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Topic Originator: Raymie the Legend
Date: Tue 15 Apr 14:46
It looks like I`ve picked up an ear infection that`s gotten worse overnight. I wander into town and pop into Boots the pharmacy, hopeful that they would give me some antibiotics to clear it up? They said they were not able to and I would need to see my GP. Ok.
Went online to book, as I recall it`s a new system. Luckily and thankfully, I`m hardly ever there, so this was the first time.
Not taking any bookings online - I would have to login again at 7am tomorrow. Strange, I would have thought an online system would have shown the earliest available appointment?
It`s a nice day so I decided to walk along, make an appointment, get my steps in and, you never know, might get lucky with a cancellation?
Arrived and was told that the only way to make an appointment was online. I asked at what times I could do this and was told between 0700 and 1530. I asked why I couldn`t book earlier. "There must be no appointments left?"
I scanned the waiting room. One person there. In years gone by, there would be at least half a dozen, after all there are six doctors in the practice.
"It seems very quiet", I said "has there been any cancellations per chance?"
"No" Ah well, let`s set the alarm for 0645 tomorrow and see if I can get a time.
At least I got some steps in.
Progress?
Thoughts?
Post Edited (Tue 15 Apr 14:49)
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Topic Originator: Playup_Pompey
Date: Tue 15 Apr 14:53
good luck. Thankfully similar favourable health so never use my surgery but id be dead or cured by time i get an appointment. phone at 8:30 for any appointments that day/day+1. Have seen mrs phoning over 100times to get through to her surgery.
Ive also been in the surgery at opening time and witness the receptionist just taking the phone off the hook and leaving it off from 8:29 so anyone calling for 8:30 gets the "busy" message.
an absolute shambles of a system.
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Topic Originator: Raymie the Legend
Date: Tue 15 Apr 14:57
Geez, PUP. :-(
I remember the day when you could get an appointment in the morning or just queue in the afternoon. It worked very well.
It`s bloody tough being a legend
Ron Atkinson - 1983
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Topic Originator: ipswichpar
Date: Tue 15 Apr 15:16
Similar down here but it is ultimately better in my opinion.
Until recently is was call up at 8am to get an appointment. But often even calling at 8am you found yourself 35th in the queue. Hanging on for ages. At this point you were also competing with folk at the door who were trying to get an appointment.
So I`d taken to walking down to the surgery (I can`t drive) which was 3 miles down unlit roads which is not too pleasant if dark or raining.
Some of my stuff is related to serious health issues so it annoyed me that others were potentially off to see about non urgent stuff but got luckier managing the system or were closer to the surgery.
Now it opens at 7am every morning online. It stays open for a few hours, and my request for an appointment is assessed by a doctor and prioritised. I`m happy with that as if I`ve got a minor ailment I don`t want that taking up time when the doctor should be seeing to someone else.
The other plus is that they appear to be dealing with stuff electronically now that previously may have needed a face to face appointment to explain. I suspect it`ll let them cover a lot more ground in the day.
You probably don`t have a favourite GP if you aren`t there much but make sure tomorrow to shove in a preferred doc and time to avoid them giving you an appointment with Dr Boggin at a time that doesn`t suit! This appears to be the biggest deficit in the new process. (There were some advantages to standing at the front door from 730 onwards!).
Hope the appointment goes well and the problem is quickly resolved.
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Topic Originator: parathletic
Date: Tue 15 Apr 15:51
As mentioned above you will be best calling at 8.30am for an emergency same day appointment. It wouldn`t surprise me if it was months before you could a normal appointment.
I cracked a tooth last month and had to go for an emergency appointment at the dentist, similar to your experience there was hardly anyone there. The dentist put in a temporary filling and told me to go to reception to arrange a date to get it done properly. This was at the beginning of March and she initially said some date at the end of May but corrected herself and I ended up with one which is still more than 2 months away in June. She said she was trying to get me an appointment with the dentist who I always see. I explained that the dentist I had previously no longer worked there and I wasn`t bothered who I saw. The receptionist seemed oblivious to what I had just said and her reply was `we like to keep you with the same dentist`. So I now have an appointment with my `regular` dentist(who I have never seen before!) Absolutely bizarre and hardly efficient.
I couldn`t care less what dentist does the work as long as they are qualified. I`m not there to socialise.
Post Edited (Tue 15 Apr 15:53)
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Topic Originator: buffy
Date: Tue 15 Apr 17:26
I always get an appt by using the online system the day before. I don’t phone in anymore.
”Buffy’s Buns are the finest in Fife”, J. Spence 2019”
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Topic Originator: MikeyLeonard
Date: Tue 15 Apr 17:37
Quote:
buffy, Tue 15 Apr 17:26
I always get an appt by using the online system the day before. I don’t phone in anymore.
Me too. . .I`m with Nethertown Surgery and if I`m looking for an appointment, I have to go through the online econsult system and usually get a call back later that day.
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Topic Originator: neilholland999
Date: Tue 15 Apr 18:22
I`m in Suffolk, and my surgery uses an online eConsult system for requesting appointments.
Unfortunately, my surgery does not allow you to book in advance (even for non-urgent appointments), so you have to try and remember to do it on the day you want an appointment, which is tricky when you have a family and a very busy full time job etc. 🤦♂️
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Topic Originator: LochgellyAlbert
Date: Tue 15 Apr 18:40
You have to phone our surgery at 08.00 and do the NHS roulette, finally get through and you are questioned what the problem is.
If it is considered non urgent you are referred to the local chemist, Dears in our case, where you phone to book an appointment. The pharmacist checks your essentials, pulse, blood pressure, lungs etc., then prescribes antibiotics.
