Re: An appointment with the doctor.

To book an appointment press 1

To talk to the pharmacy press 2

To book a blood test press 3

If you are now dead press 4 and we will connect you to the undertaker.

Re: An appointment with the doctor.

Re: An appointment with the doctor.

I see surgeries are not getting any better.

I have not been back to the doctors since they messed me around last year. I put in for repeat prescriptions that is all I do. I am waiting for the time they say I cant have them any longer.

Re: An appointment with the doctor.

Can't you get the doc to call you? Ours do phone appts for anything you don't actually need to be sitting right in front of the doc for.

I also drop letters in explaining something I need if it's too complicated for phone appts - bit cheeky but it works

Re: An appointment with the doctor.

I have to say ours is getting better despite our recent problem, we have new GPs the others have moved on and the two we are dealing with are really nice, listen and help when they can. It's just the old school receptionists we need dealt with as they are refusing to do what the GPs want for various reasons. But it would be wrong to say ours isn't improving.

Re: An appointment with the doctor.

A while back now I tried to get a repeat Prescription and was refused as they told me the Doctor wanted to see me to review my medication needs too.

Of course there were no appointments at all so I asked for a piece of paper and wrote to the Doctor saying "If you want to review my medication needs I need to see you.
As I cannot get an appointment at all please inform me as to how this system works.
You have my contact details on file but please remember I am on your At Risk Register!
If I have a severe Asthma attack and I have no medication due to this intransigence I, or my family will sue you for malpractice and win."

The Doctor rang an hour later, apologised and I got an appointment for later in the week.

I also got an emergency issue of Ventolin at Lloyds, just in case. stevmk2

Re: An appointment with the doctor.

How sad that threats of litigation are seen as the line to take. No wonder there is so much demoralisation in the NHS.
I suspect that if you had written that note without the last line you would still have got a response.

Re: An appointment with the doctor.

I suspect he wouldn't but it depends on your surgery locally I think. Ours has been pretty bad and deaths have occurred due to their practices.

Re: An appointment with the doctor.

My Granddaughter was referred by a Pharmacist to see her doctor immediately . So she went directly to the Doctor. The Doctors receptionist asked her why she wanted to see the doctor told the tale & was informed that she should continue with the prescribed medication.!!!

Fortunately her mother went to the surgery & met the same receptionist. When given the same information asked the receptionist was qualified to make such decisions. The answer was that it was art of her duties.

On asking to speak to the practice manager to discuss the receptionist's qualifications & explaining that my granddaughters condition which wasn't a common complaint an immediate appointment was found.

In my experience far better to lie about one's need to see a Doctor than to use an honest approach. A sad reflection on the Health Service

Re: An appointment with the doctor.

For your information orangutan, six months prior to this I caught a chest infection and in the morning I woke up finding I could hardly breathe.

My wife wanted to call for a ambulance but I asked her to ring the surgery.

They said to come down immediately.

We live about 600 yards from my surgery but it took me twenty minutes even with my wife's help and I damn-near collapsed as we got there.

My doctor rushed out with a special bit of kit and I was put on that there and then, in the waiting room.

After half an hour my oxygen level was back up, high enough for the doctor to then tell me that he was about to call an ambulance.

I was put on his At Risk Register that day.

THAT is why I put what I did I my note and I would do it again - because I nearly died.

Reception Staff are not trained NHS Practitioners as their job is to clerically run the practise but at times you need to be really forceful - or you could die. stevmk2