[News] Doctor surgery wait times

[jcdenton08]

I know I posted about this before, but I can’t find the thread. Anyway, I know some people hate old threads being bounced, so here goes.

I have a skin issue which is worrying me a bit, so I called my GP in the designated time slot to make an appointment. I was triaged by the receptionist, and told a GP would call back within 24/48 hours. I never got that call - but I did get a txt message eight days later, a few minutes after making a follow up call, inviting me to an appointment on 9th December.

This is five weeks from the date of my original call.

Now I appreciate mine is a non-urgent complaint, but even so it’s astonishing how hard it is to see a GP (and the days of seeing the same GP twice in a row or my own named GP are long, long gone).

How have things gotten this bad? At the same surgery ten years ago, you got an appointment the same or next day generally - no triage - or a 3/4 day wait maximum. And I always saw my named GP.

So my question is, the last time you made an appointment at the GP, how long was your wait for an in person appointment?

 

[Weststander]

Can’t remember, sorry.

But if when we ring ours first thing you can definitely always get one the same day Monday to Friday. Or if more relaxed about it, possibly a fortnight later.

 

[South Stand Bonfire]

If it’s a possible dodgy mole, your surgery should be able to accept a photo and if necessary, you should get a swift referral to a dermatologist who happens to to be based at Southlands Hospital if you are West Sussex. If it’s non dodgy mole stuff then I’ve no idea I’m afraid.

 

[South Stand Bonfire]

I know I posted about this before, but I can’t find the thread. Anyway, I know some people hate old threads being bounced, so here goes.

I have a skin issue which is worrying me a bit, so I called my GP in the designated time slot to make an appointment. I was triaged by the receptionist, and told a GP would call back within 24/48 hours. I never got that call - but I did get a txt message eight days later, a few minutes after making a follow up call, inviting me to an appointment on 9th December.

This is five weeks from the date of my original call.

Now I appreciate mine is a non-urgent complaint, but even so it’s astonishing how hard it is to see a GP (and the days of seeing the same GP twice in a row or my own named GP are long, long gone).

How have things gotten this bad? At the same surgery ten years ago, you got an appointment the same or next day generally - no triage - or a 3/4 day wait maximum. And I always saw my named GP.

So my question is, the last time you made an appointment at the GP, how long was your wait for an in person appointment?

As an aside, my 91 year old mother had a nasty fall 4 weeks ago 4.30pm on a Friday and cut her head ( pre rush hour AE time I thought). Afternoon 5 hours waiting in Worthing AE she insisted I took her home after the consultant at 10 pm came out to say 4 doctors were working to see over 100 people and we would be seen but not till the early morning at best.

 

[Petunia]

This probably doesn’t help but always the same day, always the same GP, unless of course he’s not actually there at the time.
But then again, the surgery hours are 09.00 to 22.00, 7 days a week!

 

[jcdenton08]

If it’s a possible dodgy mole, your surgery should be able to accept a photo and if necessary, you should get a swift referral to a dermatologist who happens to to be based at Southlands Hospital if you are West Sussex. If it’s non dodgy mole stuff then I’ve no idea I’m afraid.

Growing patch of what looks like vitiligo. Not in an appropriate place to photograph!

 

[Eeyore]

It seems to vary greatly from surgery to surgery. Mine is part of a group and much of the time, if I can get over to the other surgery (my main one of the last 50 odd years is across the road) they will fit you in same day. But they always say call at 08.00.

At some stage I will have to leave Brighton as I rent here and my landlord will sell (I pay a greatly reduced rent and elsewhere in town is prohibitive), I'm guessing I may not have the luxury of an NHS dentist and a brilliant surgery and chemist opposite.

 

[The Clamp]

Last time was for a concern about a lump in my ballbag so I was seen next day.

Recently I had some concerns about an old knee injury and they dealt with that quickly, seen and referred within a fortnight.

Mole removed within a few weeks of initial concern.

Yearly MOT always prompt.

Can’t complain at the moment. But a new housing estate is about to open nearby so I imagine that will all change.

Will be quicker to head to A&E

 

[dazzer6666]

Same day here but haven’t been for a while. Apparently completing an E-consult is the way to go………..elicits quick action

 

[Sid and the Sharknados]

About a week, maybe slightly more, from memory (was about a year ago).

 

[South Stand Bonfire]

Can’t you do what everyone else does on NSC when needing plumbing, IT, HR, tax, retirement planning or similar advice. Just pop a photo of it on here and ask for opinions?

 

[jcdenton08]

Same day here but haven’t been for a while. Apparently completing an E-consult is the way to go………..elicits quick action

Not available at my GP sadly.

You can’t make an appointment in person or online, you have to call and queue in the designated appointment call slots.

 

[Weststander]

If it’s a possible dodgy mole, your surgery should be able to accept a photo and if necessary, you should get a swift referral to a dermatologist who happens to to be based at Southlands Hospital if you are West Sussex. If it’s non dodgy mole stuff then I’ve no idea I’m afraid.

