Anyone experiencing even greater issues securing a GP appointment with Tessa Jowell GP practice?

[ianr]

22 hours ago, Azalea said:

The same company who own TJGP Surgery also own one on Camberwell Green.  

which is https://www.parksidemedical.co.uk/.

Edited 4 hours ago by ianr

[HeadNun]

2 hours ago, Sue said:

If you had something which was serious enough to go to A&E, you should have gone to A&E in the first place!

You would be highly unlikely to get a GP appointment on the day you phoned, in any case. 

I'm assuming that if you phone a surgery during  staff training it is still possible to speak to someone. But even if not, the automated message at my surgery says at the outset under what circumstances you should be going to A&E.

Hopefully the vast majority of people are sensible enough not to just turn up at A&E unnecessarily, and if not, hopefully they would be turned away at the triage stage in any case.

Would you prefer it if your surgery did not train its staff?

A&E isn't allowed to turn people away at the triage stage, even people with hiccups and ingrown toenails... the kinds of ailments a GP might be able to advise against seeking emergency care for. https://www.england.nhs.uk/2025/12/aes-under-siege-from-hiccups-and-ingrowing-toenails/

[Sue]

42 minutes ago, HeadNun said:

A&E isn't allowed to turn people away at the triage stage, even people with hiccups and ingrown toenails... the kinds of ailments a GP might be able to advise against seeking emergency care for. https://www.england.nhs.uk/2025/12/aes-under-siege-from-hiccups-and-ingrowing-toenails/

Thanks, I didn't know that. 

People are even more stupid than I thought then, if they are willing to wait hours in A&E for an ingrown toenail. I presume they don't get put at the front of the queue.

Why isn't the 111 service more widely advertised? That puts you in touch with a doctor, who will advise on the phone or visit, and if necessary  you will be advised to go to A&E or they will arrange an ambulance to take you.

[alice]

1 hour ago, HeadNun said:

A&E isn't allowed to turn people away at the triage stage, even people with hiccups and ingrown toenails... the kinds of ailments a GP might be able to advise against seeking emergency care for. https://www.england.nhs.uk/2025/12/aes-under-siege-from-hiccups-and-ingrowing-toenails/

Well, they do turn them away from the A&E route at Kings and rightly so they employ GPs and if after triaging you’re determined to have a GP type problem you are sent to see one of the GPs on site or close to the site. 

[HeadNun]

1 hour ago, alice said:

Well, they do turn them away from the A&E route at Kings and rightly so they employ GPs and if after triaging you’re determined to have a GP type problem you are sent to see one of the GPs on site or close to the site. 

Exactly. But they are often out of hours GPs, who could be tending to more important issues. Those people are still clogging the system up 

[first mate]

In regard to sore throats and itchy skin, I wonder though if those were generally the only symptoms? You could be quite seriously ill and still present with a sore throat or itchy skin. The idea of multiple people rocking up to a&e with 'just' a sore throat or itchy skin may be slightly misleading.