My wife went through the system and eventually ended up at the doctors, prescribed another course of antibiotics and sent for x-rays.
Our doctor agrees it`s a shambles!
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Topic Originator: wee eck
Date: Tue 15 Apr 18:56
The system seems to vary. One time I avoided the 8 am stampede and phoned later. I explained my symptoms to the receptionist who said she would pass them on to the duty doctor who did telephone consultations. Within an hour the receptionist phoned me back and asked me to come in for a face-to-face appointment.
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Topic Originator: LochgellyAlbert
Date: Tue 15 Apr 19:36
Forgot to say that my wife never saw the doctor, only a medical practitioner!
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Topic Originator: jake89
Date: Tue 15 Apr 23:22
The problem is a lack of GPs and also a load of time wasters. Our surgery introduced the econsult service, which should allow reception to allocate the available slots based on urgency. Unfortunately, they can`t turn off the phones so the time wasters can still circumvent the process by simply calling when the surgery opens.
The lack of GPs is a massive issue, made worse in places like Oakley where a local bellends beat up the new GP resulting in him leaving.
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Topic Originator: red-star-par
Date: Tue 15 Apr 23:44
I agree regarding time wasters. My partner used to work at a GP Surgery and so much resources are taken up by people who should just be getting telt to do one. There used to be the same people phoning up for appointments weekly, or even daily, wee bit of a sore finger, some kind of pain in the toes, skin a little dry, wanting moisturiser for free, wanting paracetamol for free, just minor things that most folk wouldn`t dream of bothering a doctor for. There really needs to be a limit on the amount of unnecessary appointments people can make, if they are going to waste GPs time they should have to pay for it.
Coupled with the pressure put on the NHS by the offspring of cousins marrying, something will have to give
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Topic Originator: wee eck
Date: Tue 15 Apr 23:51
Doctors` surgeries should be telling patients to consult local pharmacies for what are classed as `minor ailments` that don`t need prescription medicines.
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Topic Originator: Raymie the Legend
Date: Wed 16 Apr 07:09
So I`ve set the alarm, gone through all the questions to be informed at the end that "We can`t safely assess your symptoms through this online request. You need to talk to someone today instead"
I`ve rang 111, but have hung up as they have a long wait and my condition is not "life threatening" so give the more needy a better chance to get through.
A trawl of pharmacies, when they open, to see if someone can give me the antibiotics!
I fly in two weeks, so need this cleared up.
Oh, dear.
Post Edited (Wed 16 Apr 07:18)
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Topic Originator: Playup_Pompey
Date: Wed 16 Apr 08:20
"I agree regarding time wasters. My partner used to work at a GP Surgery and so much resources are taken up by people who should just be getting telt to do one. There used to be the same people phoning up for appointments weekly, or even daily, wee bit of a sore finger, some kind of pain in the toes, skin a little dry, wanting moisturiser for free, wanting paracetamol for free, just minor things that most folk wouldn`t dream of bothering a doctor for. There really needs to be a limit on the amount of unnecessary appointments people can make, if they are going to waste GPs time they should have to pay for it."
and because of this and unable to get GP appointments the same people are now clogging up a&e waiting rooms meaning ambulances are sitting for hours with passengers in them because of the wait times to be assessed/admitted.
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Topic Originator: Dave_1885
Date: Wed 16 Apr 09:16
Not used Cowdenbeath surgery in a while (really should as going deaf and got other ailments) but it seemed a bit of a pain at first but they now take advanced bookings too - but the advanced booking is a phone call to decipher if you need an actual appointment. I guess it’s better than nothing.
They do also do same day triage but, again, its a phone call then appointment with a triage nurse and not even a GP………I will give them their dues though that when it comes to toddlers they are on the ball and get them in pretty pronto.
Worst thing about my experience has been the physio - went in about my knackered shoulder and got sent to the physio (who was leaving) who had me in with a student to do a consultancy - he then told me he wasn’t actually there to do anything or provide any treatment etc and only suggested I should contact some helpline if I work for a business with 200 employees or less……if I didn’t its private only 🙄 queue my shoulder getting worse 👍🏻
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Topic Originator: Raymie the Legend
Date: Wed 16 Apr 09:40
No chance of an independent pharmacist on a weds in town.
I’m off to Oakley now. Fingers crossed
It`s bloody tough being a legend
Ron Atkinson - 1983
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Topic Originator: Mr Mac
Date: Wed 16 Apr 10:03
Called my GP at 08:00 this morning expecting the usual long queue on the phone, appointment for 08:45, prescription and referral to get bloods taken at the local community hospital at 09:20.
When it works it`s brilliant, unfortunately my experience is the outlier and not the norm.
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Topic Originator: Bletchley_Par
Date: Wed 16 Apr 10:35
Same new setup at my surgery.
It is infinitely better than the 8am whacky redial races.
It`s fairly simple online too with my elderly Mum being able to master it quickly.
Post Edited (Wed 16 Apr 10:36)
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Topic Originator: Raymie the Legend
Date: Wed 16 Apr 10:48
Well, back from Oakley and confirmed infection. I have a spray, so hopefully does the trick?
It`s bloody tough being a legend
Ron Atkinson - 1983
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Topic Originator: moviescot
Date: Wed 16 Apr 13:20
System up here in Aberdeen. For non urgent doctors appointments use e-consult. If used by 3 you will get call back (or text) that day if the doctor considers it urgent or the next day if less so. Works very well.
As for anti-biotics for any ear infection. All pharmacists can and should examine you and if necessary prescribe anti-biotics. If you were not helped by the pharmacist you should be complaining
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Topic Originator: MessiPar
Date: Wed 16 Apr 14:07
What`s this `GP appointment` you speak of?
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