Accessing GP appointments - Link for feedback

[Cora]

Having spent 5hrs this morning and, having just been cut-off again as I got to the front of the queue, I am attaching the link for anyone who wants to officially (confidentially) feedback to the Care Quality Commission about their experiences with local GP services. These are the people that need to know if a care provider has issues as they are able to investigate it.

https://cqc.org.uk/give-feedback-on-care

[Sue]

Which GP surgery was that?

[Cora]

You can probably guess!....

[Hoi Polloi]

Nowadays GPs are paid based on the number of patients on their books rather than being paid on the number of patients they see and treat. Hence, they don?t bother working full time because it does not effect their income. Whether a GP works two hours or twelve hours, there is no one checking on them.

They get paid the same whether they make ten appointments or fifty appointments to see the patients.

GP surgeries have become a racket.

[George Orwell]

"GPs are paid based on the number of patients on their books"

Correct if you are referring to the partners - the bosses if you like.

You say - "Hence, they don?t bother working full time because it does not effect their income. Whether a GP works two hours or twelve hours, there is no one checking on them."

Wrong - salaried GPs which are in the majority are paid an individually negotiated rate for each session they work - a morning is a session as is an afternoon. A typical rate is ?9,000 pa or so per session, sometimes ?10,000+, so a 4 day week brings in maybe ?72k pa - ?80k pa.

The partners work whatever hours they think are needed, filling in if say a locum can't be found as well as their regular hours and are paid out of the "profits" after salaried GPs, Staff, Rent, Utilities etc. etc. are paid for. Partners may be getting ?100k - ?120k +.

PS I am not defending this particular GP practice - just adding information to the debate.

[Penguin68]

These are current typical pay scales for salaried GPs

https://www.bma.org.uk/pay-and-contracts/pay/other-doctors-pay-scales/salaried-gps-pay-ranges

[Sue]

Cora Wrote:

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> You can probably guess!....

No, I've got no idea, seriously ...

[KalamityKel]

Sue Wrote:

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> Cora Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > You can probably guess!....

>

>

> No, I've got no idea, seriously ...

I'm clueless too. Soooo many possibilities!

[E2]

Cora

I know exactly which practice as I was in the same queue on Tuesday and gave up in the end. Thanks for the link I will complain.

[intexasatthe moment]

which practice ?

[Applespider]

It could describe many paractices but I think from looking back at Cora?s previous posts, she may be talking about DMC.

[Nigello]

DMC used to be fine, then it got really bad vis-a-vis the phone line. They somehow managed to go from about 7 people in the Q to 25+ when they changed the format or tech. (It now sounds different from before, with different voice and prompts, etc.)

[ianr]

If it's not DMC I trust Cora will say.

[Cora]

Sorry yes, haven?t been checking thread, DMC...

[Dimelda]

To Cora: As it's your GP practice to which you're referring, I'm assuming that it's reasonably close to your home. Rather than be kept waiting on the phone for an interminable length of time, wouldn't it be easier for you to walk to the practice, & speak to a receptionist there. The practice cannot refuse you entrance. The receptionist will make an appointment for you, or take a message to pass on to a GP. This is what I ALWAYS do. I never telephone my GP now. It's a complete waste of time. As a patient, I refuse to be humiliated by these practices who think it quite acceptable that they can keep u waiting on the phone for ever before they bother to reply.

[Lynne]

I've just been to my GP practice and have to either ring or go there at 800 tomorrow to get an appointment. Anyone who can go and get an appointment just by walking is very lucky! Completely ridiculous

[Rockets]

I recently held on the phone to DMC for an hour and 15 minutes to be told that all the appointments had gone and I either needed to call back at 8am the next morning or I could book an appointment via their website. I was not able to book an appointment any other way.

I went to their website to book an appointment, answered a load of questions only to be told by an automated response that I had to call the practice to book an appointment.......it really is ridiculous. Can you walk-in at DMC to get an appointment - I may try that?

Is this just a DMC issue - are others having similar issues at other practices?

