tulip

Oh dear. We are indeed 151 on scholarship list for Kingsdale. How many scholarships do they award if 15% already have a place? Thought it was top 4% of those who tried out got awarded full scholarship level. Even assuming perhaps 80% applied for at least one scholarship of the 3000 applicants and 4% got sport and 4% music and already 15% of places have gone to them- I can?t fathom a waiting list being that long? Waiting for a call back. Just ranting and driving myself mad with pointless maths!

Thanks Renata, random allocation number was 379!!! Son got a full sports scholarship and I suppose I was just hoping that they hasn?t offered 59 (15% of places) plus another 150+ full scholarships and that 15 would be our magic number . I?m assuming 1/2 scholarships would be even further down the scholarship waiting list?? Is so complicated! I guess I will ring them on Monday...

Anyone idea how long the scholarship waiting list is for Kingsdale? I had a letter from Kingsdale saying my son was at number 151 and email from Southwark saying number 15. Not sure who has the typo, having a sinking feeling it?s the council...

hazelnunhead Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > > I am trying to think about the book that takes > place in Greece on a leper colony! CAn anyone > remember the title, i have gone blank, I Loved it! The Island by Victoria Hislop

Does anyone know if it is all open now?

Nipper 360- brilliant. http://www.oxfordpramcentre.co.uk/product_Nipper-360-Single_782_0_index.php

I did consider it, but our PCT made it clear practice teams are not welcome.

I'm insider I suppose, but not at any of the local practices so I have no professional allegiances to the practices mentioned. I am however a local patient- again not at a practice mentioned here! If you want to see the same doctors again and again look for smaller practices and especially practices where most of the GPs are partners. The partners are more likely to be commiteed to the practice long-term as they have invested financially in the business. DMC has lots of salaried doctors and as salaried GPs are employed by the partners like any other staff, they are likley to leave posts and change practices more frequently. However, other patients appreciate convenience, availability and choice over continuity and find this a strength. As for where to complain- it is worth speaking to the practice managers as they can influence and make policy in the practice. Receptionists can influence too, but they are in a difficult position as they have procedures to follow, a finite appointment system within which they must operate and they can't simply tell the doctors to hurry up! The levels of abuse and general rudeness the receptionists are subjected to is astounding (of course the patients would rarely dare speak like that to the doctor)! If you ask, I would hope the receptionists would be able to tell you what patient participation groups/schemes are running for their practice. They may well be advertised in the practice or on their website too. I have always struggled to get patients interested at the practice I work at and have taken to attending other existing local community groups instead- many practices would be glad of the input ? but from those who will help shape the practice and be constructive rather than use it as a forum for moaning! In my experience most GPs genuinely want to provide a great service, really try and make the appointments system work (bearing in mind there are finite resources and the problems that various blanket access targets imposed) and they go the extra mile for their patients. Whilst practices can and should do the best to provide services that are easy and convenient for patients (as I said they agonise over their appointment books) I think the focus should move away from targets and endless patient choice and to making sure that there is an excellent clinical standard of care and that patients' actual needs are met. There are various studies and toolkits to help practices plan their appointments, but the individual populations of practices and the fact that everything from the scheduling of sporting events to the weather to the day's press can affect demand that day, there are limitations (before even factoring in the individual needs of the patients who happen to be coming that day). Also patients are generally reluctant to disclose the reason for their visit to reception staff when booking- which rather limits the staff's ability to manage the appointments. If you don't mind which doctor you see, or find waiting difficult with young children etc, then ask the receptionists which GPs usually run to time (each GP also has their own consulting style and that will affect how much they run to time)or whether that GP is "on call" that day (and is likely to be interrupted if an emergency comes up) or ask about booking the first 1 or 2 appointments in the session before the doctor has a chance to fall behind. The receptionists are actually a fountain of knowledge and rather than berate them it is worth asking their advice about how to best get what you want. I have to say I find it so frustrating to see all sorts of assumptions, such as how GPs are paid (it?s not by per patient seen by the way) or that they overbook and reply on missed appointments (not true either). At the practice I work at I just wish I could sit down with each of the patients and explain how the appointment system works and why we designed it like that. One thing that was especially good for us was letting patients book online so they can see what we had to offer and pick the best.

