If you ask anyone about their experiences with our surgery here in the town, I would say 98% would criticise the arrangements of getting a Dr's appointment. (Isn't it a super building?)
I must add, I have had my own frustrations in trying to get through to speak to someone.
One morning, I got through almost straight away to hear. 'You are number 9.' I thought not too bad, in the past I'd been number 15. I was through to speak to a receptionist by 8:10 am. only to be told there were no further appointments available, only emergencies. But the phones had only been open for 10 minutes!
I persisted, as I had very nasty ear ache and really needed something to relieve my symptoms, which included very severe pain. She did say it was possible for her to speak to the Duty Dr and ask for prescription, and I said 'Yes please'.
I did get a prescription, which cleared up my earache. I'd had a similar thing and had been given the same prescription a year ago.
There are a lot of people, who have not been able to get treatment and complain on the FB page.
When I had a real complaint, I didn't talk about it on FB, but wrote to the Practice Manager. I had a reply back right away and my complaint resolved.. however there is a problem here of getting to see, or even to have a telephone appointment. Some people are so desperate to get an appointment they go to the surgery at 7:30 am and queue!! Is this trying to get to see a Dr, just happening here or is it a country wide problem.
What's it like where you live in UK?
Chrisxx
8 comments:
I think this is a national issue. We have to ring at 8.30 and wait patiently in a queue. For non urgent issues you can ring at 11.30. They are usually pretty good about finding a solution if the Drs are fully booked by the time your call is answered. But I agree it is frustrating, and some of my older neighbours cannot accept that this is the system now. They are convinced our practice is hopeless because everyone else they know in other places have no problem (no evidence to back up this claim!)
I am grateful for NHS free at the point of need, long may it continue.
Our doctors have an online system, where you list your symptoms and requests, they review them all through the day, and they decide who they see or who has a phone conversation. It does work, many times you don't need to see the doctor, just need advice on how to sort minor issues. If you don't have a computer, the surgery registers you and you phone and the receptionist completes the form. I recently got blood test results from our practice nurse, not every one likes the system, but those who need to see a doctor, gets the appointment, our surgery are two doctors short, so it is a busy surgery.
It's exactly the same as you describe where I live in Lancashire. The queue for people standing outside the Drs each morning to try and make an appointment in person is growing all the time. The good thing is that the pharmacists in the on-site pharmacy are now also taking calls and issuing prescriptions. It's frustrating when you are not feeling well though isn't it.
It's very difficult to talk to a doctor here. It's an expanding community with not enough infrastructure - schools, doctors, dentists - but still the houses are built on every available space.
I am in a village in North Yorkshire and our local surgery is great - I rang up yesterday morning at 9.30 with a non-urgent problem and was seen in the afternoon. There have been huge housing developments in the local market town and friends in their 50's, who had been with the only surgery there since childhood, recently registered with my practice as they say that it was impossible to get to speak with a Dr any more, let alone get an appointment.
This island has the worst health care experience in all of Canada according to a recent study. There is no point of complaining on social media. Everyone knows what it’s like.
Here, we cannot walk in to book an sppointment, they all are allocated by phone. Phone lines open at 8.30am.
Before Christmas I rang 152 times, from 8.30 till 8.45 as it was constantly at capacity and they weren't taking calls, before getting through to the app line then I had to wait 42 minutes in the queue before actually speaking to a receptionist.
This was for my husband who had been misdiagnosed with a hernia last summer, and who was in terrible pain and who had lost 3 stone in weight, in 6 month's.
He was given a telephone app and then told he had IBS and given Buscapan. He collapsed during Xmas and New Year and was rushed into hospital, the ambulance crew were amazing, how fast they got here and got him to hospital. We've just been told he has bowel cancer.
The care whilst he's been in hospital has been second to none, even the 2 days he spent in a corridor, waiting for a bed on a ward was brilliant - there were nurses and doctors there all the time.
Since covid G.P.'s don't want work or to put the hours in to see patients - all they want is to take an inflated salary and do as little as possible to earn it. I don't have any confidence in their abilities or respect for them any longer.
Anne Shropshire
I very rarely need to see a Dr but am fortunate that I have been able to get an appointment when needed without too much of a wait.
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