My understanding is that W4 GPs operates on similar lines to many other surgeries who have too many patients and not enough appointments.  Due to me having a complex medical history and ongoing conditions, I usually collapse exhausted at the idea of going to see anyone other than the GP who knows my history in depth, because its just not worth explaining rare conditions over and over, therefore I have some things I've learned.... 1)  Phone anytime and, if you are lucky, get an appointment with your preferred GP in 3 weeks time. 2)  You can book online for an appointment in 3 weeks time with your preferred GP, but only if you get online between midnight on Sunday and midnight on Monday, after which time all the appointments with GPs will be gone, unless you are lucky enough to go online when someone has cancelled their appointment.   3) You phone at 8.00 a.m. on Tuesday or Friday to get one of 4 appointments released at that time for my preferred named GP (I think other GPs in W4 might be released on other mornings, if you have a preferred GP ask for the days for that GP) in 4 working days time.  Be quick - get stuck in the queue at 08.10 and you could well be out of luck.... 4)  You phone at 8 a.m. or noon and ask for an emergency appointment when you don't care which GP you see to see, someone, anyone that same day.  Hint: if your need is not an "emergency" but you want to see any old GP in the practice and not to wait 3 weeks, make sure you have an emergency in mind because they will ask you what is wrong and may decide its not an emergency. At this point you have to suspend all feelings of guilt at not being an emergency in the knowledge that if you wait 3 weeks you soon will be.  5) send an email to the practice with 'FAO "your preferred gp"' in the subject, if you think you will be served by an answer on email and it doesn't matter if you don't get a reply for a couple of days.  If GP decides that they want to see you, phone, fail to make an appointment anytime sooner than 3 weeks time and then reply to the email and say you can't get an appointment as the GP requested and sometimes the manager will phone you back and give you a more prompt appointment.  But not always. 6)  Book an appointment online for 3 weeks time in case you need it and repeat this process, REMEMBERING TO CANCEL THE UNNEEDED ONES.... 55 hours of appointments were lost because people just didn't bother to show up in the last quarter at one of my friend's local GP surgeries.  55 HOURS - just because people are too ignorant to cancel a no longer needed appointment. Here endeth the "how to get an appointment with a GP who knows you" lesson (and mini rant) for today....

Entire Thread

Topic	Date Posted	Posted By
Making a Doctor's appointment	05/11/15 09:45:00	Loraine Pemberton
Re:Making a Doctor's appointment	05/11/15 10:06:00	Andy Pease
Re:Making a Doctor's appointment	05/11/15 10:12:00	Adrian Irving
Re:Re:Making a Doctor's appointment	05/11/15 10:23:00	Loraine Pemberton
Re:Making a Doctor's appointment	05/11/15 11:31:00	Louise Cole
Re:Re:Making a Doctor's appointment	05/11/15 11:46:00	Loraine Pemberton
Re:Re:Re:Making a Doctor's appointment	05/11/15 12:04:00	Tina Ayres
Re:Re:Re:Making a Doctor's appointment	05/11/15 12:06:00	Maggie Dodge
Re:Re:Re:Re:Making a Doctor's appointment	05/11/15 12:29:00	Will Watson

Forum Home