I forgot how hi-tech the council are.... perhaps you could demonstrate some clever scheduling ideas to the practices. It would help if you knew in advance the dr would be late, but they won't know that far in advance- eveything could be running fine until the patient right before you and by then you are sitting in the waiting room anyway! As yet that hi-tech predicting the future system hasn't been invented. However, receptionists should be courteous and update the waiting patients. If it was that simple do you not think the practices would be doing it?

I wouldn't worry - it's almost impossible to spot who the parents are and who the grandparents are these days.

sophiesofa Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Penguin68 Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > I don't think anyone, unless they have asked > DMC, > > can say whether they see 6 patients each hour > > > > I have already said I don't go to DMC, but in > the > > surgeries I have attended appointments are > > normally offered 'on' the 10 minutes (10:00; > > 10:10; 10:20 etc.) - hence my suspicion that > the > > appointments are slotted in 6 to an hour. > > Apologies I thought you were saying you thought > DMC book 6 in instead of a usual 5, but my > mistake. I always assumed (although it is purely > a guess) that every 2 hours or so there would be > an empty slot to try and cover for potential over > running appointments. > > I just don't see why if this is such a wonderful > solution why they/all GPs don't already use one. As I said, most GP practices do (I believe DMC do too)! They block every 3rd or 4th appointment or have a 30 min catch-up midway depending on what suits the practice, but keep to 10 min slots (it would be ridiculous to give people appointment times at 12 minute intervals). Who would want to be discussing their very presonal problem or painful diagnosis to be thown out when 10 minutes is up? Remember it is a delicate balancing act and that if you extend appointment length you have fewer appointments to offer. All it takes is someone who is elderly and needs a while to get undressed and dressed to put the dr behind, let alone a patient with a serious diagnosis or bereavement who needs the extra couple of minutes. Again, most practices do tell patients to ask for double appointments if the know the patient will need that long and when needed they will routinely book doubles for non-english speakers or antenatal etc. I disagree about choice- there are many practices to pick from - all different. Pratcices for the last 2 years have been paid based on patient satisfaction with access, not actual access so it is in their interests and is in fact essential they try and please people. However, each GP practice cannot be all things to all people. I suggest if anyone who is unhappy asks to speak to the practice manager. You could even join your practice's patient participation group rather than spouting off on here. Or why not volunteer your services to create 'a dynamic allocation system' for your practice? As I said previously, practices put a lot of thought and energy into managing their appointment books and do try and predict demand, but there really are too many variables and until the patient is in the room the dr won't know what they need to do for them or how long that will take.

As far as I am aware - knowing many practices well - that nobody over books like an airline. In fact most surgeries underbook and add catch-up slots in for their GPs to help them run to time. Missed appointments are not a relief because they mean the surgery runs better, they are a waste of time and a frustration to the practice who could have offered the appointment to someone else. Many practices put a lot of work into reducing missed appointments and have spent money on texting patients to reduce this. The fact is that the line for late arrivals has to be drawn somewhere and at 10minutes the patient has missed the entire appointment. If a GP practice were to allow everyone to come in very late they would run further and further behind. GP practices devote an enormous amount of time trying to arrange their appointments to suit local needs, their patients work patterns, children's school hours and holidays, fluctating demand over the week, seasonal changes etc to accomodate patients. If you call them to warn them you are running late for a good reason they are generally understanding. The average consulatation time in real terms is more like 12 minutes. If you want to be seen on time for sure I suggest you simply ask to book an appointment at the beginning of the surgery. It is very easy to say patients should be allowed to run late because GPs run late, but GPs do not run late by choice. They run late as patients and people do not fit neatly into 10 minutes slots and never will, because emergencies crop up or because some patients just need that little extra time in with the doctor. Those who complain about being late in are quite often happy to overstay their 10 minutes when they see the GP and appreciate the time spent with them. Sometimes I think it is forgotten GPs want to go home at the end of the day too or perhaps have a school run to get to themselves!

A really poor document that really doesn't cover all the issues or hint at what this would mean for practices (it could really distablise some). Yet again a policy to please the few who want out of hours access/access near work/don't care what dr they see rather than the majority of patients who need the continuity care given by local practices. Most complaints on here are about the practices who place access ahead of other patient issues. That's not to say that registration with practices and practice bondaries aren't due a review.

Thanks BeccaL- we had a lovely time at Brockwell this afternoon.

does anyone know if the one at Brockwell Park has been filled?