Doctors Booking Procedures

[Rachael]

According to their website, you can make same day appointments online or by phone. Can't you do that for same day appointments? At the Vale Medical Centre you have to get on the phone from about a minute before the lines open and keep redialling until you get through, but you usually do get through within five minutes and I've always been able to get a same day appointment. You can also use the online system to see if there are free spots during the day.

[leenewham]

To get an appointment you have to get on the phone at 7.59 and keep redailing until you get into a phone queue. This can take 5 minutes or over 30 minutes of constant redialing as it did last Friday only to find out that all the appointments have been gone for the day. There must be a lot of sick people in Sydenham, I never had this problem in other places I've lived and it seems to have got worse recently. A few years ago we normally got an appointment fairly quickly.

The doctors there are good though (with one or two exceptions). What should happen (logically) is that with extra housing built nearby extra doctors should be put on.

Good luck. It may be worth going to see a pharmacist Rod. But not in Tesco!!

[dickp]

https://patient.emisaccess.co.uk/Accoun ... urnUrl=%2f

[CrystalMyth]

My husband and I had exactly this problem with booking appointments at Sydenham Green (no appointments available for 3 weeks or so), but were told that if we booked online there would be much more choice of appointments. We both registered with their online system and it is true, you can see all the current options and book your appointment sometimes within the next week, and definitely much sooner than if you call up.
I think they are trying to encourage more people to use the online system by reducing the number of appointments bookable by other means.
Its still not ideal, but they do seem to be trying to improve the system and catching up with modern times!

[angela53]

I would recommend the Urgent Care Centre at Beckenham Beacon. The triage nurse can issue prescriptions or if necessary there is a GP attached to the Centre. Lewisham Hospital should also have an urgent care centre

[gerispringer]

There would be less pressure on a and e services if the GP system were easier to access. I can,t understand why GPS aren't open weekends and bank holidays , people don't just get ill in office hours. You shouldn't need to go to a and e for antibiotics for an ear infection or tonsillitis. Other medical staff work at weekends etc. why shouldn't GPs run a rota system? Friends of mine from Germany were horrified when the GPs were closed for about 5 days over Christmas and their child was ill. In Germany there would be surgeries open at weekends and holidays .

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[Eagle]

Seems to be basis too many patients for the Sydenham Green Health Centre. I recall in the 50's and 60's when they were in the middle of The High Street.
All the new dwellings in the area cannot help.

[bradfordroadgirl]

I tried to use the online system but could only get this far

'Unfortunately Sydenham Green Group Practice does not offer online registration for Patient Access at the moment'

If I'm doing something wrong can someone please advise? It gets to the point where you just KNOW you'll finally get through just to be told all appointments are gone. When I moaned about this I was told that there is a patient forum and I should attend that - not easy when I am a full time carer to not only my daughter but her very young child too!

There are two drop in centres in the borough, I believe but not locally.

[dickp]

At wells, i think you register online in person as a one off and, once you have an online id, you can book future appointments online. Might be the same there.

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[Eagle]

Rod
Seems you have to be a very patient patient.

[Ronski]

+1 for online booking. You have to go there first to register. Once you figure out the Mensa tests of putting in the right codes etc it works. I

It wasnt recently so may have changed, but I found appointments available from a week, usually two weeks for a morning one if you're not fussy about which doctor you see. Hopefully it's quicker once you get it setup.

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[Loobus]

I have also been experiencing problems in getting an appointment to see a doctor. A few weeks back I tried to get a same day appointment for my toddler. I call at 8.00am but the line was engaged. I called repeatedly no less than 69 times until I finally managed to get beyond an engaged tone, only to be told that all appointments for the day had gone. And I was late for work.

Last week I tried to get a same day appointment for myself. It took 71 attempts until I finally got through, again to be told that all appointments had gone. The first appointment available that meant me not having to take time off work was June 1st.

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[bradfordroadgirl]

If it's for a toddler etc., and I'm told there are no appointments left, I usually say something along the lines of 'Should I then go to the hospital and tell them that you can't see a sick child?' Last time, it produced a nurse practitioner appointment and if need be they can call in a doctor.

The drop in centres are all very well but not easy to get to if you don't drive.

[Eagle]

I have a great proceedure which I use for all receptionists and always works.

Make out very politely how important they are and what an important and difficult job they do.

I always get a quick appointment.

Not sure I should be giving my secrets away.