How do you get one?!? I can’t ever get past the receptionist. For the 3rd time in 6 wks I’ve had a chest infection that has quickly become nasty.
On Tuesday I turned up and tried to demand an appointment and I got a letter from the practice to say my behaviour was inappropriate and won’t be tollerated. I didn’t swear threaten or scream. I just needed an appointment. I ended up going to a and e.
Are other people’s GP surgeries like this? I had a Medrol injection last week and I take plaquinil.
I would make an appointment to see the practice manager and take the letter with you. Also any evidence of A&E visits and medications for chest infections. They have some sort of duty of care and should have urgent/ on the day appointments for people with chest infections.
I had asked to speak to her but she isn’t located at my GP surgery... so I did say I was going to be putting in a complaint- so I presume the receptionist got in their first.
Like I need stress in my life! Trying to stay well is bad enough without not being able to see your GP... or should I say, a different GP every time you need an appointment, if you’re lucky enough to even get past the receptionist.
Are we meant to wait until we have meningitis? (Which has happened to me before). Sorry. I’m just so so so angry now!
I’m not surprised you are so angry! I would still locate the PM and give her your facts. My friends ended up moving away to be with a different practice to mine for exactly this reason - whereas they have been very good with me so far. She made two formal complaints and also received a letter like yours. Maybe her complaints were listened to more than she knew and this is why things have been so much better for me?
I too made a formal complaint about a GP in a different practice a few years ago and asked for a copy of my letter to go on my notes for future reference. This seems to have helped - as have other letters of complaint to my neurologist and a Rheumatology registrar. That’s 3 letters they can see because I copied them in. My letters are polite but ruthless and very precise. If the complaint is in writing then it has much more impact.
It has totally wiped the floor with me fighting doctors like this but hopefully it helps me and others with chronic conditions to receive better care when we phone.
Otherwise moving to a different practice an option for you? It wouldn’t be for me as there is only one in our area.
Hello Kazwaz1980
That sounds terrible. Is the problem that the receptionist is refusing you any appointment at all? Or is s/he saying that there are no appointments available within a certain time? Or is s/he asking you what is wrong and then deciding whether you need to see a GP?
As you know, you have a legal right to GP services, and there is a government target that says that all GPs should see "urgent" cases within 48 hours (but this is not legally binding).
In any case, receptionists are not entitled to have any information from you regarding why you wish to see the doctor. Lots are encouraged to do this as a way of reducing the pressure on urgent appointments, but I've never heard of any who try to stop people getting an appointment at all! That is completely out of order.
twitchy's has come up with good ideas. Here's some more:
1. always make a note of these incidents. Time, date and what was said to deny you the appointment. This will help with any complaint either way.
2. I would politely decline to answer any questions posed by your receptionist, beyond confirming that it is important or urgent that you see a doctor. If you want to game the system a bit, some possible options that will get you seen urgently might include "I think I need emergency contraception"!!!
3. More constructively, a lot of practices have online appointment booking. Check whether yours does, because that system automatically offers appointment slots without any intrusive/obstructive receptionists getting in the way!
x
Does you practice allow you to have a telephone call from a GP if there are no appointments? Mine does, then, if needs be, a magic afternoon appointment is made.
You must complaint to the Practice Manager about what happened. Inappropriate and threatening behaviour is usually screaming and perhaps ripping pages out of the ancient magazines.
If there is another GP practice close by, consider registering there. It was the best thing I did. I'm sure my last practice had "nasty attitude" on the receptionist's job description.
I’d have been happy to have been offered a telephone triage. Last time I was offered one for 3 days time when I called because of my flaring asthma.
Yes I will document everything, even though I’m exhausted and ill, and I’ll go in and raise my concerns. I have witnesses and details of all the times I have called up when no one has picked up for over 10 mins at a time all day long, photographed from my phone.
No online appointments for weeks in advance.
I’m reluctant to see lots of different GPs.... since one took me off my iron tablets last month (which I hoped to discuss) and previously one told me I didn’t need the thyroxine I’ve been on for 15 years, and that my creatinine levels that were over 100 out of range for 3 months on 3 separate blood tests were “onlyjust out of range”... which was not what my consultant has said, who was concerned enough to request a retest- but the GP said it wasn’t necessary. another suggested my Vitamin D was only just out of the range for low (out of inadequate) and so it wasn’t necessary to take supplements for it.
They offered me an appointment to wait at end of surgery- so I came along but then when I got there they said the GP could no longer see me as they were already running an hour late.
So yes, although my actual GP is great, I sadly will need to change to somewhere else I guess, because the service is affecting my health significantly.
Feels nice to offload all that before I have to meet the PM!... and, no doubt, it will need to be within my designated afternoon nap time.
