GPs... is 2 weeks alright with everyone?

Associate
Joined
5 Jul 2016
Posts
571
I've got an on-going digestive issue, acid reflux. It's making eating and even drinking a nightmare, I'm losing weight and have another condition that means I really can't afford to lose any muscle mass.

It's been dragging on for 6 months and this is mostly due to the fact you can't actually speak to a GP, let alone see one.

Every time I call I get 'the nearest appointment I've got is... 3 weeks away", if you're lucky it's two weeks.
"You can do an online consultation"
...fills it out and receive a message to call surgery.
"The doctor says they need to speak to you before making a referral"
Ok, great, let's do that
"Best I can do is February 17th"

Is this the norm? Is everyone ok with this?

If you've got something that can wait two weeks it'll probably clear up on its own or needs looking at.

I did ask the receptionist what the issue was, do they have too many patients or not enough doctors?

Doctors seem to work 3 days a week between 9 and 12pm then go on holiday for 2 weeks.

We pay for this service right?

Just frustrated and venting...
 
Soldato
Joined
23 Feb 2009
Posts
4,978
Location
South Wirral
Aging population, COVID, GP pay changes mean fewer new Doctors want to go into the field, too many media know-it-alls telling Doctors how to do their jobs, no investment in the sector and probably 100 other reasons.
 
Soldato
Joined
18 Jun 2010
Posts
6,566
Location
Essex
I guess it’s just luck and or how busy your surgery is. I had a constant buzzing in my ear out of nowhere in the week before Christmas. Rang up my GP at 9am, explained to the the receptionist, she said a doctor will call you for a phone consultation at 11am. I spoke to her at 11 and she asked me to come in for 3pm.

I was pleasantly surprised at how quick it was!
 
Joined
10 May 2004
Posts
12,813
Location
Sunny Stafford
Covid is irrelevant.

I've been with my surgery since 2002 and next-day appointments were available until 2016. Then a switch got flicked somewhere and appts are 2-3 weeks away like what the OP said. Stafford doesn't have any walk-in centres either. Because of this, I've not seen a GP for 5 years and I've had to use an A&E department instead. In my mind, that is counter-productive, as A&E depts are meant to be used by people who really need it!
 
Commissario
Joined
16 Oct 2002
Posts
2,662
Location
In the radio shack
My local surgery has turned itself around massively and gone from being widely recognised as being the worst in the area to one that's now very good.

Start punching redial at 08:00, get through to the reception and get a call back from a GP within a couple of hours without fail. I think they're excellent under the new management.
 
Soldato
Joined
9 Oct 2009
Posts
9,223
Location
United Kingdom
Yay! Another bash the GP thread!

Routine appointments may be 2 weeks but every surgery has acute on the day appointments. Phone at 8am when the lines open and explain you'd like an appointment with a GP or advanced nurse practitioner. I'd be amazed if they didn't have any any appointmenta for later that day. Also worth asking if they have an extended access service you can book into for evening or weekend appointments. I know it's frustrating when you're told next appointment is x many weeks away but they are for routine things not for an acute issue or symptoms.
 
Soldato
Joined
27 Aug 2019
Posts
2,583
Depends, I could just waltz into the surgery I'm at in the morning or could get an afternoon one within a week or two at most unless the receptionist or whoever feels that your symptoms require more urgent attention.

Not sure now, kind of stayed clear but I now have a problem that requires attention so shall see shortly what the crack is now.
 
Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
12,335
Location
Birmingham
I've got an on-going digestive issue, acid reflux. It's making eating and even drinking a nightmare, I'm losing weight and have another condition that means I really can't afford to lose any muscle mass.

It's been dragging on for 6 months and this is mostly due to the fact you can't actually speak to a GP, let alone see one.

