- This topic has 70 replies, 54 voices, and was last updated 6 years ago by Drac.
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2 weeks before you can see a doctor ?
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steel4realFree MemberPosted 6 years ago
….is that ‘normal’?
Need to see doctor with a problem – not urgent so earliest appointment is 2 weeks time. And that’s ‘any doctor in the practise’ not my actual registered to GP.
FFS – is that what we can expect these days ? 1 week, I would expect but 2 weeks ! and the phone options even have one if you’ve had a cough or cold for 7 days – surely that doesn’t merit special arrangements !?
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.
What’s other peoples experiences of waiting times for ‘a routine appointment’ ?
jimdubleyouFull MemberPosted 6 years ago2 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.
amediasFree MemberPosted 6 years agoWhat’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…
scotroutesFull MemberPosted 6 years agoI 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
PeterPoddyFree MemberPosted 6 years agoYou’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?
hodgyndFree MemberPosted 6 years agoIf 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
JamieFree MemberPosted 6 years agoFind 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.
5thElefantFree MemberPosted 6 years agoThe best thing about ‘free’ state health care is that it makes private healthcare incredibly cheap.
Check out the various app/skype type GP services.
whatyadoinsuckaFree MemberPosted 6 years agoYou 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
FuzzyWuzzyFull MemberPosted 6 years agoYeah 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
spawnofyorkshireFull MemberPosted 6 years agoI 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.steel4realFree MemberPosted 6 years agoMmmm – 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).
poahFree MemberPosted 6 years ago2 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.
natrixFree MemberPosted 6 years agolongest 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)
dmortsFull MemberPosted 6 years agoCheck 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.
muppetWranglerFree MemberPosted 6 years agoUrban 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.
mrsheenFree MemberPosted 6 years ago2-3 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.
steel4realFree MemberPosted 6 years agoCheers – 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 !)
shermer75Free MemberPosted 6 years agoThis is the guy in charge
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! 🙂
plyphonFree MemberPosted 6 years agoIt’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 need (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.
perchypantherFree MemberPosted 6 years agoHow you finding the Bronx, CG?
She be openin’ her door and it be right there.
hammyukFree MemberPosted 6 years agoIF you call before 8:30am you might get one that day if they consider it urgent.
If not then its at least 2 weeks here.
Thats with whoever has their list free – a specific doctor is usually 3 weeks.frankconwayFull MemberPosted 6 years ago2 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.cinnamon_girlFull MemberPosted 6 years agoAs a fully paid up member of the great unwashed I keep smiling. 😀
soobaliasFree MemberPosted 6 years ago3-4 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
seosamh77Free MemberPosted 6 years agoPhone 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.
simon_gFull MemberPosted 6 years agoPretty 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.
FunkyDuncFree MemberPosted 6 years agoI 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.
HolyzeusFree MemberPosted 6 years ago4 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
natrixFree MemberPosted 6 years agopay to see a doctor too then.
Funnily enough most of us do pay, through National Insurance………
olddogFull MemberPosted 6 years agoYou 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
somafunkFull MemberPosted 6 years agoPretty 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,
olddogFull MemberPosted 6 years ago…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
steel4realFree MemberPosted 6 years agoYes..it used to work….it would seem more of a ‘postcode lottery‘ now ?
And there’s even a health lottery, what’s that all about ?
deadkennyFree MemberPosted 6 years ago2 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.
porter_jamieFull MemberPosted 6 years agorang for a non urgent appointment last week, got one at 10am next day. i was happy with that
milky1980Free MemberPosted 6 years agoI 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.
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