The Gardens Surgery - problematic booking system?

[Michael Palaeologus]

Struggled with this one as the people that work there are fine people .... but the booking system is problematic.

My latest experience is:

I want a Doctors letter confirming an ailment, nothing specific, just a "To Whom it may concern" thing.

I phoned yesterday to ask for this, to be told that I needed to see a Doctor. I asked to make an appointment to be told that I had to phone back the next day at 8.30 for an appointment for that day. They dont make advanced bookings for the Doctors.

That was today and I started phoning at 8.30, 40 minutes and 12 calls later, having failed to get through, I got my coat on and walked there. I was given an appointment for tomorrow.

This is not a new experience for me.

Call in and you probably wont get through and if you do, you wont get an appointment that day and cant get an appointment for the following days. Go in and see them face to face, you probably wont get an appointment that day but can get an advanced appointment.

This seems to discriminate against people who are sick. You have to have the patience to keep trying to use the phone, the forebearance to accept the disappointment of refusal and the stamina to go through the process the next day and the next and the next (none of which attributes I have when I am feeling really ill). Alternatively, you drag yourself off your sick bed to see them face to face and get an appointment.

It seems like a form of triage - the very sick dont get seen and the moderately sick do.

Why am I using up valuable Doctor time for a letter request? I should just be able to email the request in. If I have to pay OK, but at least I am not using a appointment that could have been used by one of the walking wounded who had managed to stagger round to The Gardens to make an appoitment and then staggered back the next day to attend

To be told by the Receptionist that "There many other Patients who are trying to get through" is self evident and so patronising. If many patients are experiencing the same problem, solve the problem.

This is not the fault of the Receptionists, it puts them in an impossible position trying to deal with a constantly ringing phone and frustrated patients.

The problem lies with a booking system that only partially differentiates between reasons for appointments (the Practice Nurses admirably pick up many of the less urgent or chronic illness monitoring appointments), doesnt allow for advanced appointments and cant cope with the subsequent volume of on the day appointments.

[zeban]

I live on the road, and I never phone in just walk there. As long as you're there at the time it opens you always get an appointment on the day. They do pick up the phones but first thing in the morning there aren't many receptionists so if you're within walking distance just go there.

They do make appointments in advance but they get booked up a lot in advance because of the appointments they put aside for same day appointments which I think is excellent- most surgery's only have an 'emergency' same day system whereby you just go and wait- and you're usually waiting for hours, not good for doctors or patients. They're excellent at The Gardens for keeping to appointment times and within appointment times.

The phones might be annoying but it's the best surgery I've ever gone to. If you're allowed to get someone else to book you an appointment you could hire me to do it for you!

[Michael Palaeologus]

The Surgery is good. Its the need to walk there to get an appointment that is the worry.

The Gardens Surgery services an area bigger that The Gardens and the close by streets, if you cant walk there, you are b*ggered basically. That is not good.

[zeban]

It's hard to please everyone though. If there weren't any same day appointments then you'ld have to wait two weeks to get an appointment (this is what happens at my Mum's surgery) which is a nightmare.

I prefer it this way.

[Michael Palaeologus]

The Gardens approach means that people stand a chance of not getting an appointment at all if they cant walk there.

Its not a private surgery for the residents of The Gardens alone.

[zeban]

But you said you can walk there! And they do pick up the phone, it just sometimes takes some time. And you got an appointment for tomorrow. It all sounds ok to me! I understand what you're saying but like I said you can't please everyone and if this doesn't work for some people then they'ld probably choose another surgery. Catchment areas of surgery's are supposed to be within walking distance anyway. Yes if you're sick it might be hard to walk there but you'ld have to walk there anyway to get to your appointment and if you're there at the time it opens you could get the first appointment which means no coming back for the appointment.

If you've decided you need to go to the doctor that day then do that and you're absolutely guaranteed an appointment.

I'm sure you'ld be complaining more if you went there and had to sit for hours waiting to be seen as an emergency patient because you couldn't get an appointment for 2 weeks. Get there for 8.30 on the dot. You'll be seen and be out within half an hour.