Every time I call I get 'the nearest appointment I've got is... 3 weeks away", if you're lucky it's two weeks.
"You can do an online consultation"
...fills it out and receive a message to call surgery.
"The doctor says they need to speak to you before making a referral"
Ok, great, let's do that
"Best I can do is February 17th"

Is this the norm? Is everyone ok with this?

If you've got something that can wait two weeks it'll probably clear up on its own or needs looking at.

I did ask the receptionist what the issue was, do they have too many patients or not enough doctors?

Doctors seem to work 3 days a week between 9 and 12pm then go on holiday for 2 weeks.

We pay for this service right?

Just frustrated and venting...

I trust that you booked the appointment on the 17th of February?

Life in healthcare is very difficult at the moment both in primary and secondary care. 2 week wait investigations are still going on as far as I’m aware.

We really really need to stop the “we pay for this” and “I pay your salary” nonsense. If we move to an insurance based model, our taxes will remain the same and we will be paying medical insurance on top. Extremely dangerous narrative.
 
Soldato
Joined
19 Feb 2010
Posts
13,249
Location
London
Yeah, it's pretty difficult to get appointments at the moment. Our surgery really don't want anyone attending in person at all.

I have a couple of minor things I want sorted out but I'm resigned to just having to wait until COVID is under control and hoping that symptoms don't get worse.

I'll probably need to have some sort of procedure or another and the last thing I want is to go into hospital and catch the lurgey.
 
Soldato
Joined
9 Mar 2012
Posts
10,072
Location
West Sussex, England
It's been like this for years, probably at least a couple of decades. All results driven based on boxes being ticked unfortunately and dare you have more than one issue to cram into a 10 min appointment. It's really become more about the very serious issues and less of a 'health service' for the general well being. When I had a cancer scare it was amazing due to that being something that gets you fast tracked but an accident involving my back took about 18 months of pointless hoops to go through, doctors thinking they have x-ray vision instead of actually just referring the patient for an x-ray and it wasn't until later after more physio hoops to jump through that I got an MRI that vindicated that I was right before I got referred for a back op.

The best thing for issues that you're sure of is to count that as your own self diagnosis and deal with it via the pharmacy. Our doctor's surgery actually tells us to self diagnose on the recorded phone message. If it's something that would have a drug treatment / ointment etc then you may as well buy it from the pharmacy if possible.

We often joke about it in our family that you have to be well to be unwell these days to go through the scrum for an appointment first thing in the morning.
 
Last edited:
Soldato
Joined
22 Jul 2006
Posts
7,686
Either get on the phone at opening (usually 0800), literally wait at the phone and as soon as the phone clock changes to their opening time get on the phone.

Alternatively call them up and see if they have setup with an online system such as evergreen, you can download the app and usually half hour before phone lines open you can book online.
 
Associate
OP
Joined
5 Jul 2016
Posts
571
Thank you all for your thoughts.

It's a strange one, sudden onset reflux like nothing I've ever had before, relentless acid even in my nose, ears and I had to keep brushing my teeth because it was in my burning my lips and gums.

Docs prescribed medication over the phone (it's £1 a tablet in the pharmacy or 56 on prescription), I was eventually seen months later by a GP with referred for an ultrasound, which again took weeks and came back fine. Next step is barium swallow which they won't authorise without speaking, nothing's changed it's just the next logical step bar an endoscopy.

It's not a 'new issue' so I can't do an emergency appointment and they've said they only deal with one issue per appointment to me in the past too. What if the issues are connected?

Anyway it's incredibly frustrating. I have muscular dystrophy so my muscles are basically dying and there's nothing I can do about it and I was just about holding on until I got this issue where I can't eat. You lose weight from you muscles first so time really is of the essence for me. I don't have the time to jump through the normal hoops.

I know the NHS is straining at the seams, facing cut after cut whilst governments award jobs to companies they're in bed with. The whole thing is screwed really but it is something we pay for and it should be fit for purpose. I wonder how many lives have been lost having to wait and wait and wait.
 
Back
Top Bottom