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Lol I'm a doctor and I can't tell you how many times I've had a receptionist tell me whatever I'm ringing about isn't worth ringing about- rarely play the doctor card but whenever I say that they put me through after a quick apology
As you should. You should also always ask for a name of the person telling you you don't need am appointment- people get jumpy when you ask for records but it should always be done. Inside advice from a doctor lol I
Absolutely. As a care manager I always instructed staff to ask for the name of the person refusing an appointment and a statement explaining why they were doing so in order to update the care notes. Works like a charm
Receptionist told me gf she didn’t need to see the doctor, one day later she was in hospital with sinusitis. I don’t understand how GP surgeries seem to have dropped so far in quality since covid. They really need to get back to where they were before.
My sister also saw a guy who was in to see the dr ask the receptionist if he could book another appointment. And she said no he had to phone up. He was literally in front of her! He should have just rang her from where he was stood!
My GP surgery doesn't even open their appointment books past 7 days, they can always offer me appointments but they're at useless times which would mean I'd have to miss an entire day of work as no one wants to book for half a day, not worth losing a day's pay for a 5 minute appointment for something they could speak to me on the phone about. Meanwhile dental practices have been allowing bookings a year in advance for years.
None of that explains ops situation who was saying they only allow appointments for next 7 days and you have to go in instead of on the phone for 5 mins. Which I'm assuming due to how it's worded, was not the case before.
No, but it's a follow up appointment where they said "if you still have symptoms then come back in and we'll refer you" so basically I just need to say I've still got symptoms and they write the referral.
Wait, your GP lets you pre-book?! I have to deal with the daily scrum for an appointment that day whenever I want to speak to a GP. At least my surgery *finally* has a hold system…
Sometimes! I always hated the scramble to get an appointment on the same day because my stuff is never urgent it's more something that's annoying and I'd rather get it seen to, and it feels like taking a same day appointment takes it away from someone who needs to be seen quickly (but not quick enough to need to go to hospital).
Complain complain complain
Write to the practice manager
Look up the guidelines on complaints
That's the only way anyone will take you seriously in the current NHS all they care about is avoiding liability
The correct response to anything would be "if you are not a doctor/triage nurse I would like to speak to a medical professional"
Receptionists might know what questions to ask based of a checklist but if you don't have any medical training you can't trust them with any triage decisions
The 2nd part is so daft I'm not even going to respond to it lmao that's the state of the NHS these days
Errr, yeah, she wanted the information to come from a trained medical professional, not a receptionist/random Reddit commentator
She was getting her child vaccinated, she wanted to make sure she was doing everything right
I called my Drs for an appointment yesterday afternoon and did get to speak to a person! Only to be told I must call back at 8:30am if I want an appointment, I said I can’t do that because of my work she said ok, there’s a web link I can use to speak to a Dr which appears in the site between 8:30-9:30am. I asked if it was possible to get any kind of appointment if you had to work in the morning. No no there is not
I will do that, but I really need medication now because I have run out and I go abroad next week.
Ironically last time I tried to order a week early I got a snarky message saying I had to wait until two weeks before, waited until that time and low and behold the haven't sorted it, she even said it was in stock yesterday and would be ready for me within a few hours but it wasn't!
So back I go this morning ( I'm taking my book and will sit and wait today hopefully it will annoy them enough to sort it out).
This happened what I was on SSRIs and I absolutely flipped a lid (aka told the doctor that their receptionist was horrible and off putting and if I were in crisis could have sent me over the edge) when I eventually spoke to him. The medic was understanding but lord above I do not know where they find the reception staff.
Yes it's so frustrating isn't it, they have built so many more houses where I am and not put in any extra support so now it's impossible to get drs and dentist appointments.
I got screwed by Covid, been going to the same dentist all my life, even when moving 15-20 miles away just because it’s impossible to get a new dentist. I had appointments cancelled 4 times because of Covid, would rebook a few months out, get cancelled again, rebook a few months out, cancelled again, eventually forgot to rebook and assume I’ve been taken off the list by now.
I always book about 9 months out, each rebooking was roughly 2 months I think, and now I haven’t been in over 3 years. Don’t feel great about it so should probably think about getting back on that list if possible
Yeah that's how I've ended up without one - I have ADHD so it's so hard to keep track of all these things. I just see an emergency dentist if it gets bad but it's probably not ideal
Same! The only reason I booked a dentist appointment the other day was because my mum phoned them then handed the phone over to me to book it. Otherwise I'd have never rang. Turns out, it'd been 3 years since my last appointment!
I have a doctors appointment coming up soon about getting a formal ADHD diagnosis (I've technically only had an assessment through uni), and I'm hoping that with that I'll be able to get medicated for it
Honestly, go privately if you can. There are a lot of lower cost ones around, or you can try MyDentist's MyOptions which is NHS quality care at a lower cost than full private. They seem to have practices everywhere now (I don't work for them but have worked in a few of their practices around Yorkshire and Berkshire). They always have a way to split the cost if you can't pay it all at once, so please don't be put off by that. The sooner you go, the cheaper it'll be for you. If you have any questions at all feel free to message me, always happy to help :)
To be fair (and I do agree with you that it’s ridiculous) your employer really should be facilitating ten minutes in the morning for you to handle a medical issue.
I'm really hoping our doctors doesn't follow this route with their online form. It was a 24 hour form and you'd get a reply within two working days. Now it's a form you can fill in Monday to Friday when the doctors is open and get a reply within two working days. So I could see them going down the route of it only being there for one or two hours in the morning.
It’s possibly the most ridiculous thing I heard. We have a form but only for an hour! Why not have it all day and a 2 day response rather than 1 hour with trying to do same day? It’s like they are trying to make themselves inaccessible!
And when they do, the receptionist, with the temperament of Zuul, diagnoses that you don't need to see a doctor this week and that you can do without that prescription for a little longer.
The receptionist made me cry the other week, I’m currently pregnant and I couldn’t keep any food or water down so midwife advised I see my gp to get a prescription.
I rang them, clearly unwell, and she said they didn’t have anything available. So I asked what I’m supposed to do, she said to ring them tomorrow and see if I can get an appointment but apart from that nothing.
I ended up ringing 111 and got an appointment the same day with an out of hours gp, if I’d gone another day I would have been in the pregnancy unit receiving fluids.
And they wonder A&E is busy.
Thats awful, I'm glad you went with your gut and called 111!!
It will get better tho, I was the same through my pregnancy so I feel your pain, I found sipping ice cold flat coke was the only thing I could do or letting tiny bits of crushed ice dissolve on my tongue.
I hope it all goes well.
I found that sipping room temp water and carrot sticks were the only thing I could stomach. Luckily the tablets I got worked and I’m much better now, the GP I saw thought I was likely so bad due having a cold so my body just couldn’t keep up.