Is it Man flu?

[Michael Palaeologus]

This isnt about me as an individual or you. Its about the others who cannot get there and so cannot get an appointment.

If you are sick why should you have to travel twice to the surgery? Once, to see the Doctor, yes. Twice is unreasonable. This is the 21st Century, adanced cutting edge technology like the telephone should be sufficient to do the job.

If you phone between 8.30 and 9.10, you cannot get through unless you are very lucky. Any later than that and all the booking for that day are full and they wont take advanced bookings over the phone. Go and see them and they will take an advanced booking. Therefore those of us who are very local and have flexible working hours and can walk there are unfairly advantaged.

If you cant walk there, you cant get an appointment or it is at best a lottery.

The argument that "It works for me so its OK" is somewhat shallow when describing a public health service, dont you think?

[zeban]

Errr re-read the thread please MP, obviously it's not a hassle for me living on the road but I'm not talking just from my own perspective. I'm saying if you want a same day appointment which you're lucky you can get, my last surgery didn't offer anything like that, then you can walk there, get there at 8.30 when it opens, get an appointment straight away for within the next half hour, wait, be seen, go home. NO second trips. Just the one. Yes maybe it feels abit old fashioned but it works!

Surgery's have catchment areas so you're supposed to be within walking distance of them. If you do not fit in their catchment area then they'ld probably turn you down given their system.

I think this is about you being p***ed off because you're sick which is fair enough but I think it's hard for doctor's surgerys to find a system that works for everyone.

[jollybaby]

I've never had a problem getting through. I've needed to see a gp several times over the past few months and have been able to get an appointment on every occasion. I don't live in the gardens either. you must have called on a bad day MP.

[Michael Palaeologus]

"I think this is about you being p***ed off because you're sick" - If you had read my first post Zeban you would see that I am not sick, if I was I would be really p*ssed off.

I have been with registered with The Gardens since 1989 and registered when I lived in SE5 which was not an easy walk away. The system was then a combination of walk in or advanced appointments which worked.

I now happen to live close to the surgery and can easily walk to it. The issue is that many cannot.

Of course is the system was changed those that do live close by may not be able to enjoy the benefits that the current system gives to them, and them alone.

[zeban]

Apologies MP, you did say that in the first post.

I just think this is an issue to take up with the surgery themselves instead of complaining on here- or if you were trying to find out if other had problems getting through on the phones then you could have just put in your post: does anyone else have problems getting through? instead of going into a bit of a rant.

They do tend to prioritise timed appointments I'm guessing so they can keep to the 10 minute schedules they're given - which is why even a letter is booked in as an appointment because if done on the side/in between appointments then other appointments might run late. Some might say this is silly but that's the way the surgery seems to operate I guess.

[Dorothy]

I always have a problem getting through to the Gardens. If their phone system could just operate a queuing system, so you don't have to keep re-dialling because you've got the engaged tone, then that would be a massive improvement.

Am gearing myself up to try and make an appointment for my son tomorrow and I have to plan my morning around it. Like get up earlier to make allowances for the 15-20 minutes it usually takes to get an appointment.

Its not a good system.

[Narnia]

Be careful what you wish for. My surgery has a queuing system. As it's an 0845 number, the longer you wait the more you pay for the call.

Constantly engaged tones are annoying but if you are phoning from a landline you at least could use 'ringback' or whatever it's called where your phone phone will ring when it has got through.

[Dorothy]

If they could have a queueing system which is not an 0845 number, I should have said.

[Twirly]

I do understand your problem, but I?m not sure that any system is going to be perfect.

I?ve learnt that if I want an appointment and don?t want to walk round there first thing, then I start calling when the lines open, and basically keep redialling every few seconds so that my call gets into the gap when the current one has finished ? the call back system doesn?t work, as there are so many people trying to get through, it?s engaged again by the time your phone has rung and you?ve answered it. If I do this, I generally get an appointment after 10am that day. If I?m not prepared to leave the house for an appointment, then I?m probably too ill to go to work anyway, so that is fine.