[Nigello]

You can go online to book an appointment with minimum effort and little time spent. You fill in all the usual details and then are prompted to write your ailment, etc. You then get a message back saying you have an appointment later that day or the following day. It may not work for all patients all the time but in this case, and in others, I have found it easy and worthwhile (so saying it is ridiculous for one patient doesn't paint the whole picture, however irksome that is for the person for whom it failed).

[Dimelda]

To Lynne: Gosh, that IS harsh. At my GP (in Clapham), patients can walk in to the practice at any time during normal GP hours, & make an appointment, or talk to the receptionists about anything. I did just that this morning, & made an appointment to see the nurse for this Friday, & an appointment to see a GP in 10 days time.

We're also told we can ring at 08.00 (& join the telephonic queue!) for a same day appointment (if one's available). As for turning up at the practice at 08.00 for a same-day appointment, that's always been the case with most GPs I understand. (But I never fancied queuing outside the practice at 08.00 in the winter months.)

We can book an appointment online (whch I'm sure u can also do) - that is, if we want to wait two or three weeks to see a GP!

As for repeat prescriptions, I write a letter to the GP requesting the medication, hand it in to the Receptionist (or post it if I can't be bothered to walk the short distance to the Practice) & the scrip is pinged thru to the pharmacist within a couple of days.

What a carry-on .... remember the good old pre-pandemic days!

[siousxiesue]

I had to wait for a 24hr period after I reset my password for online DMC services, only to find 'you cannot book online'

I've got through to the practice fairly easily, to be told only 2 doctors on tomorrow, no other auxiliary staff(I could easily speak to a nurse practitioner) and you have to ring at 8am.

The recorded message you have to listen to before you get through speaks of high call volume at 8am...wonder why!

I've signed up for Tessa Jowell

[ctovey]

Our practice - Camberwell Green - you have to phone between 8-10am. The receptionist will ask why you are calling and will then book a call back from a GP/nurse, who will again ask why you are calling and if they deem it necessary will book a face to face appointment with a GP/nurse. If they don't deem it necessary to see you (which they usually don't), they will deal with you over the phone. If you have a visual ailment, they will ask you to send a photo and diagnose from that. Since the first lockdown, when they locked their doors to walk in visitors and didn't open them until a couple of months ago, I have not once been offered a face to face consult. I have been with the same practice for over 50 years and have seen it deteriorate from a family doctors to a poor excuse for a GP practice and am seriously considering moving to another practice, but on reading other peoples' experiences, there don't seem to be any better practices in the area.

[Lynne]

I can only repeat that you're lucky, Dimelda. I was at the Crystal Palce Rd practice yesterday afternoon and was told there were no doctors there to interpret the letter they'd received from Kings following my tests. I couldn't make an appointment there and then (why not?. Tried at 8.00 this morning but was told I could only book for today, which since I had an all day appointment elsewhere I couldn't attend. So it's back to the queue tomorrow morning.

So don't bother moving, ctovey.

[siousxiesue]

After applying to Tessa Jowell I was given the standard 'It takes 7 days to approve you' line but today literally got a text saying I'm in! Hoping to find a way to get some advice for my minor ailment

siousxiesue Wrote:

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> I had to wait for a 24hr period after I reset my

> password for online DMC services, only to find

> 'you cannot book online'

>

> I've got through to the practice fairly easily, to

> be told only 2 doctors on tomorrow, no other

> auxiliary staff(I could easily speak to a nurse

> practitioner) and you have to ring at 8am.

>

> The recorded message you have to listen to before

> you get through speaks of high call volume at

> 8am...wonder why!

>

> I've signed up for Tessa Jowell

[beansprout]

Would be interested to know how you get on with TJ - either booking face to face or over the phone. Thanks.

[Lynne]

I went to the Crystal Rd practice at 8.00 this morning only to be told that they didn't accept face to face bookings, I had to ring. No-one had ever mentioned this to me before on either of my attempts to get an appointment. So I stood there and she reluctantly booked me a telephone appointment. This info. must have come as a surprise to the people queuing up behind me too. no wonder one has to sit so long at the phone if that's the only way you can get seen.