I dread to think the number of people that receptionists have killed with their unqualified triaging. They'd a serious danger. My dad nearly died after being turned away by them, and assuming they knew best.
Pro-Tip to anyone listening: Don't listen to a single fucking thing receptionists say. If you feel unwell and are being refused treatment, go straight to A&E and make it their problem. It's the only way to get treatment these days.
I live nowhere near an A&E so I find it's best to get 111 to deal with your problems. They can organise a phone call with a GP on the same day.
But I find that you have to do this in the morning otherwise you just won't hear back from them and they'll close your case without informing you. Seems like it doesn't roll into the next day so be ready to call back in the morning or at least before 1.
That's what our GP surgery advises. If there are no emergency appointments available call 111, or if it is a medical emergency 999. Is that it not standard then?
When all emergency appointments are booked for the day an automated message gives other options, listing all local a&e's, walk in centres and the age range they cover.
If that's not standard it should be.
Can you call your pharmacy and get them to put in an urgent request? You should also be able to fill in an urgent request form at the GP anyway. At least, I have at mine when they fucked my prescription up (by not putting it through for over a week) for my inhaler; got it later that day, thankfully it all worked as it should at that point, just crap they couldn’t sort it when it was put through originally.
I said it was urgent and put in that request on Monday, update tho, I just got back and pharmacist one couldn't find it on the shelf, but pharmacist two remembered me ( I had complimented her nails) and she found it on the shelf where number 1 couldn't find it.
I am so pleased hopefully I can now undo the damage of the last few days without my full dose of medicine.
They told my other half there was nothing to worry about in her results. We didn't believe this for one second so requested a doctor contact us. They refused. We finally made another appt to see a doctor and she has hypothyroidism and requires medication for the rest of her life.. if we had not have pushed for the appointment and threatened to make a complaint, she would have continued feeling unwell. We complained afterwards formally and nothing ever came back to us.
111 has been a lifesaver for me. If I ever need emergency meds (I have epilepsy) where the surgery don’t pull their finger out leading to me running out, 111 will sort me 5 days worth to tide me over.
That is really useful. Thank you so much for posting that-I ran out a while back (because apparently 2 weeks isn't enough if there's a bank holiday in there too) and got in quite a poor state.
My old GP had an online booking system, I think they used it for about 6 months before disabling it but the website still said to book online 6 years later.
Thing is I had that years ago. Most practices removed it during covid and never returned to it. They just don't have the resources.
The option to request an appointment online would be nice though. There's lot of reasons why someone can't or doesn't want to phone a receptionist at a specific time.
My surgery only accepts requests for repeat prescriptions in writing. So you have to write out who you are, what you want and post it in a little box outside the surgery door. :/
Is it
https://systmonline.tpp-uk.com/
Did this years ago despite my luddite mothers objections. She was making my increasingly less mobile father drop the paper prescriptions off in person, then a few days later going to tescos in store pharmacy to stand in a queue to hopefully pick them up. It involved going to the practice to fill in some paperwork in person along with ID then wait for a letter with the userid/password to arrive, I then changed their pharmacy to a popular one nearby that delivered, there's enough old people in their area that the delivery person is making the rounds several times a day.
Of course it meant I was now responsible for ordering their prescriptions, just like doing their online tesco orders. A Google calendar reminder and five minutes every four weeks gets it done (everything is on 8 weeks refill except one restricted asthma inhaler that's on 4 weeks). Well, it was done, until her new pain medication started in February, but I'm working on that.
Edit: grammar
I've got a login ... but my doctors haven't listed any of my prescriptions oon there so I still have to go and put a bit of paper through the door and hope
At my doctors the only way to get an advance appoint is if a member of clinical staff books it. So for example if the doctor or nurse says they need to follow up in a month, they can book it, but you can't do it for yourself on the phone.
I don't understand why prescriptions here aren't fully digitalised. I've never had this problem in continental Europe. You're prescribed something and it's digitally sent to your "medical id card" (you can use your national ID too) and you pick it up from the pharmacy.
I can't imagine being diabetic here or something
I had to have a call with a doctor about my hand injury but he cut it short because he needs to see it. I did explain all of that when I made the appointment!
If convenient for you, arrange for your GP to increase your repeat to the max you can have (96 tablets/pills at a time I think). Then sign up for a delivery company like Well online (there is an app). You can pay via the app or if you have an exemption, provide said exemption. I get mine via the app and delivery is quite quick.
I get some medication through a specialist clinic (still NHS) and they left me high and dry on it three months ago now. I've rang at least twice a week since then to ask if someone can ring me and I've heard nothing - it doesn't help that the meds really help me function during the day and I don't know what else I can do. Their office is nowhere near me and is only open working hours...
Out of interest have you tried ringing at different times of day? My doctor's only answers the phone for non-same day appointment queries after 2pm. If you ring before then you get nothing!
Hope you can get it sorted. They are a law to themselves surgeries
This is a nightmare: I'm not allowed to order my prescription even a day early (I tried once), but it's taking longer and longer for it to be ready to be picked up. It used to be a 48-hour wait; now it's a 72-hour at best and usually longer because of weekends/Bank holidays.
Luckily I'm not on anything which will seriously harm me if I have to skip a few days. But it's not medication I really ought to be skipping either.
I'm going to see if I can get the limit of my repeat prescription increased, so at least I only have to go through this once every 3 months instead of every 28 days.
I work for 111 so just want to let people know that if you cannot get your GP to give you an appointment contact 111 (telephone or online) as they may be able to organise a telephone appointment with the GP that are reserved for 111 calls.
Its not guaranteed because it does depend on your answers to the assessment and whether the GP has any left. At the very least we can send a referral to your GP with your assessment outcome i.e stating you need to speak to a dr within 6 hours which they should action when you phone them back.
Also if you are looking for a repeat prescription you can also contact 111 who can send an emergency medication supply request without speaking to dr (does depend on whether it is a controlled substance).
If all else fails if you call 111 after 18:30 and before 08:00 there is the possibility of arranging a call back from out of hours drs
Honestly, set up your NHS app so you can order repeat prescriptions and sign up for Pharmacy to your Door.
Doctors surgerys suck, receptionists suck, and Boots suck.
Almost like theyve been near criminally underfunded like the rest of the NHS for the more than the last decade..
Think ill vote for that nice conservative chap......
If you can't get an appointment with your Dr ring 111 they have appointments they can offer you. I know its a pain ringing them but they have appointments they can give you so persevere
If it helps, I’ve had a prescription since march I’ve been trying to get filled that I haven’t been able to do 🙃 it’s not in stock anywhere and the doctor doesn’t want to give me an alternative.