If I am going to work afterwards, then I just leave the house a bit earlier and go around there when it opens and wait. I?ve been seen within 10 minutes of arrival, even before my appointment time sometimes (that Dr Fryer is a real early bird!). I?m lucky enough to only live a 5 minute walk away, so I?ve sometimes gone home, had breakfast and come back again if I?ve got to wait for the appointment.

Surely if you?re not well enough to leave the house to make the appointment, you?re not well enough to make it to the surgery to see the doctor, in which case you?d be asking for a home visit? How big is the catchment area? I agree it is annoying to have to go there twice, but how much more annoying to have to wait 2 weeks for an appointment.

And you can make advanced appointments. I made on recently for 8.10 on a Tuesday morning, having called the surgery the previous week to try and make one for an evening, but there weren?t any available.

[Dorothy]

Twirly and others - you can't seriously be arguing that an acceptable way to overcome this problem is for people who want a same day appointment at the Gardens should walk round there and make an appointment in person?

What if you live a 25 minute walk away?

What if you are disabled?

What if you have other things to do first thing in the morning like get your children to school or nursery?

Its no kind of solution. The surgery needs a better telephone system.

[MrTwirly]

I stay a couple of streets away from the Gardens Surgery. I needed to go there recently for a checkup and I made.. or rather my good lady wife made.. an appointment for me (I'm male and therefore genetically incapable of using a telephone ;-) ) which does seem to be the best way but obviously if you've not planned your illness less than ideal. When I was there a number of people came in and asked for spare appointments and I could hear the phone being answered in the background. so although it may be tricky to get an appointment by phone it is possible. Of the people coming/phoning in most were getting appointments that day around the 9:00 - 9:30 mark (My appointment being 8:10)

one thing I noticed. When I went to the surgery it was bucketing down. And the queue outside was less than I've seen it previously.. so if you can schedule your sickness for periods of inclement weather then you'll stand a better chance of the phone being answered ;-) )

[Michael Palaeologus]

Well said Dorothy. That was precisely the point I was trying to make, albeit badly.

I attended my appointment and received the usual, friendly and effective service. Face to face they are brilliant, over the phone, not so much.

[karter]

I am with Michael (and Dorothy) on this, DMC has a similarly crap system that needs sorting too.

[Mamma Mia]

Narnia Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> >

> Be careful what you wish for. My surgery has a

> queuing system. As it's an 0845 number, the longer

> you wait the more you pay for the call.

>

> Constantly engaged tones are annoying but if you

> are phoning from a landline you at least could use

> 'ringback' or whatever it's called where your

> phone phone will ring when it has got through.

Their system doesn't accept ringback unfortunately. It usually takes me 15/20 minutes of constant redialling to get through and often the appointments have all gone by the time I do get through. We have ended up at the Lister Health Centre in Peckham with a walk-in appointment on a couple of occasions. Several hours wait, though.

[Ridgley]

I have to agree with MP on this, I to have had the same problem and I so wish I did not change doctors I also live on that road when you do go to the surgery you have to deal with uptight receptionist as well it came to the point when I had to email the Practise Manager regarding this.

[Pugwash]

I received a letter from the Gardens surgery asking me to make an appointment there for a blood test and after the blood test to make a practice nurse appointment. Blood Test appointment straight forward, went to reception desk after blood taken - 3 weeks to get appointment. Saw practice nurse who wanted me to see a GP urgently, told her about delays, she looked at the computor and immediently booked me in for 9.15 the next morning.

Hubby has been off sick since August and was medically retired from work in November. For three weeks tried to get an appointment for him with GP for a 'medical certificate' so that he could apply for ESA, each time was told ring again tomorrow. I explained as a full time worker, I could not spend hours on the phone and my husband was too unwell to make phone call. Left it over Xmas - could'nt face the whole circus again, wrote a letter to his GP explaining symptoms and problems getting appointment and faxed over letter, within 24 hours phone call from surgery giving an appointment for next day.

Dr Fryer was always an early bird - I have had 8 am appointments with her! Good to know they are open late till 7ish one evening a week.