[Closed] 2 weeks before you can see a doctor ?

2 weeks is standard at our docs I think. It's a routine appointment, so can be scheduled.

"Emergencies", they will see you same day. I assume it's because they schedule fewer routine slots in the day that they can do this.

What's other peoples experiences of waiting times for 'a routine appointment' ?

A few days normally... anything urgent normally same day. I think I was once given an appt a week away, but since I'd said non-urgent I wasn't that fussed.

I don't visit the Dr very often though so maybe been lucky...

I called for an appointment last week, explained the problem to the receptionist and was given a slot that afternoon.

While I was there I made an appointment for a less urgent problem and was offered one 3 days later.

YMMV

You're lucky. At my last surgery I couldn't book an appointment at all. It's not that they don't have any, it's just that they only book 2 weeks in advance, so every morning there's an avalanche of people trying to book all the appointments for one day 2 weeks from now. Which is dumb. If I can wait a month, why not let me book?

If I want to see my registered doctor that can take up to two weeks ..a locum doctor can be the same day if I ring early enough ..but then I do live in a fairly small rural village

Find out if your surgery offers online appointments. This allows me to get same day appointments guaranteed. Might not get my GP, but will always see someone if needed.

The best thing about 'free' state health care is that it makes private healthcare incredibly cheap.

Check out the various app/skype type GP services.

You have a registered GP not had one for years.
Urgent same day, otherwise 2 weeks seems standard.

Too much demand and leaching of the nhs , doctors can get paid private

Yeah 2 weeks is pretty normal, often longer if you want a time outside of 9-5 weekdays. My local surgery does keep some time slots free each day and allocate them FCFS on the day (via the Internet or phone - used to be queuing outside to but I think they finally realised having 30 people stood outside coughing, sneezing etc. wasn't the best idea).

Outside of maybe the dentist the other examples you list involve you handing over money, I guess you could look at a private GP if you wanted...

But yeah the system is a bit crap

I can see a nurse practioner same day, but i'm registered at a university practice so they're geared up for short notice stuff. If you need a doctor they can book in advance for between 5-7 days or if the nurse thinks you need them they'll see you straight away.
Best surgery i've used and the nurse practioners they've got have been bloomin brilliant when i've had to see them.

Mmmm - thanks for the rapid feedback.

Seems that for an urban practise it is about normal. (and yes if urgent would probably see same day or at least within 24 hours).

2 weeks is a crock of shit. longest I've had to wait is 4 days to see a particular GP. I'd get a different GP.

longest I've had to wait is 4 days to see a particular GP. I'd get a different GP

I think it depends on where you live. Around my way 2 weeks is pretty normal, sometimes it is even 3 weeks (and then it will be a locum)

Check out the various app/skype type GP services.

My experience of these has been along the lines of "It could be this but I can't confirm as you aren't physically in front of me. You should see your GP to check it out". So, in essence a waste of time.

I reckon most of what these online GP services offer/advise could be got from your pharmacist.

Urban practise here and I’ve never waited more than 3 days for an appointment. Friends that live in the same area but use a different doctor regularly have a two week wait.

2-3 weeks standard here in Greater Manchester. I went last week so my original ailment had more or less gone so I just used it to check a few other things. I think if you lay it on as serious then you get a much sooner appointment.

Cheers - it's not the GP, I'm seeing whoever I can, so it's the practise.

I think that over the 30 years I've been registered the population it serves has changed in 'demographic' not to mention ethnic origin etc.and likely increased in numbers. (King Cross, Halifax)

House is up for sale - it's going to take a while but if it all works out I'll be moving and changing location so not worth registering elsewhere until then. (Although as it's to where my GF lives I can expect - from her experience - to be seen by a GP in less than a week !)

This is the guy in charge

[img] ?strip=all&w=960[/img]

If you want to contact the State of State for Health concerning poor service delivery you...can't. But you can message The Ministerial Correspondence and Public Enquiries unit who 'are in regular close contact with ministers'

https://contactus.dh.gov.uk/?openform

Good luck! 🙂

5 weeks in my hood.

It's actually a semi-reasonable effort by the NHS to get some flow efficiency into the GP practice.

It means that if you are in a more urgent need you can get a same day appointment, but if you require a general appointment for a non-urgent issue you have to wait.

2 weeks isn't even that long. I think it's a good system, imho.

