Sydenham Green Group Practice

[sparticus]

Just tried to make an appointment to see a GP to be told the next bookable appointment is 17 September! Impossible to get through at 8.00 am to get an "on the day'" slot. Are all GP surgeries round here as bad as this? And they wonder why people turn up at A&E with minor complaints. BTW, this is not a fling at the practice, I know jut how hard they work and the pressure they are under, and have always had good experiences when I have managed to see someone, but whilst I don't mind waiting for a week or so, over a month is ridiculous.

[Eagle]

This has always been a busy practice , even when they were in Sydenham Road.

Probably not helped bu the huge increase in catchment population in that area. See new apartments.

In this circumstance best policy is to present yourself at reception when they open and you will then get ahead of the people who are holding on the phone.
I think you will find a good percentage are held over to the day.

Good Luck.

[JRobinson]

If you're ill enough to see a GP then you're too ill to be at work. If you're not at work then you are free to sit and wait for an available appointment in a GP surgery. If you're too ill to get to the surgery, ring up and get a home visit. Any iller ring for an ambulance.

If you're not that ill then use NHS direct, online, or consult a pharmacist - they are usually very helpful with mild ailments that are enough to worry about but not enough to make you take time off work sick.

[mosy]

I've done (for my practice) as Eagle suggested, i.e. arrive early and wait for the doors to open. It only works of course if door-opening time is the same time as phone bookings start. It can still mean going home and returning later but worth it if you think your ailment will get worse if left untreated.

Is it a month's wait if you're happy to see the first available GP rather than a specific one? That's a long time. Lewisham Hospital has an urgent care walk-in near the A&E entrance http://www.nhs.uk/Services/hospitals/Se ... ?id=104961 I took my son there a while back to get stitches after a sports injury. Had to wait, but nothing like the usual 6-7 hours in A&E.

NHS Direct have only ever told me to go see my GP - in fact they're talking about closing the service aren't they for that reason.

Hope you get sorted soon.

[Annie.]

I always used the online appt system, it was really good, never waited more than a few days, you can pick the time (within reason) and who you want to see, well worth signing up to it in Sydenham Green.

[sparticus]

If you're ill enough to see a GP then you're too ill to be at work. If you're not at work then you are free to sit and wait for an available appointment in a GP surgery. If you're too ill to get to the surgery, ring up and get a home visit. Any iller ring for an ambulance.

If you're not that ill then use NHS direct, online, or consult a pharmacist - they are usually very helpful with mild ailments that are enough to worry about but not enough to make you take time off work
Top

What nonsense! Lots of people have conditions that are serious enough to warrant the attention of a doctor but are not "ill" enough not to go to work. What about a pregnant woman who is worried about her pregnancy or someone suffering from a painful chronic condition like arthritis who needs pain relief that can only be prescribed by a GP. anyway, access to a GP is the cornerstone of our health service model and the GP system one of its real strengths. If the system is under so much pressure that GP practices cannot offer their patients timely appointments, then there is something really wrong. Of course Hunt and his friends in the private sector, sniffing around for opportunities to monetise more and more aspects of our health service will no doubt soon introduce a fast-track service-for a fee. And, by the way, not everyone has a job.. Of course, if you don't, in Bullingdon Britain now, you have to be humiliated to get anything, and I'm just not prepared to line up outside the surgery like something from the days of the poor law to get to see a doctor when I have worked all my life, paid taxes and expect something better.

Lewisham- NFT

[JRobinson]

both of those examples given, pregnant woman, and pain relief, I would deem serious enough not to go to work - in order to wait for an appointment at the GP.
actually a pharmacist should be able to provide for both of these as well. They're a lot more informed than most peope realise, and are not just there to write up the prescription but are very well trained medically.

[gerispringer]

What about if you know you need antibiotics for something like cystitis - the pharmacist is no good and if you can't get an appointment for a fortnight you could have a serious kidney infection. Phoning at 8 am is useless as last time I tried I started at 7.59 kept on redial till 8.20 and then all appointments had gone. This happened for 2 days running . I them asked for a phone appointment, the doctor then told me I should come in...ok it's not the fault of the practice , there are too may patients. It shouldn't be so difficult. The NHS is a great idea, but needs a good sort out plus more funding. In the past we just turned up and waited and we knew we would see a doctor.