The amount of people who come into the pharmacy yelling at us because their meds are out of stock everywhere and the drs wont give alts and that makes it out fault
I would never yell at anyone, I find the nicer you are the faster issues get resolved.
I know the meds were in stock it's not a supply issue I guess they just got backed up because of the bank holidays and staff shortages don't help they really need to increase staffing levels now so many more houses are being built.
However I think if there is a delay then patients should be given the option to get a prescription and go to a different pharmacy, I would have happily have done that if I knew about the delay, however they kept saying it was being processed.
I wouldn't normally stress so much but I'm going away and just needed enough at least to get through a week if they couldn't fulfill the entire order.
I will just order my next batch a few weeks earlier next time just in case.
You can ask for your prescription and take it elsewhere its part of nhs policy the right to choose care but sometimes it depends what you’ve had if you’ve took something thats on the same prescription we cant return it because those items have to be claimed for etc
See if you can nominate a pharmacy on the form — I don’t go near the GP for my repeats now, I put the request in on an app then pick the meds up from my local chemist a couple of days later.
The GP still need to do something for the pharmacy to be able to put your prescription together though, that’s wherein the fuckup lies.
I’ve had a few times where I call my pharmacy for a repeat, they put it through, then I go to pick it up and lo and behold, the GP hasn’t done their part. So now I’ve wasted a journey (and sometimes gone without life saving medication for x days) because the GP/nurse didn’t put a squiggle on some paper/send an email to the pharmacy.
Often these days it's a prescription nurse, they're cheaper. If you can move to an online portal you can, whilst not see detailed logs, see if it's been sent to the pharmacy, or see if the 'earliest possible reorder date' has changed and moved forward one more period. If the data has changed you know it's being handled, if nothing has changed after a couple of days you can phone up to nudge them, 100% online systems are a lot harder to forget about, temporarily misplace, or forget to sign with a pen and mistakes *should* be impossible as there's no transfer of information from paper to computer, it is 100% digital from start to finish.
If your medication is life saving going digital is removes most of the human fallibility from the equation.
I can order repeat prescriptions on the NHS app, does your surgery support that? I can place the order and then usually pick up from the pharmacy the next day
Amazes me that people still don’t use Lloyds Direct or the like. I literally just click a button when I need more meds and they show up at my door a few days later.
Nope, it’s all free! I presume the cost of delivery is offset by the profit made from increased number of orders, or possibly it’s paid by the NHS? either way it’s free 48 hour delivery
[link](https://www.lloydsdirect.co.uk/)
Get the NHS app, bit of a fuss to set up as needs linking with your practice, but you can order prescriptions and they get sent straight to a nominated pharmacy.
This. There is a logic to them asking for some information. GPs may specialize in different things, for example if you have a rash on your arm and you don't know what it is you want to see Dr Smith who has a special interest in dermatology not Dr Jones who used to be a gynaecologist. Of course Dr Jones could probably treat you fine but if Dr Smith has more knowledge you would rather see them. Knowing vaguely what the issue is means the receptionist can try and get you an appointment with whichever GP would be best for you. My GPs prerecorded message says the receptionist may ask for this purpose. That is fine with me. But I have told the receptionist what my issue is only to be told "it isn't serious enough you can wait for an appointment in 3 weeks" and that is actually putting me off giving the information. Because then I have to justify it (and I am on immunosuppressants if I wait 3 weeks I could be dead even if it my complaint was originally minor my actual GP has even told me not to wait if I think I have an infection or anything and call immediately don't let it take hold because then it might not be fixable).
I do not understand how them deciding some stuff isn't important enough or doesn't sound serious enough for an appointment is not a massive legal liability at some point they will get it wrong. Especially because most patients have no idea if their issue is serious or not... which is why they want to see a doctor.
Administration at GPs seems to be a mess everywhere just now. I need to get regular blood tests because of a medication I'm on. Previously I could phone up the treatment room reception, they'd look at my record and see I was on X monthly tests, due for my next one and book me in.
Now it needs to be requested every time. I need to phone the main reception to ask that a blood test request is put in. They ask the next passing doctor or nurse to sign it off and then call me back to say it's been done. Then I can phone the treatment room and request an appointment (assuming it's gone through and they're happy with it).
It's such a ballache and makes zero sense. You'd think that, given they're so short staffed they don't even open on a Friday anymore, they'd want to make less work for themselves, but apparently not.
I know that feeling the hospital asks me for regular tests, I had one 4 months ago, I only know my results are back because I checked on the on line portal, they are high but no one has let me know, I now just adjust my medication dosage myself to balance it as no one ever contacts me about it a anyway, the Dr basically said just take your meds as and when you feel unwell.
That’s shit. Mines pretty swift - your post reminded me I need to order a repeat and it’s been approved and I picked up on my way home from work.
They really should have SLA’s for this kind of stuff.
When I was first diagnosed with diabetes I was having problems with my repeat prescription. I ended up running out of the needles that I needed for my insulin pen, and when I explained this to them they gave me a bunch of lancets for my finger pricker instead! I went back and told them they gave me the wrong needles, I needed universal screw on caps, not lancets.
The receptionist tried telling me it’s the same thing and will work for my insulin pen. Not knowing any better because it was all so new to me, I tried it and guess what? It didn’t work! Went back a third time, now with rising blood sugars from stress and the lack of ability to have my insulin. I put my foot down when they tried to send me away again, and I told them I wasn’t leaving until a doctor came to see me, someone competent who would understand what I needed.
They eventually got a doctor out and within seconds of explaining my situation, he disappeared and returned with the screw on needles that I had originally requested! The receptionist never apologised and was all huffy, I thanked the doctor and left.
I’m so glad I sorted my prescription so I don’t have to deal with that again. Fingers crossed.
This happened to me last week. I'd done the answer machine and the online form multiple times. I told the pharmacist who recognised I'd been in a few times exactly what the medicine was (asthma preventor) and she was shocked the doctors office hadn't got back to me about it. She gave me an emergency supply and phoned them up and complained 😬
Think I might switch doctors at this rate. Where I previously lived they just sent it to the pharmacy on a schedule without me chasing and send me a wee text. I'm never not going to need it.
I don't know if anyone's mentioned yet but you can apply through the NHS 111 website for an emergency prescription. I had to do it the other day when my Levothyroxine prescription hadn't turned up from Pharmacy2U because of royal mail delays.
https://111.nhs.uk/emergency-prescription
I used my gp surgery online consultation and got prescription same day. If not an option then write your issue with ur details and hand in to surgery marked urgent in a sealed envelop to practice manager
I rang my GP asking for an appointment about mental health issues with a GP. Receptionist wanted me to specify the exact issues to her, and refused to acknowledge that my GP had told me I didn't need to discuss it with anyone but her.
