at the doctors...

[TdC]

ME: I'd like to arrange an appointment to talk to Mr Doctor Man about my presumed hayfever
Nice Lady: I'm sorry, we only do appointments by phone
ME: that's ok, I can call you right now *takes out mobile*
Nice Lady: I'm sorry, we only do phone appointments before 11am. It's now 11.10 am. Please call tomorrow.

Coke Zero : I don't actually have hayfever, and am here to have hot sex with the uber babe / international woman of mystery who poses as a doctor's assistant. In a helicopter. Chasing a jet-boat.

Reality : I leave, go to work and make angry noises on the internets.


I know Doctor's practices are busy places. I mean, there were a whopping two people waiting there when I walked in. I know the assistants/secretaries whatever you call them are busy people. I have a nice lady friend who is one. One of TWO in a super busy clinic. She works on the edge of insanity to get her job done. The nice lady in my story was indeed typing on the computer, behind an inch thick plate of glass. Surely she could have alt-tabbed in to the planning app to squeeze me in?

(ofc I realize my argument is flawed: if I'm writing code and someone/-thing disturbs me that sets me off by hours. I like being in the zone when doing brain-intense stuff like that. On the other hand, a secretary is meant to be able to do a million things at once. ffs.)

 

[DaGaffer]

Sounds like a jobsworth biatch to me.

 

[PLightstar]

Luckily people at my GP's protested the change to telephone appointments and only arranging appointments before 9 on the day you want one. So I can phone up anytime and ask for an appointment for any day (if there's a space) unlike my mrs who has to phone on the day she wants an appointment and phone between half 8 and 9am. Keep telling her to change doctors.

 

[Gray]

My doc's are right fucks when it comes to making appointments. I haven't needed doctors in a few years and even then it would be only sparingly.

But on occasion i've asked to see Doctor Suchandsuch and the receptionist comes back with "Nope, you can't see specific doctors, it's luck of the draw" even if you want to see them days in advance.

I don't even think you can plan appointments days in advance either, you have to phone up either before 9am to be seen in the morning, or 1pm in the afternoon. Then when you try phoning, it's really busy and they just end up giving you an engaged tone/answer message.

 

[TdC]

Sounds like a jobsworth biatch to me.

well that was my immediate thought, but I tried to suppress it due to my friend who is one and works her arse off. boo

 

[old.Tohtori]

She seemed rather nice, polite atleast and so forth. Is it really worth angry rage if you can just wait and call again?

Remember that you're not the only one who could just be "squeezed in"(hrhr...dirty thoughts), and if they did that for everyone, as they should if they did it for one, there would be a 24/7 line.

 

[soze]

At my docs you can phone for an Emergency Appointment on the same day other than that you have to use the touch screen computer for a same day appointment. I have used it to book an appointment 20 minutes in the future it is good if you can get there.

 

[Raven]

Should have flopped it out on the desk and asked her if she thought you needed an appointment or not.

 

[Lamp]

Pff...to see my GP, you have to cross the Mountains of Shadow, defeat the Dragon King, rescue the Princess, swim across shark-infested waters, and THEN phone the surgery 3 days beforehand provided the number 16 has occured more than 9 times in the last 21 lottery draws...in which case they will put you on the waiting list; otherwise you have to have a prostate exam by Edward Scissorhands

 

[TdC]

She seemed rather nice, polite atleast and so forth. Is it really worth angry rage if you can just wait and call again?

Remember that you're not the only one who could just be "squeezed in"(hrhr...dirty thoughts), and if they did that for everyone, as they should if they did it for one, there would be a 24/7 line.

err no, she was actually rather aggressive. that aside, I don't really bike past my doctor because I want to be looked at "sometime", I go past my doc because I want to be looked at "rather soon". The rather soon component can easily be next week or so, but I really would like to know I have the appointment. Also, given the fact that there are only two other people there kind of defeats the 24/7 queue thing. I guess my point against the secretary not putting me in the planning thingy mostly has to do with the relative amount of work it is combined with the fact that there was nobody else there.

At my docs you can phone for an Emergency Appointment on the same day other than that you have to use the touch screen computer for a same day appointment. I have used it to book an appointment 20 minutes in the future it is good if you can get there.

that's actually rather awesome. so much so in fact that I'm frankly amazed it's actually happened in the UK

Should have flopped it out on the desk and asked her if she thought you needed an appointment or not.

meh, when I'm feeling poorly flopping Mr Spanky anywhere is rather low on my list of priorities :/

 

[Wazzerphuk]

Haven't had a Dr since I moved over a year ago. My local one is so hard to join it's stupid. So fuck them until I really need them, then I'll have the brilliant wait system where you have to see a nurse before you can even book an appointment. It's too fucking hard to see a Dr here.