There’s a two track system in Brighton and Hove for that. A doubting Thomas GP at our surgery, slyly put one of us only on a waiting list for the General …. 12 months! Only found when we chased the General. Turns out it needs the GP to mark it as urgent to get the quick dermatology appointments. It was a BCC requiring attention.

 

[alanfp]

1. We have this weird system (though I think it's fairly typical) whereby if you ring first thing in the morning you can generally get a same day appt, unless others have beaten you to it. BUT if you miss that day's quota and say "it's not urgent, can you book me in next week" they say "No, you'll have to try again tomorrow at 8.00 am"
Me "But I don't need to take up one of your urgent, same day appointments - it can wait for a week or so"
Receptionist "Sorry, that's the way the system works".

2. Sometimes I suspect booking online may get a better result

3. Playing devil's advocate, if your issue is genuinely non-urgent, I wouldn't worry about a 5 week wait. If it requires a referral to a specialist, that'll be another 3-4 months.

 

[jcdenton08]

Can’t you do what everyone else does on NSC when needing plumbing, IT, HR, tax, retirement planning or similar advice. Just pop a photo of it on here and ask for opinions?

Nobody here wants to see my newly unmelanated ball bag.

I hope.

 

[Bozza]

When I had what sounds like a similar skin complaint, I didn't physically see a GP at all.

After I called my surgery, I was sent a link to take a photo of it and submit the photo, which i did.

That was then reviewed, and I was referred to a specialist skin clinic. Again, an electronic request to send photos.

That all happened pretty quickly - a few days, not a few weeks.

An appointment was made for it to be looked and taken off, and that was a few months away. However, the review had determined it wasn't a "bad" skin thing, more cosmetic.

 

[jcdenton08]

When I had what sounds like a similar skin complaint, I didn't physically see a GP at all.

After I called my surgery, I was sent a link to take a photo of it and submit the photo, which i did.

That was then reviewed, and I was referred to a specialist skin clinic. Again, an electronic request to send photos.

That all happened pretty quickly - a few days, not a few weeks.

An appointment was made for it to be looked and taken off, and that was a few months away. However, the review had determined it wasn't a "bad" skin thing, more cosmetic.

This is what I think it is too, hence not pushing the urgency of the matter or worst case going into a walk-in clinic.

Funny thing though, I’m only going now because the unpigmented patch has gotten bigger in recent weeks. During lockdown, when it first appeared, I had to do exactly what you described.

I described to the person on the phone the problem, the sensitive location of the problem etc… and sent a link to upload the picture. A day later I get a very panicked phone call back from the practice manager saying I shouldn’t have sent it, they shouldn’t have asked, and repeatedly apologising whilst also telling me off for sending essentially a close up of my nut sack.

They prescribed some steroid cream but it did f*** all, and didn’t get any bigger, so I put it off… for four years.

 

[AmexRuislip]

Our surgery has recently gone through some drastic changes re-booking appointments.
The days of just calling and making an appointment to see a doc ate slowly diminishing.
It's all about booking on line early and trying to beat all the others.
We are all now on this system called Blinx and it does what it says on the tin.

To answer your question, waiting times are on average 1-2 days.

I know I posted about this before, but I can’t find the thread. Anyway, I know some people hate old threads being bounced, so here goes.

I have a skin issue which is worrying me a bit, so I called my GP in the designated time slot to make an appointment. I was triaged by the receptionist, and told a GP would call back within 24/48 hours. I never got that call - but I did get a txt message eight days later, a few minutes after making a follow up call, inviting me to an appointment on 9th December.

This is five weeks from the date of my original call.

Now I appreciate mine is a non-urgent complaint, but even so it’s astonishing how hard it is to see a GP (and the days of seeing the same GP twice in a row or my own named GP are long, long gone).

How have things gotten this bad? At the same surgery ten years ago, you got an appointment the same or next day generally - no triage - or a 3/4 day wait maximum. And I always saw my named GP.

So my question is, the last time you made an appointment at the GP, how long was your wait for an in person appointment?

Our surgery has recently gone through some drastic changes re-booking appointments.

The days of just calling and making an appointment to see a doc ate slowly diminishing.

It's all about booking on line early and trying to beat all the others.

We are all now on this system called Blinx and it does what it says on the tin.



To answer your question, waiting times are on average 1-2 days.

 

[jcdenton08]

Our surgery has recently gone through some drastic changes re-booking appointments.
The days of just calling and making an appointment to see a doc ate slowly diminishing.
It's all about booking on line early and trying to beat all the others.
We are all now on this system called Blinx and it does what it says on the tin.

To answer your question, waiting times are on average 1-2 days.

Our surgery has recently gone through some drastic changes re-booking appointments.

The days of just calling and making an appointment to see a doc ate slowly diminishing.

It's all about booking on line early and trying to beat all the others.

We are all now on this system called Blinx and it does what it says on the tin.



To answer your question, waiting times are on average 1-2 days.

That sounds so much better. My surgery has Blinx, it’s right there on the NHS app and their website, but it’s permanently disabled. It’s like everything at my surgery is designed to be as difficult as possible

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Last two times, two years ago, it was the same day. Cannot remember the times before this.