Most GP surgeries run the same way.

There are booked appointments and there are the 'sit and wait' slots for emergencies.

Ours is exactly as the OP decribed and you can't just turn up - there a no "sit and wait" slots.

We have the same hassle. Ring at 8.30, get straight through and yet the first appointment is usually at around 10.30, a real pain if you want to go on to work. The only positive thing is that there's a rarely a wait of more than a few mins once you get there.

Edited by Deva Link on Wednesday 2nd December 09:04

[TonyHetherington]

parakitaMol. said:

OR you book ahead - which can be up to 3 or 4 days for an appointment.

That's the crucial bit. Many surgeries don't allow you to book that far in advance; the target is that everybody should be able to see a doctor within 48hours. So they don't allow you to book any further than that; thereby every phonecall is seen within 48 hours.

I'm fortunate that my surgery is like that; means you can get an 8.30 or 5pm appointment even if it's 7 days away, but (apparently) many are.

[parakitaMol.]

bigdods said:

parakitaMol. said:

I don't know what is so confusing. Most GP surgeries run the same way.

There are booked appointments and there are the 'sit and wait' slots for emergencies.

You call on the day for being 'fitted in' as an emergency OR you book ahead - which can be up to 3 or 4 days for an appointment.

What is so hard about that?

I think with the targets for waiting lists the way it actually works (as confirmed by my local surgery):


80% of appointments cannot be booked until 08:30 on the day. These are not counted as emergency appointments , just normal ones. There is only 1 receptionist and she likes to have a nice natter with everyone that calls. Prepare to be on hold for 20 minutes to get an appointment.

10% of appointments are kept free during the day for real emergencies

10% of appointments can be booked in advanced but you have to explain what is wrong with you in detail to some nosy busybody of a receptionist and she decides (not the doctor) if you are 'allowed' to book in advance.

Edited by bigdods on Wednesday 2nd December 08:59

My surgery does not work like this at all.

You book an appointment whenever you want it. This week, next week, 3 weeks ahead - whenever. It's only if you want to see someone urgently then it might be difficult and you might have to see another GP. Although I have never had a problem seeing my GP on the same day when needed. AND he calls his patients to discuss things between his morning and evening surgery if you need advice.

[davido140]

mattviatura said:

IS IT fkING ME??

Nope, not just you. Doctors receptionists are evil bhes. In my experience without exception.

In some ways it might be understandable as they deal with scumbags, doleites and timewasting bell-ends all day long. But they have lost the ability to filter the nob heads from the human beings and treat everyone like scum.

They might even be quite nice people outside of work, but stick them behind that desk and put them on the phone.....

[Jonny671]

parakitaMol. said:

I don't know what is so confusing. Most GP surgeries run the same way.

There are booked appointments and there are the 'sit and wait' slots for emergencies.

You call on the day for being 'fitted in' as an emergency OR you book ahead - which can be up to 3 or 4 days for an appointment.

What is so hard about that?

Everything.

They don't let you book ahead!

[parakitaMol.]

Jonny671 said:

parakitaMol. said:

I don't know what is so confusing. Most GP surgeries run the same way.

There are booked appointments and there are the 'sit and wait' slots for emergencies.

You call on the day for being 'fitted in' as an emergency OR you book ahead - which can be up to 3 or 4 days for an appointment.

What is so hard about that?

Everything.

They don't let you book ahead!

Mine does.

So I guess the answer is if you're not happy - do something about it and change your GP.

Edited by parakitaMol. on Wednesday 2nd December 09:07

[mattviatura]

Change your GP.

Fabulous.

I like and trust my GP, AND HE KNOWS ME, that still counts for a lot as far as I am concerned.

[parakitaMol.]

Put up or shut up.

As my nan used to say.



As she booked ahead to see her GP.

[whoami]

parakitaMol. said:

Jonny671 said:

parakitaMol. said:

I don't know what is so confusing. Most GP surgeries run the same way.

There are booked appointments and there are the 'sit and wait' slots for emergencies.

You call on the day for being 'fitted in' as an emergency OR you book ahead - which can be up to 3 or 4 days for an appointment.

What is so hard about that?

Everything.

They don't let you book ahead!

Mine does.

So I guess the answer is if you're not happy - do something about it and change your GP.

Edited by parakitaMol. on Wednesday 2nd December 09:07

So most surgeries work that way.

Apart from yours.

[mattviatura]

I really don't know what to say.

[V8mate]

What is it with all you ill people?

Take two paracetamol and get your backside into work!

Edited by V8mate on Wednesday 2nd December 09:17

[becksW]

parakitaMol. said:

Put up or shut up.

As my nan used to say.



As she booked ahead to see her GP.

They're not alone, our surgery is the same, I have never seen the same doctor twice due to this system. The doctors we used to be registered with did the same. We are not allowed to stay with them any way because these doctors are nearer we had to re register here.