Long wait for appt. at DMC

[reneet]

Just before Easter I called DMC for an appointment for my 7 month old. I did not manage to get on queue first enough and missed all appointments, they told me to go to lister which I did, it took more than an hour to be seen and my child was screaming by the time we got to see the doctor, screaming child and completely stressed mum, turned out we both had an infection. Thursday before good friday child sick again, go through the motions of calling DMC and get through, get an appointment. Mid afternoon DMC call me to cancel the appointment as the Doc has called in sick and offer me an appointment for Tuesday, I point out that my child is only 7 months and she says yes that is why they are offering me a Tuesday appointment. This I must say was a surprise as before they have been really good regarding children under 4, i always got a same day appointment when it was the kids, i however would wait ages for an appointment. When I needed an appointment in March i was told there are no more appointments and they have not opened their April appointment book.

[Emma Louise]

Although it can sometimes be difficult to get an appointment at the surgery i do understand that they have to give prioity to those who are suffering with emergencies. I recently booked an appointment (which was not an emergency) and was offered an appointment for the following week which i felt was quite reasonable. I always find the reception staff very helpful and understand they are only trying to do their job to the best of their ability. It can become frustrating for those who call at 8am and are on hold for over 30mins trying to get through as i have experienced this but all of the time i have attended the surgery it does seem to be quite busy which could possibly be an explination for this. Although you can wait a while for an appointment the GP's I have seen have all been very helpful and supportive of the issues i have presented them with.

[Worker]

No complaints from me; we've a 13 month old and have never had a problem having him seen by the doctors.

[Fuschia]

Called today wanting to see a particular dr and no slot available till may 25th though I have got an appt with a dr I don't know for friday

[Monkey]

Interesting they had a slot on Friday for you but nothing for my husband until 10th May and 3rd May for me. And that's after they cancelled me because a GP had gone off sick.

I agree reception staff is polite. But, to be honest, if they were rude as well as being unable to give me an appointment, I think that would just make matters worse. I just want to see the Drs in charge of this practice deliver the service they are paid for.

[ratty]

Tory cuts! I didn't vote for them!

[Fuschia]

Monkey, I suspect I only got the Friday spot after taking it up with the practice manager

[Monkey]

Thanks fuschia. Will try that but it's not a long term solution.

And ratty, even if gps made half the money they got under labour, I'd still expect them to provide a better service than they do now. My doctor in France does home visits, answers her own phone and writes her own reference letters. She makes a fraction of what dr Gupta makes and provides a far superior service.

[Nero]

I am not trolling, but I do think that people are more likely than ever now to want to see a GP rather than coast it out alone. Some complaints need seeing to by a doctor, but others don't. Do you really need to go to see the GP? Do you really need a today appointment, or is it just more convenient for you? Could a phone appointment work just as well for you?

[Fuschia]

I very rarely go on my own account - can count on one hand non pregnancy related appointments in the 10 years I have been registered there

[catma]

Does the problem lie in doctors working at the patient end of their work for such limited periods of time that to actually see a doctor of your choice the chances in any given week are quite low...the GP I am seeing at the other DMC (Chadwick) only works 3 days a week so automatically there is a high % that she won't be available when I want to see her, therefore I have to wait a week or so. The rest of the time they are involved in other work - which will possibly increase when they take over the commissioning of care anyway, making it less likely to see them?

[reneet]

I never ask to see a specific doctor. Last week I was at the surgery and asked for an appointment for my 8 month old but the receptionist told me that they don't have any advance appointments. So how come some people can get appointments and others cannot? She told me to call next day at 8am which I did and was lucky enough this time to get an appointment most of the time I am not.

[Fuschia]

Well I saw the dr ... Who only works Fridays .. And she was lovely and I probably ended up with a 20min plus slot

So there is no issue really with the actual

Care ... Just the pressure on slots

[monica]

I recently registered with the Gardens surgery, and think they are great. Dr Stephens who I see is lovely, and very open minded, to my holistic ways. Receptions great, and waiting time for appointments are no more then 24 hours.

I know this thread is about DMC, however there are other surgeries in the area, you may want to consider.:))

[Pugwash]

The Gardens have a catchment area.

[Monkey]

I wish I could agree with you fuchsia. But I do think there is a pb with the actual care. I am lucky if the drs spend two mns with me. Each time I seem to get hassled drs who are rushed off their feet. And all I need really is a referral to a private consultant. so I am hardly a drag on precious nhs resources.

This calling at 8.00am is not a workable solution. I have to be in the office for 7.30am. What if I wait at home and call them only to be told there's no appointment like it's happened in the past when I was ill? How much of my time do they want to waste?

[Fuschia]

Monkey, mail The practice manager or speak to Lucy Harvey

[Sue]

Monkey Wrote:

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

> I wish I could agree with you fuchsia. But I do

> think there is a pb with the actual care. I am

> lucky if the drs spend two mns with me. Each time

> I seem to get hassled drs who are rushed off their

> feet. And all I need really is a referral to a

> private consultant. so I am hardly a drag on

> precious nhs resources.

>

> This calling at 8.00am is not a workable solution.

> I have to be in the office for 7.30am. What if I

> wait at home and call them only to be told there's

> no appointment like it's happened in the past when

> I was ill? How much of my time do they want to

> waste?

xxxxxx

I do think there is an issue with appointments, but I have always felt that every GP I have seen at DMC has been happy to spend whatever time is necessary with me, even when I've done the "oh and there's another thing" thing.

I'm very happy with the care I've had there.

[Gidget]

On the NHS Choices website it says that DMC has 9 doctors, 8 female and 1 male. If this is true then what is going on?

[Monkey]

I just received a letter after I complained to the PCT. They have three female staff on maternity leave and are having to use locum GPs. One would have throught they would have planned for this given the fact that women do have to inform their employer when they are pregnant. Unacceptable shamble.

[Gidget]

Yes, of course. But still, 9 GPs, so now 6 with 3 locums. That is a lot more than Melbourne Grove.

[Sue]

Monkey Wrote:

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

> I just received a letter after I complained to the

> PCT. They have three female staff on maternity

> leave and are having to use locum GPs. One would

> have throught they would have planned for this

> given the fact that women do have to inform their

> employer when they are pregnant. Unacceptable

> shamble.

xxxxxxx

But if they are using locums, how is that not planning?

They can't replace somebody who is on maternity leave with a permanent GP, in case the original GP returns to work.

[Shaggy]

....and they can't specify that they want a female locum either.

[Gidget]

The point I was trying to make is that they still appear to have a lot of GPs if NHS Choices is correct. So why is there such a problem in getting an appointment. Wonder why the practice never answers the complaints on NHS Choices site either.

[Monkey]

A lot of their gps (3) are on maternity leave. Dunno about the rest. It could be that a lot of them work there one day a week.

Sue, it's bad planning because it's next to impossible to make an appointment. They've not got enough locums to provide cover. Not enough gps every day for the number of patients registered with the practice.