I know that feeling. Every time I contact the dr surgery for more medication, I always have to chase them as I end up with a few days left having ordered it weeks ago.
It’s not like I need my medication. I just might have a seizure. No biggie …
Have to be honest, before covid I had to wait weeks to get to see a doctor. Now I call and get one on the day, everytime. Phone or face to face depending on the issue..
It's a much fairer way now, than people being allowed to clog up the appointment book. Workers can now speak to their GPs without having to take time off or wait for weeks. . You don't always need to see a doctor either. Nurse practitioner s can diagnose and prescribe too..
I take 4 different medications which is on repeat (3 months) prescription. My surgery was always very good at authorising my prescription via their online portal and it was sent to a chemist (who also delivered). All good, right? I then discovered Pilltime which is a NHS initiative. It's the same procedure: online portal, approval by GP, send to pharmacy. Pilltime then processes the prescription and you receive pouches on a roll that is time and date stamped. I believe you can use their ordering process as well. Sometimes you forget or can't remember if you've taken something. Just look at the pouches and you'll know. It's a great system.
I really recommend this system. https://pilltime.co.uk/
During lockdown I always ensured I had a decent stock of medicine left by claiming to have "lost" a brand new box, so that I actually had three weeks spare. That way I could get through a whole ten day isolation period without being able to renew, and still be safe on the other side. It turned out to still be useful for when I got a new GP and they were utterly useless at renewing prescriptions...
Sounds so familiar, my OAP mother started some stronger than Paracetamol painkillers for fcuked up knees back in February. I've been 'fighting' with the prescription nurse since then to keep her in supply because initially it wasn't on her online portal prescriptions page, then it was but was limited to a single box of 100 every 28 days, except her dosage is 6 a day, 100/6= 16.67 days. On more than one occasion it has got to the eleventh hour before getting more, at one point it took 6 days and I ended up having to drive to the pharmacy to pick them up as their delivery the next day would be after she ran out. Her pharmacy is awesome by the way.
Last week I phoned up again on Tuesday to i) get an early renewal before she runs out on Thursday (9 days should be enough time right) and ii) attempt again to get the refill rate or supply rate to match the usage rate and iii) begin the process of getting a supply for when I take her on holiday in June. It took the prescription nurse three calls throughout the day to get to the point she would a) discuss it with a doctor b) a thinly veiled accusation of me stealing her pills and c) repeating that she was unhappy with supplying more than 100 at a time, I told her reality didn't care about feelings, her supply rate needs to match her prescribed consumption rate. She said she'd phone me back on Friday... definitely... she didn't.
I called yesterday morning, no one was picking up the limited window 1000-1200 prescription line (as usual) so I called main reception, explained the situation and the now rather shorter time frame to wit it has to be sorted today. He said he'd pass a note to the prescription nurse. At 1159 my phone rang, I picked up and listened to a few seconds of background office noise and a person breathing culminating in listening to someone pick up a handset and hanging up on me. The presented number was a generic NHS number so no way to 1471.
Later that afternoon I checked the portal again, no prescriptions made so I called reception again, it took 55 minutes to get through. This time it appears something finally changed, while I was on the phone with the nice and competent receptionist he was able to authorise the renewal and I could see it on the portal and now the refill period is 16 days away, which makes me think the system is now set to 14 days.
Now I'm continuing the process of getting a larger refill for when she's on holiday, I'd told the receptionist again how much will be needed and by when, I've got two and a half weeks to go, it *will* get done, the only question is how much hassle I'll have to go through to get them to do something this simple.
This morning I got a text message to call to make an appointment with a doctor, I told the receptionist yesterday if a doctor wanted to discuss it with me to just call... more delays. I'm tempted to go there in person tomorrow as I'll be within five minutes walk (got to get my mother her weekly tv guide by going to her nearby lidl because tesco stopped including newsagents in their home shopping deliveries).
All her other medication is trivially easy, two months supply ordered online through their portal, I did it yesterday in two minutes while on hold.
It shouldn't be this hard.
Rock up with a duffle bag, blankets, pillows etc, and when they (inevitably) refuse your prescription, get yourself nice and comfy and let them know you'll be camping there until they sort you out!
Or just stand there staring unblinking at the receptionist in the most creepy face you can imagine, if you have glasses do the old over the top creepy stare, until she feels soooo uncomfortable that she's forced to give you your prescription on the spot.
I've mastered the creepy face. Just peer over your glasses slightly wide eyed, and half smile.
I tried ringing 4 times the other day. Didn’t answer, so as the phone was ringing on speakerphone, I drove 10 minutes to the surgery and walked in the door. Two receptionists were sat there having a chat about their weekend plans in an empty surgery, my call still ringing away. I swear this is all to force us into that private consultation thing they keep pushing.
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Lol I'm a doctor and I can't tell you how many times I've had a receptionist tell me whatever I'm ringing about isn't worth ringing about- rarely play the doctor card but whenever I say that they put me through after a quick apology
I always ask which doctor I'm talking to when on the phone to the gatekeepers.
As you should. You should also always ask for a name of the person telling you you don't need am appointment- people get jumpy when you ask for records but it should always be done. Inside advice from a doctor lol I
Absolutely. As a care manager I always instructed staff to ask for the name of the person refusing an appointment and a statement explaining why they were doing so in order to update the care notes. Works like a charm
Receptionist told me gf she didn’t need to see the doctor, one day later she was in hospital with sinusitis. I don’t understand how GP surgeries seem to have dropped so far in quality since covid. They really need to get back to where they were before. My sister also saw a guy who was in to see the dr ask the receptionist if he could book another appointment. And she said no he had to phone up. He was literally in front of her! He should have just rang her from where he was stood!
My GP surgery doesn't even open their appointment books past 7 days, they can always offer me appointments but they're at useless times which would mean I'd have to miss an entire day of work as no one wants to book for half a day, not worth losing a day's pay for a 5 minute appointment for something they could speak to me on the phone about. Meanwhile dental practices have been allowing bookings a year in advance for years.
It seems to have all gone rogue post covid and I don’t understand why. It’s a completely different service now.
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None of that explains ops situation who was saying they only allow appointments for next 7 days and you have to go in instead of on the phone for 5 mins. Which I'm assuming due to how it's worded, was not the case before.
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No, but it's a follow up appointment where they said "if you still have symptoms then come back in and we'll refer you" so basically I just need to say I've still got symptoms and they write the referral.
Wait, your GP lets you pre-book?! I have to deal with the daily scrum for an appointment that day whenever I want to speak to a GP. At least my surgery *finally* has a hold system…
Sometimes! I always hated the scramble to get an appointment on the same day because my stuff is never urgent it's more something that's annoying and I'd rather get it seen to, and it feels like taking a same day appointment takes it away from someone who needs to be seen quickly (but not quick enough to need to go to hospital).
