Contacting GP

Wibbles

My GP has started to use Accurx as a way of contacting them.

Despite it being a form of email (where you leave messages for them) it only operates during surgery times.....So messages cannot be left "out of hours".

This is not very helpful.

Also - it is limited in the number of characters that the patient is allowed to type.

L_Volunteer

How very frustrating and limiting @Wibbles. Is there anywhere you can raise your concerns about this new contact platform? 

Wibbles

L_Volunteer said:

How very frustrating and limiting @Wibbles. Is there anywhere you can raise your concerns about this new contact platform? 

I don't think so - they chose it and patients have to live with it !

many other surgeries use the same ... ?

Hannah_Scope

Everything is through the App or you ring them at my GP surgery.

I hope they open the out of hours soon! 

Wibbles

Hannah_Scope said:

Everything is through the App or you ring them at my GP surgery.

I hope they open the out of hours soon! 

Yes but I am unable to speak on the phone 
So..... 

Hannah_Scope

Oh yes, I was answering your last bit about many other surgeries using the same. I think my friends surgery only use online booking now 🤔 Will have to see if she can use it out of hours. 

It is amazing and concerning how many companies, businesses and services are now using online only bookings, messaging and contact forms. 

2oldcodgers

Hannah_Scope said:

Oh yes, I was answering your last bit about many other surgeries using the same. I think my friends surgery only use online booking now 🤔 Will have to see if she can use it out of hours. 

It is amazing and concerning how many companies, businesses and services are now using online only bookings, messaging and contact forms. 

It keeps the costs down at the practice by reducing staff hours etc.
My practice also has this system but for emergencies, and it has to be just that you can telephone to ask.
As for out of hours, there will be nobody at the surgery to read those messages. My surgery now operates from 8am to 5.30pm excepting when they close all day on Thursday and at the weekend - it's a 4 day a week practice.
Outside these hours you are told to contact 111 or if in dire need 999.

OverlyAnxious

They don't have the resources to help everyone.  The way to limit the number of patients is by only allowing contact during office hours, both in person and online.  Outside of that you're expected to either put up with it or phone for ambulance if it's urgent.

Wibbles

I have written a fairly long summary of my problems and intend to send it in several messages tomorrow - it appears to be limited to 400 characters, which is nowhere near enough !

OverlyAnxious

Wibbles said:

I have written a fairly long summary of my problems and intend to send it in several messages tomorrow - it appears to be limited to 400 characters, which is nowhere near enough !

Each appointment slot is meant to be for one single problem - either a referral that they can make or a prescription for medication. 

At the end of the day, a GP can't do any more than that (as they've made very clear to myself!) so you should be able to condense the message down to just the necessary parts that will lead to either a referral or meds.

Wibbles

OverlyAnxious said:

Wibbles said:

I have written a fairly long summary of my problems and intend to send it in several messages tomorrow - it appears to be limited to 400 characters, which is nowhere near enough !

Each appointment slot is meant to be for one single problem - either a referral that they can make or a prescription for medication. 

At the end of the day, a GP can't do any more than that (as they've made very clear to myself!) so you should be able to condense the message down to just the necessary parts that will lead to either a referral or meds.

I'm not after a GP appointment !

OverlyAnxious

Wibbles said:

OverlyAnxious said:

Wibbles said:

I have written a fairly long summary of my problems and intend to send it in several messages tomorrow - it appears to be limited to 400 characters, which is nowhere near enough !

Each appointment slot is meant to be for one single problem - either a referral that they can make or a prescription for medication. 

At the end of the day, a GP can't do any more than that (as they've made very clear to myself!) so you should be able to condense the message down to just the necessary parts that will lead to either a referral or meds.

I'm not after a GP appointment !

Why are you contacting them then?  If you send a message through the system, the time it takes them to read and respond is effectively an appointment slot.

Wibbles

To ask questions about my care 

Adrian_Scope

Could you write a letter or look online for the practice's secretary or email address @Wibbles? 

OverlyAnxious

Wibbles said:

To ask questions about my care 

Ok, I agree with Adrian that a letter or email would work better for that.

Although I wrote a 4 page letter to my surgery asking for help/advice and was just told they can't do anything other than refer to hospital or prescribe meds.  Perhaps your surgery will be more helpful!

CATP

Wibbles said:

My GP has started to use Accurx as a way of contacting them.

Despite it being a form of email (where you leave messages for them) it only operates during surgery times.....So messages cannot be left "out of hours".

This is not very helpful.

Also - it is limited in the number of characters that the patient is allowed to type.

my GP surgery uses 'ask my GP' , it sounds like a slightly better platform, as when youve wrote the title of your problem,you can write thousands of characters and also upload photos and video. im non verbal and strugle to acess the surgery itself so i find 'ask my GP' more useful than going there as theres pretty much no one left driving me. i use a rigid active wheelie which doesnt fit into the average taxi and because im under a apointee i cant just get money out for a taxi.

as for others,i know its getting to be a big thing now,online services. i even was given a doctors platform to try it out on my server.

i know my surgery let you leave messages when its out of hours,but they dont always get picked up by the doctor.

my elderly parents have just had there GP surgery moved to some sort of online platform like yours/mine and my dad has been told not to ring up to make an apointment hes got to go on the online service to do anything,and he is really impatient with computers and doesnt take the time to understand them plus my mum doesnt know what the laptop on button is for, its really awful that doctors surgerys are making things so inacesible and out of reach to both disabled and/or elderly people, theyre actualy geting rid of some of there bigest customers,i hope that rests easy with them.

Albus_Scope

My new GPs have recently taken to only having their 'e-consult' platform active for about ten minutes each morning.  So now there's two ways of winning the appointment lottery each day!  Getting an appointment is all but impossible these days. 

Wibbles

Albus_Scope said:

My new GPs have recently taken to only having their 'e-consult' platform active for about ten minutes each morning.  So now there's two ways of winning the appointment lottery each day!  Getting an appointment is all but impossible these days. 

At least mine do read their messages from 8-5 every day....

2oldcodgers

I've given up with the GP service.
On the odd chance that I can see someone I am generally told to book a blood test at the local hospital.
Not a problem but nobody ever tells me what the results are. I had to give two poo samples  about 5/6 weeks ago due to me having concerns with a bowel/colon issue. As of today nobody has bothered to let me know the results. I suppose it's one of those 'if you don't hear then you must be OK'.

Wibbles

I was wrong 
I used the new system this morning to get an urgent appointment (I found "a lump") with my GP and was offered one within a hour this afternoon... 

Albus_Scope

Wow, I'm glad you've managed to get an appointment so quickly @Wibbles, I'll be keeping everything crossed for you.