A visit to the Doctor

ian@huth · 01-02-2005, 10:25

I have to visit the Doctor regularly and today was one of my visits. Appointment was for 9:10 and arrived just before 9:00 getting the last parking spot that was anywhere near the surgery. Went to the reception desk to sign in and found them writing appointments on a sheet of paper. The computers were down and had been since Saturday with no access to appointments or medical records kept on the system. Doctor called me at 9:45, 35 minutes late and told me that it was a waste of time seeing me as he needed computer records to do a medication review which was due. Not only had he no access to my computer records but they couldn't find my paper records either.

He asked me to phone for a new appointment tomorrow or Thursday if the systems were still down in the morning.

Getting an appointment is a work of art in itself. They have very few slots that can be filled in advance of the day and they are usually all filled. They ask you to ring first thing in the morning to get an appointment. They start answering the phones at 8:30 but you are lucky if you get anything but an engaged tone. Quite often by the time you get through all the appointments for the day are gone and they ask you to call back the following day. It's not so bad if you are willing to see any doctor but with my conditions my doctor doesn't want me to see another one.

The health service appears to be getting worse all the time. I can't understand why it takes so long to fix problems with computer systems at the doctors. Maybe they would get them sorted quicker if NTL maintained them. That isn't being funny as NTL have always been out and sorted problems I have had within the day.

Bifta · 01-02-2005, 10:31

When I moved house, I tried to get a local GP sorted out. We spanned a 5 mile radius from where we live and not one single surgery was accepting new patients. In the end we had to contact some medical board who forced a surgery nearly 4 miles away to accept us. That in itself is bad enough, but whenever you have an appointment you WILL be kept waiting at least an hour and a half to see the doctor MINIMUM. It get's that bad that I have to schedule 3 hours off work for a simple checkup

What really rags me is that there is a health centre literally 2 minutes walk down the road but they refuse point blank to accept us.

Ramrod · 01-02-2005, 10:36

.......and yet Gordon Brown is giving how many billion to Africa?

Halcyon · 01-02-2005, 10:39

Oh dont get me started on Doctors surgerys.
You are exactly right. I too have to wait absolutely ages and end up loosing more time. The phone is always engaged when I try to phone up and then when you are given an appointment its at an absolutely mentle time. And then you have to add another 40 minutes wait on top of that time before you actually get seen to.

Bifta · 01-02-2005, 10:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ramrod

.......and yet Gordon Brown is giving how many billion to Africa?

I don't mind him (us) helping out the (far) less fortunate, an hour and a half sitting is a surgery I think is a small price to pay if it ends up feeding someone who's starving to death, dont you?

Halcyon · 01-02-2005, 11:17

The annoying thing is that you end up waiting that long to then be given a ten minute apointment.
Sounds hardly worth going in the first place.

01-02-2005, 11:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ramrod

.......and yet Gordon Brown is giving how many billion to Africa?

Dont get me started on donating money to other countries!

Millay · 01-02-2005, 11:34

I put myself as a contractor forward to do the3 days a week IT support for my local Surgerys IT systems. (its what i do as abusiness). I didnt get the job, as they gave it to someone less qualified but was a mature lady so they thought the admin staff would get on better with her. I have since been chatting to the admin staff as this lady aparently causes ,oretrouble than she is worth and keeps doing the wrong things. No I am all for different ages etc.... My dad is 60 and know's more about the IT industry and comutingsnd the various systems than most people I know put together.... Surgeries have some highly advanced IT kit, yet they are left in the dark about how to maintain and use it, and what or who they require to do the job...

AndrewJ · 01-02-2005, 11:37

My gp place is okay never runs on time but runs nicely...note i shall keep its location top secret

As for money to other countries keep giving it, and give us some too...whats so hard help everyone

Scarlett · 01-02-2005, 11:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bifta

When I moved house, I tried to get a local GP sorted out. We spanned a 5 mile radius from where we live and not one single surgery was accepting new patients. In the end we had to contact some medical board who forced a surgery nearly 4 miles away to accept us. That in itself is bad enough, but whenever you have an appointment you WILL be kept waiting at least an hour and a half to see the doctor MINIMUM. It get's that bad that I have to schedule 3 hours off work for a simple checkup

What really rags me is that there is a health centre literally 2 minutes walk down the road but they refuse point blank to accept us.

We had this problem when we used to live in Northampton. we had 3 surgeries in the area, all of whom were refusing to accept new patients claiming that we were in one of the others catchment areas.

We then back to our nearest one and told them that we'd rung the NHS help line and they told us that we should go to them... Got in! (took over 4 weeks to get the intital appointment though

)

Scarlett.

Mind you they were absolutly sh*te the local hosptial had a MAJOR go at them for making my G/f (now official other half) walk home and call a taxi when she had a blood clot on her lung (altough we didn't know that until she got into hospital) rather then get an ambalance... Thank God we moved away after 6 months...

Halcyon · 01-02-2005, 11:54

Whats hard is that we do lots for other countries but our own country is becoming a dump and a total mess up.
Why dont we just let everyone flock into England and just let the NHS keep filling up withj backlogs, prisons get over crowded, crime on the increase, jobs becoming rare and being handed to everyone who steps over the port at Dover, etc.
We need a big shake up I'd say.

AndrewJ · 01-02-2005, 12:01

Dad is sent home from hospital as he is in good health...
Dad is retired from work due to ill health.
Dad is kicked off sick due to good health.
Dad is rushed into hospital due to severe ill health..

we move towns

Halcyon · 01-02-2005, 12:53

A completly messed up system. Exactly.
Mr Blair and his team need to come out of dreamland and see whats really going on.

AndrewJ · 01-02-2005, 12:55

Mr Blair is currently in MIchael Jackson theme park. He was moved there due to insanity and being a total berk.

He shall remain there till further notice and the tellitubbies will now run the country.

ian@huth · 01-02-2005, 13:03

The appointment system at our doctors was changed so that the time you had to wait to see a doctor was reduced to fit in with government targets. Yes, the recorded waiting times possibly did come down but most never get on the waiting list as they are told to ring back the next day and they are never recorded as waiting.