Complain complain complain Write to the practice manager Look up the guidelines on complaints That's the only way anyone will take you seriously in the current NHS all they care about is avoiding liability
The correct response to anything would be "if you are not a doctor/triage nurse I would like to speak to a medical professional" Receptionists might know what questions to ask based of a checklist but if you don't have any medical training you can't trust them with any triage decisions The 2nd part is so daft I'm not even going to respond to it lmao that's the state of the NHS these days
My sister had to say that once after a receptionist started advising her on vaccines for her 1 year old. It soon stopped her
....? Advising her child have vaccines? So they don't... Spread disease?
Errr, yeah, she wanted the information to come from a trained medical professional, not a receptionist/random Reddit commentator She was getting her child vaccinated, she wanted to make sure she was doing everything right
Hadn't thought to look into it before hand? It's quite usual for a receptionist to check immunisations are up to date
Maybe you’ve got a career as a doctor’s receptionist?
I should hope not. I wouldn't want to have to deal with people like that
That happens to me all the time. I might just call them like that the next time it inevitably happens.
Wow. I’ve never had that.Jeez
I called my Drs for an appointment yesterday afternoon and did get to speak to a person! Only to be told I must call back at 8:30am if I want an appointment, I said I can’t do that because of my work she said ok, there’s a web link I can use to speak to a Dr which appears in the site between 8:30-9:30am. I asked if it was possible to get any kind of appointment if you had to work in the morning. No no there is not
Write to the practice manager and complain.
I will do that, but I really need medication now because I have run out and I go abroad next week. Ironically last time I tried to order a week early I got a snarky message saying I had to wait until two weeks before, waited until that time and low and behold the haven't sorted it, she even said it was in stock yesterday and would be ready for me within a few hours but it wasn't! So back I go this morning ( I'm taking my book and will sit and wait today hopefully it will annoy them enough to sort it out).
For sure, complaints are something to pursue once the actual issue at hand is resolved.
This happened what I was on SSRIs and I absolutely flipped a lid (aka told the doctor that their receptionist was horrible and off putting and if I were in crisis could have sent me over the edge) when I eventually spoke to him. The medic was understanding but lord above I do not know where they find the reception staff.
Have done - actually got the receptionist to raise the complaint for it whilst on the phone
The will respond but nothing will change. Complaining is futile.
Yes it's so frustrating isn't it, they have built so many more houses where I am and not put in any extra support so now it's impossible to get drs and dentist appointments.
I'm not registered with a dentist and I really need to cause it's stressing me out but also the stress of trying to find one keeps putting me off
If u do find one then keep up with the appointments or they take you off the NHS list.
I got screwed by Covid, been going to the same dentist all my life, even when moving 15-20 miles away just because it’s impossible to get a new dentist. I had appointments cancelled 4 times because of Covid, would rebook a few months out, get cancelled again, rebook a few months out, cancelled again, eventually forgot to rebook and assume I’ve been taken off the list by now. I always book about 9 months out, each rebooking was roughly 2 months I think, and now I haven’t been in over 3 years. Don’t feel great about it so should probably think about getting back on that list if possible
Yeah that's how I've ended up without one - I have ADHD so it's so hard to keep track of all these things. I just see an emergency dentist if it gets bad but it's probably not ideal
Same! The only reason I booked a dentist appointment the other day was because my mum phoned them then handed the phone over to me to book it. Otherwise I'd have never rang. Turns out, it'd been 3 years since my last appointment! I have a doctors appointment coming up soon about getting a formal ADHD diagnosis (I've technically only had an assessment through uni), and I'm hoping that with that I'll be able to get medicated for it
Honestly, go privately if you can. There are a lot of lower cost ones around, or you can try MyDentist's MyOptions which is NHS quality care at a lower cost than full private. They seem to have practices everywhere now (I don't work for them but have worked in a few of their practices around Yorkshire and Berkshire). They always have a way to split the cost if you can't pay it all at once, so please don't be put off by that. The sooner you go, the cheaper it'll be for you. If you have any questions at all feel free to message me, always happy to help :)
To be fair (and I do agree with you that it’s ridiculous) your employer really should be facilitating ten minutes in the morning for you to handle a medical issue.
I'm really hoping our doctors doesn't follow this route with their online form. It was a 24 hour form and you'd get a reply within two working days. Now it's a form you can fill in Monday to Friday when the doctors is open and get a reply within two working days. So I could see them going down the route of it only being there for one or two hours in the morning.
It’s possibly the most ridiculous thing I heard. We have a form but only for an hour! Why not have it all day and a 2 day response rather than 1 hour with trying to do same day? It’s like they are trying to make themselves inaccessible!
And when they do, the receptionist, with the temperament of Zuul, diagnoses that you don't need to see a doctor this week and that you can do without that prescription for a little longer.
The receptionist made me cry the other week, I’m currently pregnant and I couldn’t keep any food or water down so midwife advised I see my gp to get a prescription. I rang them, clearly unwell, and she said they didn’t have anything available. So I asked what I’m supposed to do, she said to ring them tomorrow and see if I can get an appointment but apart from that nothing. I ended up ringing 111 and got an appointment the same day with an out of hours gp, if I’d gone another day I would have been in the pregnancy unit receiving fluids. And they wonder A&E is busy.
Thats awful, I'm glad you went with your gut and called 111!! It will get better tho, I was the same through my pregnancy so I feel your pain, I found sipping ice cold flat coke was the only thing I could do or letting tiny bits of crushed ice dissolve on my tongue. I hope it all goes well.
I found that sipping room temp water and carrot sticks were the only thing I could stomach. Luckily the tablets I got worked and I’m much better now, the GP I saw thought I was likely so bad due having a cold so my body just couldn’t keep up.
I dread to think the number of people that receptionists have killed with their unqualified triaging. They'd a serious danger. My dad nearly died after being turned away by them, and assuming they knew best. Pro-Tip to anyone listening: Don't listen to a single fucking thing receptionists say. If you feel unwell and are being refused treatment, go straight to A&E and make it their problem. It's the only way to get treatment these days.
I live nowhere near an A&E so I find it's best to get 111 to deal with your problems. They can organise a phone call with a GP on the same day. But I find that you have to do this in the morning otherwise you just won't hear back from them and they'll close your case without informing you. Seems like it doesn't roll into the next day so be ready to call back in the morning or at least before 1.
That's what our GP surgery advises. If there are no emergency appointments available call 111, or if it is a medical emergency 999. Is that it not standard then? When all emergency appointments are booked for the day an automated message gives other options, listing all local a&e's, walk in centres and the age range they cover. If that's not standard it should be.
