General Chat

If its not a emergency you have to wait at least 4 weeks for a routine appointment and that is subject to cancelation.Last week daughter went to doctors.Asked to fill in a alcohol survey.60 questions and she scored 8.Gave it back to the receptionist with a smile and said she dont have a problem.She got a letter yesterday giving her a appointment for tomorrow for a review for her alcohol problem.She only drinks 1 bottle of wine a week lol What a waste of time.Now you know why you cant get a reasonable appointment

Annie

Annie, I can usually phone in the morning and see the doctor the same day. Yes I saw in the paper where doctors were to be asked to complete alcohol surveys on all their patients.

Is that a voluntary survey?

Not heard about it

Think it is voluntary?What gets me i can get a emergency appointment on the day but try and get a routine and it takes weeks.My daughter is not a drinker but can give her a appointment in less than a week when its not needed.
Annie

I have been plagued with surveys from my doctor for the last 2 years but refuse to take part because when i read them i found that all the questions seemed to be loaded in such a way that the out come would have been waited in favour of the establishment so i saw it as a box ticking exercise to justify government targets,

After i had explained why i refused,

I offered to send them a letter with what i thought about the health care i had received from my GP but they declined my offer but they still insist on sending me every survey as they obviously think i need kindle to start my fire,

Roy

edit, If you want to see a doctor at my surgery then you have to ring between 8 and 9 am to get in the same day but their is no guarantee, they will not take advanced bookings,

For anyone who works such an in my job i used to have to take the full week off because as a long distance driver i would be out all week once i started on Monday, due to the nature of work the company would have to bring another driver in to replace me for the full week because it was a set run that got you back home on Friday or saturday

you can get an appt at my surgery any day if you want one - not necessarily with theGP of your choice

here in Cardiff the RCGP is running a competition to find the best GR in Cardiff - I've nominated mine - he's fantastic - if I [we] win, I get to go to a dinner with him at the Cardiff Hlton Hotel in November - the hotel is crap, but it'll be nice to go somewhere

I have never had a problem with my surgery, the receptionists are fantastic and you can always speak to a GP on the phone the same day if you want - he will ring you

If you ring early morning you well get to see someone in an emergency - usually a nurse Routine non urgent much more difficult. They release appointments every two weeks (old cynic that I am think they are massaging the stats to make it look like no one waits longer than 2 weeks) but then if you can't get a suitable appointment in that two weeks you have to wait for the next release or hope by then its an emergency. :-S I am.

Vera

These quetionnaires are aimed at prevention and controlling certain medical problems. Its cheaper to do that than treat them when they get out of control,

Drs can only work so many hours a day so have to decide whether to make the appointments emergency or routine. These are reviewed regularily.

Drs make housecall during their lunch hour. If there are lots of housecalls then they dont get a lunch break. I bet a number of these house calls were unnessesary, but the DR still goes out to them

You blame the surgery, for all the problems but what about the number of people who fail to turn up to an appointment. I suppose that is the Drs fault too.

Ours is AH, they have open surgery a couple of mornings a week, just go, book in & wait. Appointments non urgent are a nightmare.

In the hols I sat & waited almost 3 hours. I probably caught more germs than I went in with.

Trouble is, there are the same amount of docs there as there were when I moved here in 1992, but the population in our area has grown, more patients to each doc. When I spoke to the receptionist she said the doctors preferred having the waiting room over full all day despite the situation for us paitents. . :-(

Jane, Doctors have not done house calls for years in my area,

If you need a house call you have to have an emergency and then you get a doctor supplied through a agency or if it's a life or death situation then its a paramedic and ambulance job but more often than not you are told to get to your nearest A&E

Roy

Porkie Pie

We must be spoilt then. The Drs at our surgery do house calls every lunch time. Week days only. WE even have an Out of hours service to cover when the surgeries in our area are closed. This is supposed to be for emergencies but I bet people abuse the system. We also have a minor injury unit to deal with minor injuries but it is limited what they will deal with and are only open for part of the day.

Our A & E is quite far away and they are really busy so there is always a long wait . And as far as our ambulance service is concerned you have to be nearly dead for them to take you to A&E otherwise you have to get there yourself.

Jane

My surgery has a 'drop in' facility every morning as well as a fairly good appointment system. They have also started a Saturday/Sunday appointments from 10am to 6pm. Am not complaining :-)

ps...but my weekly alcohol intake is between me and my maker :-D

I have to say my GP is very good, if I ring at 8am I am guaranteed an appointment within that day, if its an emergency after surgery closes we have a number of drop in centres which I have to say have been excellent.......we are very lucky :-)