Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
No doctor's appointments
I've been trying for over a month to get an appointment at my local surgery, Bridge House, where I've been a patient for twenty years. They have recently had a catastrophic loss of staff, with four doctors leaving this month for a variety of reasons, and so far only one permanent replacement appointed. The result is that it's completely impossible to get an appointment - they simply say there are none 'on the system' and to try back in a few days, when it's exactly the same story.
There is a phone consultation triage system in the morning to deal with emergency appointments, I don't want to use that, as it's something long term I wish to discuss and I'm not sure I'd 'qualify'. Nonetheless I'm beginning to feel a bit desperate, and as though there really is no primary health care service available to me.
Is there another GP practice that is functioning better in Haringey, or are they all in the same boat?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Antoinette on
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I feel your pain, Maddy. I've had the same experience but opted for a telephone consultation on a non-urgent matter and got what I needed.
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Same experience here too. I went for phone consultation, explaining I did not need emergency care, however I did not want to wait a month for routine appt, and they were fine with that.
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Permalink Reply by tigha on
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I think it is pretty much the same most surgeries in london, with so many being forced to close
Im at the cedar practice and have been for last 18y and yes it is now very hard to get an appointment, when it never used to be. But they do open up more appointments on line so its worth checking online to see if they have anymore on the system
I work as a practice nurse in a very big prominent Gp surgery but we are all on our knees with the workload, staff shortages, cut backs etc. yes the nhs is in meltdown, made much worse by Jeremy Hunt and his ridiculous demands which are causing Doctors going on strike
But peeps be nice to the staff, dont shoot the messenger if they tell you there are no appointments, we are all doing way more than we are paid for and rude demanding patients just make it even harder for us
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My advice would be to do the telephone-based consultation, as that seems to be the main gateway to getting a face-to-face appointment (which can be on the same day).
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Permalink Reply by Maddy on
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I live two doors down from my surgery, so my strategy has always been to drop by in person to make an appointment. Perhaps I should get on the phone instead. At least we don't have queues of ill people down the road twice a day waiting for appointments, which we used to have. But I don't know that the access is any better - certainly not in my case.
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If it weren't for Dr Brothers, who I think is lovely, I would definitely vote with my feet. Perhaps I'll wait and see what the new doctor that's due in April is like but perhaps the convenience of the having a doctor in the same street just isn't worth it.
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Tigha you are so right. The NHS is under attack like never before and we are feeling the consequences. My GP is in Crouch End and I can't get an appointment either, and I met two elderly people in the same boat yesterday, having to hold onto the phone for hours just to get through and then hoping for a telephone appointment for illnesses that only a short while ago would have merited a fairly rapid face to face appointment.
Think back to 2010, this was not the case, appointments were much easier to get and I was able to see my GP, now it is totally impossible, no wonder people are crowding out A and Es. I put this situation squarely on the shoulders of this government and on a succession of politically motivated nasty 'Health Ministers' bent on destroying our NHS.
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Permalink Reply by KP on
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You can't blame this government for all the problems with the NHS. There were certainly a lot of problems back in 2010 - I was with Bridge House back then -- and it was appalling
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It may also be to do with our grossly overpopulated borough, starting with Labours deliberate open door immigration policy and the lack of control thereafter.
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Overpopulation is definitely another reason it's a constant struggle to see the doctor!
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"You can't blame this government for all the problems with the NHS."
I can say this and I do say this. When there was political will from previous governments money was found to combat rising GP appointment waiting times and they came down, however policy towards waiting times were changed by this government and funds were reduced and waiting times have increased again, excacerbated by recruitment problems in GP surgeries, an increase in the number of appoinments to be covered and extra services to be delivered.
In 2010 nationally 80 % could get a GP appointment within 48 hours ( I know in London it has always been more difficult), however those having to wait longer than one week and two weeks for an appointment has gone up incrementaly year on year since 2010.
GPs have been warning for years, particularly the last five, that more GPs need to be trained and more GPs need to be retained, these are political decisions and this government has failed to plan ahead and fund the service adequately.
(If in doubt blame immigration eh?)
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Don't patronise me Maggie. I am the child of immigrants so I hardly think I am someone who blames immigrants for all our problems. I am speaking about my experience. I know in 2010 it was hardly a rosy picture. I could never get an appointment to see a doctor within 2 weeks. Not that I can now either but it was hardly great back then either. I think putting the blame on the "nasty health ministers" is very simplistic.
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