Seeing your Doctor/GP

[turquoise]

Hi there,

I have difficulty getting an appointment with a doctor/GP within a reasonable amount of time at my local clinic. I called to book an appointment on a Thursday, and the earliest appointment they could give me was not the upcoming Monday, but the Monday after. If i include the weekend it's an 11 day wait. I just made an appointment yesterday (Wed 5th Oct) and the earliest appointment they could give me was Tuesday 11th Oct, so again including weekends that's a 6 day wait. Even when i phone up to get my results from the GP i have to wait for a week or so. I have to book the appointment to arrange a phone appt with my GP and i had to wait for about a week for them to speak with me regarding my results.

Does anyone else have this problem? And my boss was saying this but i'm not sure, is there some kind of law where GPs/Doctors should see you within a reasonable amount of time? i.e within 2-3 days or something

Many thanks in advance!

[turquoise]

lol, yeah our Doctors used to do walk-in clinics where if you got there at 8.30am they could see you, but they stopped doing it now. Evrything gone down hill :(

[LoftyLottie]

Because I am an out of towner the my prescriptions are made up straight away at the GP practice pharmacy. Those who live in town have to go to Boots or the Co-op pharmacy.

I can't really moan about our GP practice. Also in December they are moving to a brand new huge medical centre, together with social services and the ambulance service. This will have Xray facilities and be equipped with operating theatres.

The only problem is that my Doctor is one of the senior partners and is very popular, so difficult to get to see him on the same day, but can always see somebody.

Most of the receptionists are nice and we all know each other anyway.

[welshlibranr]

At our surgery you need to phone after 8.30 for an appointment on that day, if they have nothing then you phone after 8.30 the next day for an appointment on that day!......otherwise you can book with doctor you prefer to see 14 days earlier!............it's a joke!............hope I never get ill!......

[turquoise]

It is a joke isn't it, i'm so frustrated with my doctors, i never get ill either, but having this experience trying to see a doctor can put you right off. It's ridiculous!

[welshlibranr]

I know turquoise!..........I never go to see the doctor, probably should really!....but just can't be bothered with all the faffing around just to get an appointment!........

[cc1]

Welshliranr, we have a similar stupid system, spend an hour or so to speak to the surgery and if there's no appointment that day, you can't book for the next day, you have to start again. We live in a country area, when we lived in a major town area there were no problems, we could get an appointment the same day or occasionally the next.

[bednobs]

if it is urgent they should see you within 2 working days. This of course means 1) you have to tell them it's urgent and 2) you don't get a say what doctor you see.