If you're in an urgent situation, NHS 111 is a fantastic service that will get you to a GP within hours (In my experience, we were told we [b]need[/b] (emphasis theirs) a GP within 6 hours, and this was at about 5:30pm. They got us an appointment at 8pm.). This would not be possible if GPs book out all their slots possible.

It's not perfect, but it's an alright system when you are desperate, and it's great to see flow efficiency recognised in an organisation like the NHS.

5 weeks in my hood.

How you finding the Bronx, CG?

How you finding the Bronx, CG?

She be openin' her door and it be right there.

[b][i]IF[/i][/b] you call before 8:30am you [i]might[/i] get one that day [i]if[/i] they consider it urgent.
If not then its [b]at least[/b] 2 weeks here.
Thats with whoever has their list free - a specific doctor is usually 3 weeks.

2 weeks is standard with my GP; if you want sooner it's call at 8am for a same day appointments - if you can get through.
I guess they have a few slots for emergencies.

As a fully paid up member of the great unwashed I keep smiling. 😀

3-4 for a routine appointment.

urgent, well you get to play phone roulette with the pensioners/new parents between 0800 when the phone opens and 0803 when the appointments are all taken.
If you are well enough, you can join the queue outside the surgery about 0745 and hope you can get booked in before 0803 - all depends if the receptionist opens the door before the phones go live.

you get what you pay for

Is it a medium-sized illness?

[img] [/img]

Phone up at 8.30am pretty much always get an appoint same day. receptionist usually tells to phone back at 8.30 if you phone at any other time.

Not that i use it much, my mum does alot these days, but none of us have never had a problem getting an appoint for any of my family over 40 years that I know of.. This issue people seem to have is completely alien to me.

Pretty normal here for routine non-urgent stuff although there's a morning a week they keep free and you can just walk in and wait to be seen, and a certain amount each day for if you ring first thing.

I used pushdoctor last time I was properly ill with a throat infection and just couldn't face trying to sort out an appointment or leaving the house. Video chat within 15 mins, prescription via email to local pharmacy.

I can see a dentist within a week, get my car fixed within a week

Well go and pay to see a doctor too then.

To be honest, our GP's are less than a week. If its not urgent though, what does it matter?

Unfortunately the number of GP's needs to go up if you want to be seen (for free) quicker.

4 weeks at mine, you can try ringing at 8am for a slot but it’s near on impossible and then they grill you on how urgent it is

pay to see a doctor too then.

Funnily enough most of us do pay, through National Insurance.........

You are all going to hate me. It's open surgery for urgent everyday - but strict triage. But getting to see nurse or GP for non-urgent is pretty much like booking in for any other service. Speak to nice receptionist, how about Friday because I work from home - no problem morning or afternoon. We even have an in-practice physio which is about week or so referral from GP.

Local MIU is really good too.

I think it's partly because there are loads of healthy, wealthy oldsters where we live and it's a really big practice that covers several sites so efficiency of scale

Pretty much always less than a 24hr wait to see my doc at our health centre and more often than not it's the same day if you phone by 10am,

...I think my general point is that it is possible to get GP services to work as we'd like with proper funding, organisation and wider infrastructure - esp good MIU - in place

Yes..it used to work....it would seem more of a '[url= https://www.postcodelottery.co.uk/about-us/lp1?ma=2742&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&gclid=CjwKCAiAr_TQBRB5EiwAC_QCqzVsp_F594uUtsyJVjsbpNOSmD0jIYML7ZgwQylOSAWqCo2LXS9ToBoChm8QAvD_BwE&dclid=CILplbuo4dcCFSukUQodiX0DWQ ]postcode lottery[/url]' now ?

And there's even a [url= https://www.healthlottery.co.uk/?btag=a_293b_7c_&affid=4&siteid=293&adid=7&gclid=CjwKCAiAr_TQBRB5EiwAC_QCq_S-IgYtEAMg1ouren-RFvTYW47RsY4ptY4ngUDhYOrm4bT24DUWPxoCYPEQAvD_BwE ]health lottery[/url], what's that all about ?

2 to 3 weeks is fairly normal for my practice and that's fairly large. I've heard similar for others in the area. Big town though.

That said, often a slot will pop up on retrying. Phone back or retry on the online system and something turns up and might be lucky with something the same week. There's zero chance of seeing my actual doctor and the one I get may not be that interested in the thing I'm there for. I find ones with an interest in certain conditions are far better in providing advice or referrals and others are just dismissive and trying to get you out the door before the next patient in 5 minutes.