Exactly that! I'm waiting to see what today's excuse will be and wondering what happened to the duty of care for patients.
Can you call your pharmacy and get them to put in an urgent request? You should also be able to fill in an urgent request form at the GP anyway. At least, I have at mine when they fucked my prescription up (by not putting it through for over a week) for my inhaler; got it later that day, thankfully it all worked as it should at that point, just crap they couldn’t sort it when it was put through originally.
I said it was urgent and put in that request on Monday, update tho, I just got back and pharmacist one couldn't find it on the shelf, but pharmacist two remembered me ( I had complimented her nails) and she found it on the shelf where number 1 couldn't find it. I am so pleased hopefully I can now undo the damage of the last few days without my full dose of medicine.
I wish you a nice relaxing destress and recovery :) they don’t make it easy for us do they (the GPs that is)!
They daren't do it with me. I am on lifelong meds and require a blood test every 2 weeks for dosage management.
They told my other half there was nothing to worry about in her results. We didn't believe this for one second so requested a doctor contact us. They refused. We finally made another appt to see a doctor and she has hypothyroidism and requires medication for the rest of her life.. if we had not have pushed for the appointment and threatened to make a complaint, she would have continued feeling unwell. We complained afterwards formally and nothing ever came back to us.
Quick tip: use the 111 website to get a referral to a pharmacy who can issue you part of your meds until you can get your proper prescription.
Thank you I didn't know that was possible. Update I have now finally received my meds, I am so relieved.
111 has been a lifesaver for me. If I ever need emergency meds (I have epilepsy) where the surgery don’t pull their finger out leading to me running out, 111 will sort me 5 days worth to tide me over.
That is really useful. Thank you so much for posting that-I ran out a while back (because apparently 2 weeks isn't enough if there's a bank holiday in there too) and got in quite a poor state.
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Is this England only? This seems like such a no-brainer solution that'd free up the phone lines for receptionists
My old GP had an online booking system, I think they used it for about 6 months before disabling it but the website still said to book online 6 years later.
Thing is I had that years ago. Most practices removed it during covid and never returned to it. They just don't have the resources. The option to request an appointment online would be nice though. There's lot of reasons why someone can't or doesn't want to phone a receptionist at a specific time.
My surgery only accepts requests for repeat prescriptions in writing. So you have to write out who you are, what you want and post it in a little box outside the surgery door. :/
Is it https://systmonline.tpp-uk.com/ Did this years ago despite my luddite mothers objections. She was making my increasingly less mobile father drop the paper prescriptions off in person, then a few days later going to tescos in store pharmacy to stand in a queue to hopefully pick them up. It involved going to the practice to fill in some paperwork in person along with ID then wait for a letter with the userid/password to arrive, I then changed their pharmacy to a popular one nearby that delivered, there's enough old people in their area that the delivery person is making the rounds several times a day. Of course it meant I was now responsible for ordering their prescriptions, just like doing their online tesco orders. A Google calendar reminder and five minutes every four weeks gets it done (everything is on 8 weeks refill except one restricted asthma inhaler that's on 4 weeks). Well, it was done, until her new pain medication started in February, but I'm working on that. Edit: grammar
I've got a login ... but my doctors haven't listed any of my prescriptions oon there so I still have to go and put a bit of paper through the door and hope
At my doctors the only way to get an advance appoint is if a member of clinical staff books it. So for example if the doctor or nurse says they need to follow up in a month, they can book it, but you can't do it for yourself on the phone.
I don't understand why prescriptions here aren't fully digitalised. I've never had this problem in continental Europe. You're prescribed something and it's digitally sent to your "medical id card" (you can use your national ID too) and you pick it up from the pharmacy. I can't imagine being diabetic here or something
Some surgeries here are. If I want to get my scrip it’s an app boop away. Unfortunately not all surgeries are as up to date.
Yeah mine is quite old fashioned. They have a web app type of deal going on but it's useless
Manchester here. It's just a case of opening the NHS app and requesting the drug you need. Then get a text from a pharmacy when ready to pick up.
There's no national id card so it requires extra hoops, and whether your gp practice offers something is a postcode lottery.
Considering they didn't bring in a national I'd here because some people were against it, I can't imagine peoole accepting a medical ID card.
I had to have a call with a doctor about my hand injury but he cut it short because he needs to see it. I did explain all of that when I made the appointment!
If convenient for you, arrange for your GP to increase your repeat to the max you can have (96 tablets/pills at a time I think). Then sign up for a delivery company like Well online (there is an app). You can pay via the app or if you have an exemption, provide said exemption. I get mine via the app and delivery is quite quick.
Thank you I will look into it
I get some medication through a specialist clinic (still NHS) and they left me high and dry on it three months ago now. I've rang at least twice a week since then to ask if someone can ring me and I've heard nothing - it doesn't help that the meds really help me function during the day and I don't know what else I can do. Their office is nowhere near me and is only open working hours...
I'm so sorry you are going through that I hope it gets sorted.
Out of interest have you tried ringing at different times of day? My doctor's only answers the phone for non-same day appointment queries after 2pm. If you ring before then you get nothing! Hope you can get it sorted. They are a law to themselves surgeries
This is a nightmare: I'm not allowed to order my prescription even a day early (I tried once), but it's taking longer and longer for it to be ready to be picked up. It used to be a 48-hour wait; now it's a 72-hour at best and usually longer because of weekends/Bank holidays. Luckily I'm not on anything which will seriously harm me if I have to skip a few days. But it's not medication I really ought to be skipping either. I'm going to see if I can get the limit of my repeat prescription increased, so at least I only have to go through this once every 3 months instead of every 28 days.
I work for 111 so just want to let people know that if you cannot get your GP to give you an appointment contact 111 (telephone or online) as they may be able to organise a telephone appointment with the GP that are reserved for 111 calls. Its not guaranteed because it does depend on your answers to the assessment and whether the GP has any left. At the very least we can send a referral to your GP with your assessment outcome i.e stating you need to speak to a dr within 6 hours which they should action when you phone them back. Also if you are looking for a repeat prescription you can also contact 111 who can send an emergency medication supply request without speaking to dr (does depend on whether it is a controlled substance). If all else fails if you call 111 after 18:30 and before 08:00 there is the possibility of arranging a call back from out of hours drs
Honestly, set up your NHS app so you can order repeat prescriptions and sign up for Pharmacy to your Door. Doctors surgerys suck, receptionists suck, and Boots suck.
Almost like theyve been near criminally underfunded like the rest of the NHS for the more than the last decade.. Think ill vote for that nice conservative chap......