[nicfilan]

Completely understand your pain!
I always have a nightmare trying to book in my asthma review. I am a teacher, so always try and book them in over school holidays. Either to be told that there are no nurses as they are on holiday (which can't be true can it?!) or that there is nothing for 6 weeks. And this even when I phone 3 weeks before the school holiday. Then I was told they wouldn't give me a repeat prescription for my inhaler as I hadn't had a review for over a year. Is it any wonder!! Very frustrating.

[robbieduncan]

Go and queue. My better half did that the morning. Was there at about 7:10 to be first in the queue. Saw a doctor at 8:30, a nurse at 9:00.

[sparticus]

I tried to get through on the phone this morning, tried at least once a minute from 7.59 to 9.30- always engaged. Gave up. Just not prepared to line up for over an hour. I don't need to see a GP urgently, but a five week wait for an appointment is unacceptable.

[Savvy]

They are very busy, I phoned on Monday - (I have a chronic painful condition which i think I'm going to need physio for, you need to see a gp to get a refferal for that) and I managed to get an appt on 30th August. That's nearly three weeks, and I've already put up with the pain for three weeks, my advice is don't put up with pain, you could be a long time waiting for help.
I'm pleased I don't have something like cystitis, that would be a nightmare.

[Kirkdalian]

Do ask them about their online booking system - you have to register at the surgery - it's usually a good way to get an appointment in the next week if you're not choosy about when. It's also handy to book way in advance for things like medication reviews and vaccinations. Previous thread on this http://sydenham.org.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=11354

SG are pretty useless in general, I made a complaint to them after they sent me a snotty letter asking why my daughter hadn't had her MMR - it was because of a series of errors on their part - rude health visitors, saying they had no vaccines because the fridge was broken (one fridge in a surgery that size?!, receptionists not knowing their own booking system, telling me to go to another surgery where I'm not registered (!) Anyway, the practice manager hasn't even bothered to acknowledge my complaint, much less do anything about it.

[Annie.]

A while ago they were offering Health Checks, can't remember all the details but I had to have a blood test done first which I had,I rang for the results which were fine, and asked the receptionist what the next step was to continue with the health check, she said "oh that's it you have your blood test" I explained it was towards the health check, and I was expecting weight to be taken, pulse, etc she said no that's it? So I gave up, I'm sure that it wasn't "it" but couldn't keep asking the same question.

Was that it? Does anyone actually know what the NHS check was supposed to be?

[chrisj1948]

I think they may be short-staffed during the holiday period. Normally if I try to book an appointment online there is a range offered; yesterday when I took a look there were no appointments available.

I guess the normal advice not to get ill during holidays or major sporting events applies!

Regards
Chris

[Krispycat]

I think they're a victim of their own success....now just too big and so many people to see.
I moved practice for the same reason, and that I didn't really like the GPs generic patronising tone...I'm a grown woman coming to the doctors for a legitimate reason not a cold or sore finger!...went to a smaller practice in Forest Hill (just in the catchment) and it's a world apart from Syd Green Group Practice....a very good appointment system, with Doctors and support staff that talk to you like an adult. I'd rather drive 5 mins than walk to syd green.

[gerispringer]

you also shouldn't get ill evenings, weekends or bank holidays

[apcmoomin]

Rang on Tues and got through about 8.15am but all the appointments for that day had gone. I've been logging in online for the last couple of days, but there were no appointments available online either. I have just logged in now, and there were lots of appointments available for Monday 18th throughout the day it seems. Yay. And other days available too. Very surprised!

[sparticus]

Thanks for this. I went down yesterday and got a ID for on-line booking! went home and logged in -no appointments. Went on this morning at about 8 and the earliest appointment was on 10 September. Went on just now and there are loads for Monday next week. Result! What a weird system!

[Robin Orton]

I think something similar happens at the Wells Park practice, which I patronize. I suspect it may be caused by the doctors not giving details of their availability to the receptionist, or whoever manages the online system, until only a few days before the dates in question, rather than a few weeks in advance, which would be more helpful to patients. But someone with inside information about the system may be able to correct me.