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good local GP?
does anyone have any recommendations?
naming no names but i've been with a local GP for about 5 years, can't seem to get appointments within 2 weeks ever, have been in 8 or so times in total and have never clapped eyes on my actual GP - and now today when I finally get some evidence that he exists in the form of a private prescription he's got my name wrong, the medication wrong and charged me a tenner. i want to change GPs.
naming no names but i've been with a local GP for about 5 years, can't seem to get appointments within 2 weeks ever, have been in 8 or so times in total and have never clapped eyes on my actual GP - and now today when I finally get some evidence that he exists in the form of a private prescription he's got my name wrong, the medication wrong and charged me a tenner. i want to change GPs.
Comments
My fav doctor is away working in S Africa at the moment, he is brilliant, Dr Laurino. The have a few GPS there though and I seem to be able to get an appointment. Its quite busy tho.
If they increased the time between slots then people would complain about not being able to get seen quickly enough!
He/She could be doing anything - redressings in a 15 slot could take 10 mins or 25 depending on how long it takes someone to get their clothes on and off (elderly people etc.) - some appointments might involve making phone calls and the other person might not pick up/be engaged!
Any appointment system will end up running over by late morning because if its a quick appointment the next person won't be there yet, and if its a longer one the next person inevitably will be shown in late, there could be 12+ appointments in a morning session so only a few minutes overrun will soon add up.
No doubt the overrun time comes out of the nurse's unpaid lunch break. I think 30 mins is actually pretty reasonable, if you go to an out patients clinic at the Whittington the delay is often 50 mins or an hour. You can always ask for an appointment time before 10am when the overrun is at a minumum.
You may not always see your doctor, but generally can get in to see someone withing a week and they have various walk-in times if you are free in the day.
I have to say though, the Doctors eyes seem to light up as soon as I tell them I have insurance and just want a referral!
I usually try to get the first appointment of the day or the first one after lunch for this very reason, but have had the same problem on my last 3 nurse visits (even on the first appointment of the session).
A 30 minute delay is a problem when most people have to take time off work for appointments and when they have big posters everywhere saying that if the patient is late they won't be seen (which is fair enough, I just think it should work both ways).
Mysteriously appointments with the Doctors there are always pretty much on time.
If you're five minutes late at the check-in desk, Ryan Air will charge you a fortune to get on the next flight. But if their flight is delayed by three hours and you miss your connection, it's somehow still your own fault.
It's the same at doctors' offices, salons, etc. My doctor is fantastic, but if you're more than five minutes late, they make you reschedule and come back another day. I totally understand the reason for this policy, but public transport isn't reliable enough for a five-minute window. The alternative is to aim to be 10 minutes early. Who needs that kind of agro when they're ill?
Bah, I tell ya!
I've been fucked over in both those ways getting cheap flights, there is a bit of that going on in this situation I suppose but people who come late do get fitted into cancellations when they rebook, and there are always people who don't even turn up for the appointment without phoning, sometimes two or three times in a row!
Ten mins of sitting and waiting being early and knowing the appointment is going to be on time is better than clinic being 30 mins late but you had to be there for the proper time just in case though!
Maybe because I always turn up early it's extra frustrating. :)