My place does weekend appointments too now, but I avoid them. Usually a locum and has been useless for me with no real understanding or empathy of the condition.

Emergency appointment slots are reserved for the day, but you need to be calling at 7am or whenever they open and wait in the queue. Far worse on a Monday as you hit the backlog from the weekend.

rang for a non urgent appointment last week, got one at 10am next day. i was happy with that

I have an ongoing medical situation so get to have the joy of booking appointments on a pretty regular basis, about 4-5 a year.

It can usually take a 2-3 weeks to see any doctor in my practise and that's making an appointment immediately after the current one! Not helpful when the doctor says make an appointment for next week. I have the online booking system but they get released Evey day for 2 weeks in advance at 8am so get booked up near-instantly by the mums and elderly, same situation with the phone option. The receptionists and the doctors know it's a nightmare but there's very little they can do about it. For my current 6 weeks of investigative treatment requiring an appointment every 2 weeks we're up to 11 weeks already due to delays getting seen.

The system is at breaking point.

is it an area issue, or specific doctors issue? i live in the south east, in essex, if that makes any difference

pat on the back for my gp practice then.. ruck up between 8.30 and noon take a seat in warm comfy waiting room, guarantee to be seen that day by doc of choice..yes you have to wait, you dont know how long for, but you do see them that day nailed on .. nice bloke too, did home visits for mrs tts when she was ill..
sometimes it seems its not about money but organizing and grafting...

not enough doctors employed at practice for the amount of regular patients.

Too many people (full stop, but also...) going for things they could treat themselves or get advice from a pharmacist.

Phone up for non urgent and it can be weeks. Go online and I'll likely get next day. NHS dentist is four weeks at the moment.

It's actually a semi-reasonable effort by the NHS to get some flow efficiency into the GP practice.

It means that if you are in a more urgent need you can get a same day appointment, but if you require a general appointment for a non-urgent issue you have to wait.

2 weeks isn't even that long. I think it's a good system, imho.

Sure there are people that go to their GP if they get a sniffle but there's also a lot of people that really try and avoid going when actually they should go, making them wait another 2 weeks just adds to the likelihood they'll continue suffering on (and probably just make their situation worse, or infecting others).

I generally only see a GP once every 2-3 years, the last time I'd had a really bad throat for over a week and eventually gave in and saw the GP, turns out it was tonsillitis and sorted in a few days of antibiotics - I would have gone sooner if it wasn't for the hassle of getting an appointment for something that's not necessarily urgent.

Ok. I’ll bite. I’m a GP
Having been told yesterday by one of the scientists (I think) On here that I’ll be out of a job soon as we are all going to be replace by AI bots, and that specialism is the way forward.
[url= ]This graph from a recent BMJ paints a worrying picture[/url]
The government has for 20 years talked about moving care closer to the community and comes up with more things for GPs to do all the time. Border checks for immigrants. Central heating checks for the elderly. We are always “ideally placed” to do it.
However the system just churns out more consultants who all do more lovely nhs activity, which adds to our activity too.
The share of the nhs budget going to primary care is around 7-8%. In 2010 it was 10%.
When I qualified I’d have been competing with 6-10 applicants to get a job as a GP. Now each applicant has 6-10 jobs to choose from. Hence the increase in the use of non doctors to do doctor type work.
Ceremy Junt promised you the public 5000 more GPs. So far he has created minus 1200.

docrobster - if there are so many more consultants why are they offloading their work to GP's and it begs the question what actually do consultants do all day?

I know that with thyroid disorders endocrinologists will not see patients if their TSH is below 10/even if they have a goitre/difficulty swallowing etc etc. and often no amount of pleading from a GP will they change their mind. On the other hand endocrinologists are largely diabetes specialists so is this keeping them busy or what?

Genuinely interested.

EDIT: is there a particular specialism that's attracting these consultants?