At what point do you just leave seeing a medic because it’s too difficult to see anyone?!? When you have meningitis? When you have kidney failure? It’s scary and I’m only 18 months into even hearing of lupus and 4 months into being medicated. Once I’ve got my head around it all I’m sure it won’t feel as stressful, but at the moment I feel a bit let down!
Document it all, possibly switch a phone on to record as you ask and take someone with you and also keep records of when you went to A&E and how they managed you.
I know how you feel my gp surgery is horrendous I almost died from meningitis in 2011 thanks to an incompetent gp , he sent me home with amoxicillin saying I had an ear infection a couple of hours later my son found me unconscious, six hours after that I was in intensive care in hospital and they rang my children at 3.30 am in the morning telling them to come back to the hospital asap as they didn't think I was going to make it , that happened twice . I put a terrible review about them on their website and on the NHS website mainly complaining about the fact that they don't read the letters sent to them by my consultants , i get copies of the letters , I leave it a couple of weeks to see if they ring me to ask me to come for the blood test for example and I say did you get the letter dated whatever date it was ? They go and check then say yes we got it , I then say well why have you not done what the consultant asked ? They don't answer that they just say I will pass it on to a doctor now . If I ring them and they say I can't have an appointment I say I have lupus and am on immunosuppressant medication which makes me very high risk from infection they usually fit me in then . They replied to one of the reviews saying I should go and see the practice manager, I didn't bother . They do seem to have listened as my consultant asked them to give me amitriptyline for pain in my ankles and they rang and said the doctor wants to see you , I've not been yet . Online appointments are ok if you are prepared to wait for a month to be seen .I rarely go and see a gp I hate them and my practice is full of student doctors , I see my consultant every 3 months gp has nothing to do with my care thank god .
I too had meningitis- in 2008 and before I was even on medication so you will completely understand. I NEvER want to go trough that again in my life. And it all started with a chest infection that I ignored.
At least it gives me comfort to know it isn’t just me feeling trapped and a bit alone.
Rhumy dept are brilliant. Unfortunately I am asthmatic and chest infections come under GP care and not rhumatology they said. Although I was never asthmatic until I started with all this 15 yrs ago. Xx
I know what you mean I have had lupus 15 years to and I have had all-sorts since , an acoustic neuroma , blood clots , osteoporosis , meningitis , vasovagal attacks i was as fit as a fiddle before this horrible disease started .
This is awful treatment. I moved to a small country practice and I can't believe the difference from my last doctor which was a very large medical centre. Eg I went for my 4 weekly bloods on Wednesday, told the nurse had a swollen gland and what she thought. She went on her computer, made an appointment with doctor the next day. I was the only patient in waiting room when I went in (small waiting room) never a wait. Saw doctor who doesn't rush you. She is concerned about my gland and is sending me to hospital for a check. I guess that's another consultant on my list now. Kidneys still not at a good level and still waiting on my next gastro appointment. I was actually feeling a lot better then somthing else pops it's head up. Anyway I'm now certain I made the right decision to move to a small country practice.
Maybe I can sell up and move in with you?!? Hehe
There have to be a certain number of apps that become free at either 8am or just that day, I think this is a requirement for those that are needed to be seen on the day. If they gave u a sit and wait slot they shouldn’t be able to refuse to see u it’s not ur fault they are running late, u can’t just send people home!
If they can’t give me an app that day I ask for a phone call from one of either 3 of the gps I usually see cos they know me and can often just deal with it in a 5 min phone call which also saves them an app! They also have a certain amount of telephone apps in a day for this purpose so that a gp can speak to u and then decide themselves if u need to come in.
So if I’m doubt and u think it’s really necessary and the receptionist is being obstructive or unhelpful ask for a call so then it’s a clinical decision made by the gp. I’m not saying or condoning that we are ringing for things that can wait until a routine app is free but just for those times ie can I increase my steroids or can u do me some more pain relief etc etc
Hope u get sorted, maybe look for a surgery that has a sit and wait clinic and see if there is a gp with a specialist interest in rheumatology?? Or recommended by friends or family.
Sorry it’s a long one!
She didn’t offer telephone triage when I asked, she wouldn’t give me an appointment at all until I was pushy... then she said “if it’s that important you can wait now”. I had to be at work for an hour (I’m self employed and it was too late to cancel as I had clients arriving for a pilates class in 20 mins so would have set off) so I said I would come back. She said that it would be too late in an hour and it was the only time. So I changed everything for it. I bailed on class and lost money- only to then be told she was running an hour late. I think even a saint might have been slightly irritated at this.
The letter that was sent was rude and unnecessary and it’s caused me stress and upset. I even fed my dog my medication instead of her own last night..... at a cost of £700 and almost her life. I avoid stress as much as I can, and at present the one thing that does cause me stress is my GP surgery.
I will find someone else who has an interest- my GP, when I get to see her does, but the fact I can’t ever see her makes it impossible
Notes for upcoming GP appointment 
psychologist appointment; update
Livid afters GP appointment