 

[soze]

that's actually rather awesome. so much so in fact that I'm frankly amazed it's actually happened in the UK

Well it is not online yet so not perfect When you can do it from home I will be amazed

 

[DaGaffer]

€60 fee every time I (or my kids) see the Doctor. On the plus side, getting an appointment isn't usually that difficult.

 

[JBP|]

My sister was taken to A&E at the local hospital last night with chronic pains in her back and legs, after examination she was told to go to the city hospital where they would be able to do scans to find the problem.
So this morning at 5am I took her there so they could sort it out, an hour later get a call asking to pick her up because they have refused to do any scans and told her to see her own doctor.
I should add she lives 150 miles away and is up here visiting but because of the pain she is in she can't drive.

And this my good friends is why the NHS is in a fucking shambles and the more cuts they make and get rid of fucktards who cant be arsed to do their jobs the better.

 

[soze]

My Granddad was told to get a lift (but he decided to drive himself) to the hospital for scans. When he got there they were expecting him as his doctors called ahead due to his heart being out of rhythm. He was put right on a pace maker and did mot leave for 3 weeks as he could of died. The doctors did not call an ambulance because the doctors surgery get charged. That was madness.

 

[Job]

Can't complain about mine, never waited more than a day and now when you enter there's a touchscreen, you type in name and postcode, it tells you how many before you and you straight to the waiting room.

 

[sayward]

Mine's brilliant they always have an automated system on so you don't have to talk to anyone unless you want to. I can call at midnight and get the first appointment at 8.30a.m. also can book appointments up to 3 weeks in advance. Magic.

 

[old.Tohtori]

err no, she was actually rather aggressive. that aside, I don't really bike past my doctor because I want to be looked at "sometime", I go past my doc because I want to be looked at "rather soon". The rather soon component can easily be next week or so, but I really would like to know I have the appointment. Also, given the fact that there are only two other people there kind of defeats the 24/7 queue thing. I guess my point against the secretary not putting me in the planning thingy mostly has to do with the relative amount of work it is combined with the fact that there was nobody else there.

If sorry and please are aggressive and rude in your parts, i don't want to live there

On text she seems polite. The 24/7 queue meant that if they squeezed everyone in like you asked, then they'd have thousands of people getting squeezed in monthly. It just doesn't work if you look outside your personal needs.

Since you're in no rush, just shrug it off and call the next day. Now you know.

 

[TdC]

erm....ok? I'm a bit poorly so I really cba rising to this.

 

[old.Tohtori]

I'm not starting anything or calling you a selfish twat, just saying. *pat head* get better soon

 

[old.Tohtori]

Just reread my post from other POV and yeah, it does look rather confrontational. Had to be there, i just read the text as polite, but in reality it's how she said it. The other stuff is just hindsight muguffins so sorry Teeds and move on

Mah bad.

 

[Zenith.UK]

My local surgery have the "call up at 8.30am to make an appointment on the day" system.
That said I can walk into the reception, ask for an appointment with my specific doctor on a particular day and usually get it.
I've been to the same doctor every time for 8 months now and now I've got a handle on my conditions because of the continuity of care.
Asthma under control.
High blood pressure under control.
High cholesterol being assessed and probably going to be prescribed statins when I go in next week.

I don't think I'd have got them under control if I had to see a different doctor every time.

 

[Appollo]

My experience of doctors receptionists is they should all be lined up and shot (clarkson style)

 

[Raven]

They are employed to be as useless as possible.

 

[Ormorof]

being covered by private healthcare is awesome, can book online and be seen within 20 minutes of making the appointment

whats not so awesome is being shunted off to a "specialist" at the private clinic and then after the 5 mins appointment being told its not covered by the company so have to pay €100 :S

i rarely made appointments when i lived in UK, i tended to try my luck in the "open" clinic in the early mornings at our local health centre rather than wait 40 days for an appointment...

 

[TdC]

I have an appointment! and also the woman is even more unfriendly by phone

 

[Nate]

Do you have a national health service type thing there Teeds or will you have to pay a consultation fee?

 

[TdC]

both mate, but I am forced to have private insurance due to earning above a certain limit. this insurance means I don't have to pay the doc anything at all personally, but he will send the bill to the company.

 

[MYstIC G]

get better soon chum

 

[TdC]

I have the results back!!

They are that I am allergic to absolutely fuck all! It should be fine for me to bathe in cut grass while snorting cat dandruff in the open air under shagging trees for ever and ever. That aside, this doesn't explain why I was ill for a week on two consecutive months so as well as being pleased, I am also not pleased.

Also, I immediately tried to schedule a consultation with the doc for a chat about what could be the matter and got the trademark "sorry sir, we only schedule appointments up to 11am; please call back on Monday". Holy hell that's fucking aggravating man, really