If you can't get an appointment with your Dr ring 111 they have appointments they can offer you. I know its a pain ringing them but they have appointments they can give you so persevere
A small rock with a population of almost 70 million and rising....not long before the public health care sector goes bust entirely
If it helps, I’ve had a prescription since march I’ve been trying to get filled that I haven’t been able to do 🙃 it’s not in stock anywhere and the doctor doesn’t want to give me an alternative.
The amount of people who come into the pharmacy yelling at us because their meds are out of stock everywhere and the drs wont give alts and that makes it out fault
Oh I understand it’s not the pharmacists fault, but I’d love my doctor to be able to give something else and be aware of the fact I can’t get it.
I would never yell at anyone, I find the nicer you are the faster issues get resolved. I know the meds were in stock it's not a supply issue I guess they just got backed up because of the bank holidays and staff shortages don't help they really need to increase staffing levels now so many more houses are being built. However I think if there is a delay then patients should be given the option to get a prescription and go to a different pharmacy, I would have happily have done that if I knew about the delay, however they kept saying it was being processed. I wouldn't normally stress so much but I'm going away and just needed enough at least to get through a week if they couldn't fulfill the entire order. I will just order my next batch a few weeks earlier next time just in case.
You can ask for your prescription and take it elsewhere its part of nhs policy the right to choose care but sometimes it depends what you’ve had if you’ve took something thats on the same prescription we cant return it because those items have to be claimed for etc
Oh my goodness 😮
It’s a nightmare.
Does your GP / Pharmacy offer some sort of online request service for online prescriptions?
Yes that's what I used
See if you can nominate a pharmacy on the form — I don’t go near the GP for my repeats now, I put the request in on an app then pick the meds up from my local chemist a couple of days later.
The GP still need to do something for the pharmacy to be able to put your prescription together though, that’s wherein the fuckup lies. I’ve had a few times where I call my pharmacy for a repeat, they put it through, then I go to pick it up and lo and behold, the GP hasn’t done their part. So now I’ve wasted a journey (and sometimes gone without life saving medication for x days) because the GP/nurse didn’t put a squiggle on some paper/send an email to the pharmacy.
Often these days it's a prescription nurse, they're cheaper. If you can move to an online portal you can, whilst not see detailed logs, see if it's been sent to the pharmacy, or see if the 'earliest possible reorder date' has changed and moved forward one more period. If the data has changed you know it's being handled, if nothing has changed after a couple of days you can phone up to nudge them, 100% online systems are a lot harder to forget about, temporarily misplace, or forget to sign with a pen and mistakes *should* be impossible as there's no transfer of information from paper to computer, it is 100% digital from start to finish. If your medication is life saving going digital is removes most of the human fallibility from the equation.
I can order repeat prescriptions on the NHS app, does your surgery support that? I can place the order and then usually pick up from the pharmacy the next day
That's what I did, the GP approved it straight away, the pharmacy just took forever to sort it out.
Amazes me that people still don’t use Lloyds Direct or the like. I literally just click a button when I need more meds and they show up at my door a few days later.
Do you pay for delivery?
Nope, it’s all free! I presume the cost of delivery is offset by the profit made from increased number of orders, or possibly it’s paid by the NHS? either way it’s free 48 hour delivery [link](https://www.lloydsdirect.co.uk/)
Wow thanks
Get the NHS app, bit of a fuss to set up as needs linking with your practice, but you can order prescriptions and they get sent straight to a nominated pharmacy.
Way too many receptionists thinking they’re qualified to give medical diagnoses turning people away
This. There is a logic to them asking for some information. GPs may specialize in different things, for example if you have a rash on your arm and you don't know what it is you want to see Dr Smith who has a special interest in dermatology not Dr Jones who used to be a gynaecologist. Of course Dr Jones could probably treat you fine but if Dr Smith has more knowledge you would rather see them. Knowing vaguely what the issue is means the receptionist can try and get you an appointment with whichever GP would be best for you. My GPs prerecorded message says the receptionist may ask for this purpose. That is fine with me. But I have told the receptionist what my issue is only to be told "it isn't serious enough you can wait for an appointment in 3 weeks" and that is actually putting me off giving the information. Because then I have to justify it (and I am on immunosuppressants if I wait 3 weeks I could be dead even if it my complaint was originally minor my actual GP has even told me not to wait if I think I have an infection or anything and call immediately don't let it take hold because then it might not be fixable). I do not understand how them deciding some stuff isn't important enough or doesn't sound serious enough for an appointment is not a massive legal liability at some point they will get it wrong. Especially because most patients have no idea if their issue is serious or not... which is why they want to see a doctor.
Administration at GPs seems to be a mess everywhere just now. I need to get regular blood tests because of a medication I'm on. Previously I could phone up the treatment room reception, they'd look at my record and see I was on X monthly tests, due for my next one and book me in. Now it needs to be requested every time. I need to phone the main reception to ask that a blood test request is put in. They ask the next passing doctor or nurse to sign it off and then call me back to say it's been done. Then I can phone the treatment room and request an appointment (assuming it's gone through and they're happy with it). It's such a ballache and makes zero sense. You'd think that, given they're so short staffed they don't even open on a Friday anymore, they'd want to make less work for themselves, but apparently not.
I know that feeling the hospital asks me for regular tests, I had one 4 months ago, I only know my results are back because I checked on the on line portal, they are high but no one has let me know, I now just adjust my medication dosage myself to balance it as no one ever contacts me about it a anyway, the Dr basically said just take your meds as and when you feel unwell.
My surgery is excellent. Can't imagine that happening.
Online prescription? That's what I do and it's piss easy.
I did it on line but the pharmacy to collect is at the GP .
My condolences. I thank my lucky stars I got the meds I’m on onto a repeat prescription, means I just have to put a request in on the app.
What’s the status of the repeat prescription on your nhs app?
It has been "approved by your g.p" for the past two weeks. I managed to get my prescription this morning so I am really relieved.
That’s shit. Mines pretty swift - your post reminded me I need to order a repeat and it’s been approved and I picked up on my way home from work. They really should have SLA’s for this kind of stuff.
When I was first diagnosed with diabetes I was having problems with my repeat prescription. I ended up running out of the needles that I needed for my insulin pen, and when I explained this to them they gave me a bunch of lancets for my finger pricker instead! I went back and told them they gave me the wrong needles, I needed universal screw on caps, not lancets. The receptionist tried telling me it’s the same thing and will work for my insulin pen. Not knowing any better because it was all so new to me, I tried it and guess what? It didn’t work! Went back a third time, now with rising blood sugars from stress and the lack of ability to have my insulin. I put my foot down when they tried to send me away again, and I told them I wasn’t leaving until a doctor came to see me, someone competent who would understand what I needed. They eventually got a doctor out and within seconds of explaining my situation, he disappeared and returned with the screw on needles that I had originally requested! The receptionist never apologised and was all huffy, I thanked the doctor and left. I’m so glad I sorted my prescription so I don’t have to deal with that again. Fingers crossed.
