Doctors appointments

leeCal

my local surgery asked me to phone for a callback appointment this morning, they said phone as close to 8.30am as possible. So I duly phoned, and phoned and phoned and phoned, constantly engaged for three quarters of an hour before I was placed in a queue. Eventually I got through and was told that the doctor would phone me this morning sometime. I waited all day for a call but nothing.

eventsually I phoned them and explained and found out that instead of phoning my landline they’d tried my turned off mobile three times instead! I was flabbergasted and somewhat annoyed. Needless to say I now have to go through all that again tomorrow.

If you gone after a certain time you can’t have an appointment that day and have to do it again the next day. Anyone else find getting an appointment is this phone call lottery?

☹️

Ross_Alumni

Definitely feels like a lottery @leeCal, , sorry to hear of the inconvenience you had this morning. Better luck next time  

janer1967

My surgery is exactly the same they won't make any advance appts just on the day for a phone appt.

66Mustang

Same sort of thing at our surgery

Also you’re not allowed in the surgery unless you have an appointment; i.e. to make an appointment; so making an appointment has to be done over the phone

The last time I needed an appointment both my parents were on the phones for an hour - they called over 400 times in total before one of them got through

Once you get through all the day’s appointments are gone. Fortunately for us our surgery lets you book in advance but it was something like a 5 week wait if I remember correctly.

I don’t know what you are meant to do if you have an issue that’s not serious enough for A&E but serious enough that you need to see someone sooner than 5 weeks. I guess go to A&E anyway?

janer1967

@66Mustang and that's the issue people going to a&e when it's the gp that they should be seeing but they can't get to see a gp 

That's overstretching a&e 

Some people can get to walk in centres which can be an alternative and pharmacists can sometimes help 

SueHeath

It's a nightmare out there with the doctors - ours are the same @leeCal i had to go for bloods etc last week - there was no one in the waiting room and the receptionists were just sitting chatting to each other.
Even the nurse didn't know if a locum was on or one of our own Doc's. It does make you wonder whats going on.

leeCal

Yes, @SueHeath, I got through again today only to be told that my doctor isn’t in again until Thursday! So I have to go through all that nonsense three times just to get a medication review over the telephone. It’s certainly testing. 

SueHeath

Now you got me started ha ha @leeCal our "medical reviews" thats a laugh during the pandemic our reviews were pasted on to a clinical pharmacist over the phone ??????? every year i am suposed to have bloods and xray, when i asked the person on the phone he said to go back to my doctors and ask, so i did and was told oh no were not doing any of these at the moment ha.
When i had to speak to my doc Oct last year the 1st thing out of his mouth was "you havn't had your bloods or xrays done" ha ha and he booked me straight in - it's a flipin joke !!!!!
Thats it your fault lee i need another coffee now ha ha xx

Sandy_123

@leeCal hopefully you will get sorted on Thursday. I always leave a message on the on line services, then I get a time, date, for a Dr to ring. I have bloods every 3 months and b12 every 3 months, luckily the nurses book it ahead. 

SueHeath

Your doctors sound great @Sandy_123 wish ours were better i find this very frustrating x

Lisatho11987777

I just phone my surgery and ask to see the nurse and its usually within the hour I go and see her if she thinks the dr needs to check anything she goes and gets him I find the nurse knows more about lupus and my blood clotting side of lupus better than the dr does I have been referred for another chest xray 

L_Volunteer

Hello @leeCal

Thanks for your post. I can see it has been a couple of days since your post. I just thought I would check in with you. How are things going for you at the moment?

Also, thanks for sharing your experience with us @lisathomas50. How are you feeling about being referred for another chest xray? 

leeCal

Hi @L_Volunteer I have to wait until my doctor is back in the surgery again on Thursday before I can make another telephone callback appointment. Thanks for asking. 🙂

Sandy_123

Our surgery is OK if your seeing nurses, but I havnt had a drs face to face for a long time. I was meant to be sent for lung scans from the hospital who wrote to our drs about it, been over 12 months, the hospital or the drs havnt bothered. So I don't know

leeCal

You may have to chase them up @Sandy_123 Though waiting lists are long for everything I think.

Sandy_123

I did ring hospital and left message on the secretary answer machine about 7 months ago after a nurse at drs told me to chase it up and nothing. Then I couldn't tell the nurse as drs wasn't picking up. So left it.  I could try again with drs just to add  last time I saw Dr was a chest infection. 

SueHeath

A few of us seem to have the same trouble @Sandy_123 good luck with chasing your xray up x
Hope you get your app today @leeCal x

leeCal

Yay! @Teddybear12 At last I got my appointment and have spoken to my doctor whom I thanked very much for calling...I was that grateful! 

Not something i want to repeat though.

SueHeath

Morning @leeCal great to hear your sorted with doc's x

leeCal

Thanks @SueHeath, it was a medication review and the end result was...no change! So actually a waste of my time really. Still I suppose they have to check how and then, the review was two years overdue believe it or not. 🙂

Alex_Alumni

Glad to hear all was well in the end @leeCal

I know what you mean about medication reviews, and I think ultimately it's a good thing to check now and then as you say!