@C_G
Isn’t it obvious? More and more of everything!
More old people living with more long term conditions for longer. More treatments available for all these conditions. Just more medicine being done. All payed for in the same way that it was when we could do bugger all for lots of things.
Maybe #toomuchmedicine ?
Society has to decide how far it wants to go because the hitech medical industry, pharma companies etc will keep producing treatments that work but at the bleeding edge they are mega expensive.
Had an old guy last week. Previous heart disease etc. Found to have a carotid stenosis so listed for endarterectomy under GA. had a tacchyarrhythmia on induction of anaesthetic. Itu for a few days, procedure abandoned. End result huge cost no different outcome than leave well alone.
All correct nice approved treatments following guidelines etc. Must have cost a fortune. When I started out as a gp only 20 years ago these treatments were in their infancy and he would not have been offered them. So the same condition in the same patient just needs way more treatment and cost than even a few years ago. And now there are more people needing these treatments.

More likely to win the Euromillions than get a same day in person app at my local docs.

Now I can books a same day telephone consultation online and according to their info I will get a WHOLE 4-MINS of their undivided attention!, and then miraculously they will need to see me in person after all(from previous experience).

No faith in the docs anymore I'm afraid, I seem to spend more time succesfully self diagnosing with the help of various medical guides and info on the net.

Rang me GP for something the other week, had a call back a few hours later after a 5 minute conversation I was sorted with what I needed without needing to see them and taking up room that someone else needed. My wife rang up last week, had a call back and as it was more urgent had an appointment that afternoon.

GP appointments...

I think we need a mix of a conversation on the phone, and a consultation, as some stuff just needs a quick call !

Ours is appointment only but is slowly getting into the 20th century.

I did move practices 5 years ago after advice about a 'procedure' was lacking, and the after care was poor, and the treatment wouldn't be offered until I saw a specialist, although blood tests were 100%. Moved GP and they liaised with consultant but got me on treatment ASAP, as

It's not a job I could do, as I'd have the back door open, a shot gun and a skip for most.

2 weeks is the norm here.

I can see a dentist within a week, get my car fixed within a week, even get the bike seen to within a week (if I wanted to) and no doubt you can get a pet to the vet quicker, but your own body....just carry on.

None* of those are free at the point of use and financed by some government determined budget. If those they were I suspect there would be lengthy waiting lists 🙂

* ok some dentists are still free but I'm guessing none that you can get an appointment at within a week.

At my last surgery I couldn't book an appointment at all. It's not that they don't have any, it's just that they only book 2 weeks in advance, so every morning there's an avalanche of people trying to book all the appointments for one day 2 weeks from now. Which is dumb. If I can wait a month, why not let me book?

It's like that at ours, urgent stuff is ok but trying to book something routine, e.g. for a medication review the surgery insist on you having before issuing your next prescription, requires several days effort on the phone. In theory you can book appointments online but i've never actually seen any available

If I want to see a specific Dr for a review or the like 2-3 weeks is the norm.

Acute illness - same day if I call before about 11am

You should see them move with Babies though, I called them twice when Daughter was under 1. Once for a sudden rash (mild infection causing a temp I think) and once for a nasty cough that seems to go on constantly, “how soon can you get here?” Was all they said, they’ve got a lifetime of goodwill out of me for that.

NHS boss Dr on the media the other day, saying the future must be ring 111 for advice and make an appointment before visiting a and e, just like visiting a gp, obviously she hadnt heard of the drop in centres or Push doctor internet based advice

Another GP here... and we do way better than 2 weeks, there are ways of organising things better... and I love my job... but...

1) A government that says it wants more GPs whilst pissing all over them from a great height so no Dr wants to head into it any more.
2j Hugely more workload and complex systems to negotiate through.
3) A population which is ageing but not dying, and parents looking after kids but seeking medical advice before they give their sprogs calpol.
4) pay which has gone down in absolute terms, not just against inflation every year for the last 5.
5) Pensions and tax changes which mean I earn nothing from hours above 37 a week.
6) A medical school system which teaches students General Practice is boring when most Surgeons basically only do 3 to 5 different operations.
7) Muppets who voted for Brexit and then will get upset when the EU Drs working over here disappear...
8.) and whenever anyone else doesn’t want to give an opinion or sort something out, they say “ask your GP”

I am not an apologist for badly run practices, or ones where they have encouraged patients to ring about minor self-limiting illness blocking access for others with deeper needs... but the workforce situation in UK general practice is now unsafe. And Jeremy Hunt is not listening.
Call your MP, I have.

Ours does a telephone triage which works well, it's a large busy practice in an area with lots of young families and lots of elderly.
Last week I was seen within an hour of ringing, I was pissing blood though.