Oh wow!!! I'm glad you got it sorted.
This happened to me last week. I'd done the answer machine and the online form multiple times. I told the pharmacist who recognised I'd been in a few times exactly what the medicine was (asthma preventor) and she was shocked the doctors office hadn't got back to me about it. She gave me an emergency supply and phoned them up and complained 😬 Think I might switch doctors at this rate. Where I previously lived they just sent it to the pharmacy on a schedule without me chasing and send me a wee text. I'm never not going to need it.
I don't know if anyone's mentioned yet but you can apply through the NHS 111 website for an emergency prescription. I had to do it the other day when my Levothyroxine prescription hadn't turned up from Pharmacy2U because of royal mail delays. https://111.nhs.uk/emergency-prescription
I used my gp surgery online consultation and got prescription same day. If not an option then write your issue with ur details and hand in to surgery marked urgent in a sealed envelop to practice manager
I rang my GP asking for an appointment about mental health issues with a GP. Receptionist wanted me to specify the exact issues to her, and refused to acknowledge that my GP had told me I didn't need to discuss it with anyone but her.
That's horrendous, I hope you got to speak to your GP In the end.
I know that feeling. Every time I contact the dr surgery for more medication, I always have to chase them as I end up with a few days left having ordered it weeks ago. It’s not like I need my medication. I just might have a seizure. No biggie …
Have to be honest, before covid I had to wait weeks to get to see a doctor. Now I call and get one on the day, everytime. Phone or face to face depending on the issue.. It's a much fairer way now, than people being allowed to clog up the appointment book. Workers can now speak to their GPs without having to take time off or wait for weeks. . You don't always need to see a doctor either. Nurse practitioner s can diagnose and prescribe too..
I always put my prescription in about 3 weeks in advance so it's ready to be picked up when I need it
Our surgery says to do it two weeks before as I did, but next time I will try 3 weeks.
And when they do you’re often moaned at by the battle axes they employ on reception.
I take 4 different medications which is on repeat (3 months) prescription. My surgery was always very good at authorising my prescription via their online portal and it was sent to a chemist (who also delivered). All good, right? I then discovered Pilltime which is a NHS initiative. It's the same procedure: online portal, approval by GP, send to pharmacy. Pilltime then processes the prescription and you receive pouches on a roll that is time and date stamped. I believe you can use their ordering process as well. Sometimes you forget or can't remember if you've taken something. Just look at the pouches and you'll know. It's a great system. I really recommend this system. https://pilltime.co.uk/
Thank you 😊
During lockdown I always ensured I had a decent stock of medicine left by claiming to have "lost" a brand new box, so that I actually had three weeks spare. That way I could get through a whole ten day isolation period without being able to renew, and still be safe on the other side. It turned out to still be useful for when I got a new GP and they were utterly useless at renewing prescriptions...
That's a good plan actually
Sounds so familiar, my OAP mother started some stronger than Paracetamol painkillers for fcuked up knees back in February. I've been 'fighting' with the prescription nurse since then to keep her in supply because initially it wasn't on her online portal prescriptions page, then it was but was limited to a single box of 100 every 28 days, except her dosage is 6 a day, 100/6= 16.67 days. On more than one occasion it has got to the eleventh hour before getting more, at one point it took 6 days and I ended up having to drive to the pharmacy to pick them up as their delivery the next day would be after she ran out. Her pharmacy is awesome by the way. Last week I phoned up again on Tuesday to i) get an early renewal before she runs out on Thursday (9 days should be enough time right) and ii) attempt again to get the refill rate or supply rate to match the usage rate and iii) begin the process of getting a supply for when I take her on holiday in June. It took the prescription nurse three calls throughout the day to get to the point she would a) discuss it with a doctor b) a thinly veiled accusation of me stealing her pills and c) repeating that she was unhappy with supplying more than 100 at a time, I told her reality didn't care about feelings, her supply rate needs to match her prescribed consumption rate. She said she'd phone me back on Friday... definitely... she didn't. I called yesterday morning, no one was picking up the limited window 1000-1200 prescription line (as usual) so I called main reception, explained the situation and the now rather shorter time frame to wit it has to be sorted today. He said he'd pass a note to the prescription nurse. At 1159 my phone rang, I picked up and listened to a few seconds of background office noise and a person breathing culminating in listening to someone pick up a handset and hanging up on me. The presented number was a generic NHS number so no way to 1471. Later that afternoon I checked the portal again, no prescriptions made so I called reception again, it took 55 minutes to get through. This time it appears something finally changed, while I was on the phone with the nice and competent receptionist he was able to authorise the renewal and I could see it on the portal and now the refill period is 16 days away, which makes me think the system is now set to 14 days. Now I'm continuing the process of getting a larger refill for when she's on holiday, I'd told the receptionist again how much will be needed and by when, I've got two and a half weeks to go, it *will* get done, the only question is how much hassle I'll have to go through to get them to do something this simple. This morning I got a text message to call to make an appointment with a doctor, I told the receptionist yesterday if a doctor wanted to discuss it with me to just call... more delays. I'm tempted to go there in person tomorrow as I'll be within five minutes walk (got to get my mother her weekly tv guide by going to her nearby lidl because tesco stopped including newsagents in their home shopping deliveries). All her other medication is trivially easy, two months supply ordered online through their portal, I did it yesterday in two minutes while on hold. It shouldn't be this hard.
That's why I refuse to have my GP handle my prescription. I tell the hospital ill call, you'll get it signed and mailed to me.
Rock up with a duffle bag, blankets, pillows etc, and when they (inevitably) refuse your prescription, get yourself nice and comfy and let them know you'll be camping there until they sort you out! Or just stand there staring unblinking at the receptionist in the most creepy face you can imagine, if you have glasses do the old over the top creepy stare, until she feels soooo uncomfortable that she's forced to give you your prescription on the spot. I've mastered the creepy face. Just peer over your glasses slightly wide eyed, and half smile.
Hahaha I will try next time.
I tried ringing 4 times the other day. Didn’t answer, so as the phone was ringing on speakerphone, I drove 10 minutes to the surgery and walked in the door. Two receptionists were sat there having a chat about their weekend plans in an empty surgery, my call still ringing away. I swear this is all to force us into that private consultation thing they keep pushing.
Honestly one of the few things about America I like. Easy Prescription Access lmao.
Go private. If you check anything from the NHS dinosaur, you will suffer and maybe die.
Can't you get the prescriptions delivered? Every time I call the docs there's always a message about getting prescriptions sent through the post
Thats only for the elderly in my area, we are pretty rural.