or more specifically, management of the surgery I’m registered with.

they simply do not allow booking for an appointment for the following 3-4 days, you can only phone and book an appointment ON the day, so if you can’t be either waiting at the door inline with 40 other people or on the end of the phone hitting redial for 20 minutes you only have the option of booking an appointment 10 days in advance. little use to anyone who actually works for a living.

is this normal for surgeries, or have I just lucked out and need to register elsewhere?

Try somewhere else. My surgery has a drop in every morning. If you’re prepared to wait you can see who you want to see.

In the evenings it’s by appointment and you can always get to see who you want to see in a couple of days. AND you can book online. Which is great.

I used to go to a surgery like the one you mention.

Same setup where I am, either wait on the day or book in advance (about three weeks in advance).
But heard other local surgeries are better and have thought of changing.

Yep mine’s the same. I normally just go to the local minor injuries unit/walk-in centre and usually get seen within 10 minutes.

Mine you can book online. See if they have that facility.

That’s because each practice is a private company and can do what ever it likes within the fairly relaxed terms of their contract with the NHS

Mine are very keen to phone me rather than see me. Actually, for what I need, that works well enough. If I was really ill, I’d make time to go and see them. For when I’m not, a 5-minute call in the morning is more convenient for everyone.

🙂

The inability to book was one of the wonders of new labour targets – they brought in a target that you had to be able to have an appointment within 24/48 hours (I cant remember which), so most surgeries stopped taking appointments for further out than that – so they all hit the targets !

As per andyfla – there was a target that so many people had to be able to get short notice appointments.

Only way to do this is not allow many to be booked so people can drop in on day.

Not ideal…

What’s this “waiting” that people keep mentioning? We can get an appointment for the same day at our surgery on Whalley New Road, Blackburn, though not always with the Dr of our choice.

Doctors know that 95% of complaints will clear up on their own after a few days and in the meantime, as Voltaire said, most medicine is just about keeping the patient amused.

Our surgery is like the OP`s, just shocking and dreadfully managed.

The Walk in centre is underfunded, under staffed and queued round the block (Due in part to the inability to get an appointment with any GP locally)
Oh and everything is “Viral” according to the Nurse practitioner (Again you cant actually see a GP)and therefore there is nothing they can do.
This is why we are now on about week 4 of broken sleep with sick kids so apologies for the slight rant 🙁

got a phone call back from one of the practice doctors, quick run through the problem

me” i’ve borked my knee, i think i need a physio referral”
him “sounds like you’ve borked your knee, sounds like you need a physio referral, but i’ll need to see you first”

hey presto one appointment for thursday.

:facepalm:

“That’s because each practice is a private company and can do what ever it likes within the fairly relaxed terms of their contract with the NHS”

Kind of true, kind of not…

Pat of the trouble is that your surgery may be set up to run really well with a ‘certain type’ of patient population (i.e the vast majority of their list may be very elderly, for example) so their system works for them, but maybe not so well for you..

Appointment systems, like wedding lists, can’t please everyone.
It’s one of my big challenges, and still a work in progress!

DrP

GP here

OP That system sucks and isn’t necessary organisationally, or needed to hit targets. It also generates unnecessary work for both patients and the surgery and is insulting and inefficient.

And yes, most kids infections are viral, antibiotics are not helpful for most throat infections, ear infections, conjunctivitis and lots of chest infections. And the GMC would take a dim view of me referring a patient I hadn’t seen for physio and missing an extensor mechanism problem or a locked knee or something requiring other interventions.

Our surgery is similar. The doctors themselves are great, but the appointment system is a mare.
Same-day appointments for “emergencies” only, and a 2 to 3 week wait for a routine appointment. A bit frustrating if you have something that’s not an emergency but you’re not sure it can wait a fortnight.

Same system here. It’s shite, but you get what you pay for.

I’m loathed to go somewhere else, as my Dr is half decent and i’ve had some shocking ones over the years.

Our surgery is great. Afternoons for appointments, mornings they have about 4 GPs on (and they ALL take their fair share of turns) and you just walk up and choose which one you want to see.

We live in a predominantly white middle class ghetto so if you want to see one of the partners, and you don’t get there at 7:30 to queue you will wait ages. The newer doctors with nice anglo saxon surnames will be fairly busy but if you’re happy to see a registrar with a multi-syllable name you’ll get straight in.