We were quoted a 4 week wait for a routine appointment, we are seen same day for something urgent

@Stoats Brits won’t vote for the taxes required for a decent free at the point of delivery Health Service. In France we pay VAT on food, no zero rated kids stuff, full rate vat on utilities, high income taxes, wealth taxes, sky high property taxes. Then we pay to see the Doctor too.

7) Muppets who voted for Brexit and then will get upset when the EU Drs working over here disappear...

Less doctors, an extra 350 million quid a week... pay rises all round surely 🙂

This:

Call your MP, I have.

Is much more likely to get a minister's attention than this:

you can message The Ministerial Correspondence and Public Enquiries unit who 'are in regular close contact with ministers'

https://contactus.dh.gov.uk/?openform

Been feeling nauseous for a week, fever, abdominal pain and now my poo is the wrong colour. Phoned the doctor and told two weeks for an appointment 😥

But I can see an Advanced Practitioner on Wednesday morning - I have no idea what they are but I'm sure it'll be fine.

Ours is usually a week or so. But if you phone up with a (non-hospital) emergency, especially with kids, then they will see you that day.

2 weeks is a crock of shit. longest I've had to wait is 4 days to see a particular GP. I'd get a different GP.

Depends if theres another GP - we've got one GP surgery covering 3 towns/villages. There isn't another GP. Four choices of vetinary practices though. 🙂 Two week waits have been the norm here for a while but recently one of the GPs has gone on maternity leave and theres nobody to cover them so it'll be interesting to see how they cope with that.

Up the road my GF's mum's GPs have decided they have too many patients so without warning they've dumped over a 1000 patients off their books even though theres no other GPs locally with capacity to take them on- including the GF's 80 year old mum who was dropped by the practice while she was hospitalised for week with a major infection. She left hospital to have no GP, no continuity of care and needs to use a walk-in centre 3 bus rides away for the 3-weekly follow-up treatments she needs.

But I can see an Advanced Practitioner on Wednesday morning - I have no idea what they are but I'm sure it'll be fine.

Highly skilled clinicians who will give you a very good idea of why your shit isn’t normal without taking up a GP’s time.

^^ That's what I was thinking. I remember when my husband saw a Nurse Practitioner in A&E and they were absolutely brilliant - I'd just hadn't come across them before. I don't spend much time in doctors' surgeries so I've not seen an Advanced Practitioner before.

Though I'm not sure why your post makes me feel like I'd be wasting a GP's time if I was to present my symptoms to them...

Wow! Our local surgery won’t let you book in advance without a doctors say so. So you call on the day you want the appointment and a call made before 9:30 will get you the doctor and time you want, before 10:30 will get you either the doctor or the time you want and up to 11:30 will get you seen. If the doctor says they want to see you in a week or a month or whatever they give you a form which then lets you book in for then. As above, if you call anytime with a baby then you get seen. And phone consultations are also easily arranged. I’d assumed this was just how things worked! Lucky us!

Our local GPs seem OK (small-ish market town with a fair mix of old / families and a few neds.)

It would take 10-14 days for me to get an appointment with my own GP but there're telephone appointments and nurse appoints same day or next day. Also you can just sit and wait if its urgent. It's probably a decent system to screen out a lot of the time wasters.

Need to see doctor with a problem - not urgent so earliest appointment is 2 weeks time

So i'm confused (genuinely) here.

Do you feel your non urgent issue CAN wait 2 weeks, so as to let more urgent cases in earlier? But you just don't like the fact it's 2 weeks?

Or do you genuinely feel your non urgent issue DOES need to be seen sooner, in which case you'll find that you could ask for some 'clinical triage' to descide if this is the case.
If it is, you might be seen earlier by ANYONE (locum GP/NP etc). In which case, surely you'd be grateful jsut to be seen?

I've seen my GP about a few bits recently. Could easily have waited 2-6 weeks - i jsut wanted an appt. They gave me one a few days after the phone call.

I've got a hair cut booked for 4 weeks time. I don't need one NOW, so 4 weeks is fine....

DrP

'cough'

Tories

'cough'

Though I'm not sure why your post makes me feel like I'd be wasting a GP's time if I was to present my symptoms to them...

I didn’t say that you’re wasting their just that another clinician is capable of dealing with your complaint, this leaves the GP free to deal with issues only a GP can do.