What Are Your Thoughts on GPs Offering Phone Appointments?

This was discussed in some depth on GMB this morning and I must admit that I find it deplorable that some doctors are actually refusing to do any face to face appointments.

I am happy to have a phone appointment to initially assess my complaint but if I knew I was ill enough to need to see a doctor I would insist, if that didn't work I would have no choice but to go to A&E. In fact they spoke of one surgery that firmly said we do not see patients, go to A&E!!!!

I prefer a face to face appointment, that said l haven't seen a doctor in over twenty years

It's a good way for your neighbours to find out more about you by listening in to your telephone chats with your GP.

I've had phone appointments before for my son and more often than not it has resulted in a follow up face to face. I had a few during my pregnancy as needed repeat subscriptions and it meant I didn't have to take up their time with a face to face so it is useful in certain circumstances.

My mum needed an appointment as her blood pressure has been high. They gave her a phone appointment. . Over the phone they were like , I think it'll be best if you came in . Lol

I don't mind having a phone appointment with my GP if it's for an initial assessment only.

I had a rash the other week and was given an appointment for the following week, I had sent a photo via the app. The rash had nearly gone by the following week so cancelled appointment. I then had problem with my ankle and I had a telephone call, explained and talked about my symptoms and the paramedic I was speaking too I no idea what the problem was. She said see how it goes and get in touch if it carries on or gets worse. I much prefer to see a qualified doctor.

I’ve had telephone appointments before and been happy with the service. It’s saved me a lot of time and hassle, especially when they sent my prescription straight to the pharmacy and I collected it the next day.

I have had phone appointments and I suppose it’s better than none at all but I do struggle to hear correctly or they do to get across exactly what you need to. Also some things need inspection or examination which you need an in person appointment. It’s hard these days to get through in the first place.

I've found it increasingly difficult to get an in person appointment with my GP. Consistently referred to chatbots, websites, pharmacists etc.

I think it's a good idea for repeats but I don't like the fact it's the receptionist ask what it's about and then they decide if I should have a phone appointment or see face to face it should be down to the person making the appointment

I'm all for it if it stops clogging up the surgeries with unnecessary people.

I used to have to go and see a doctor to ask for a medicine that they wouldn't allow on repeat. I used to have to get MrsChimp to make sure that she wasn't working to take me down, wait for my appointment, just to be in there for 2 minutes and my prescription being approved. All I do now is give a ring and it's all done over the phone.

I don’t mind if it’s a condition that i have and know a decent amount about but i don’t see how they can diagnose properly over the phone.

My GPs is annoying because they can never tell you when they will ring and if you miss the call you miss your appointment

Phoned 21 July told the earliest phone consolidation with Doctor is the 17th August

Not every interaction with a GP needs a face to face appointment. For example discussing blood test results or asking a few questions about ongoing issues that do not need an examination. I wanted to change my diabetes meds recently and it took a very brief phone chat to sort it out. I have regular blood tests and wouldn’t dream of taking up an appointment in the surgery to discuss the results. I can access the results online so it takes very little time to go through them.

Of course new problems may very well need an examination so this isn’t a problem but I know quite a few people who insist on having a face to face appointment to get another prescription when this can be done online, by phone or, in the case of our surgery filling out a form to drop in the prescriptions box.

In many cases a problem can be dealt with by seeing a nurse, many can prescribe things.

if everyone could be educated on these issues it would be easier to see a GP in the surgery when there is a genuine need.

After hanging on the phone for 20 minutes I got through but was refused any type of appointment by the receptionist.,,Five days later I ended up as an emergency admittance to hospital

Go to the drs to sit there waiting to be seen sitting next to people coughing and spluttering,no thanks, I'll have telephone appointment,

Anything is better than nothing or beggers can't be choosers seems to be the attitudes these days

Personally from own experience if I have reached out to my GP service with an urgent issue it has been dealt with there and then, can't fault my GP practice, as I say only speaking from own personal experience

My surgery has a receptionist triage system! i want to talk to a Dr or Nurse not a receptionist. has that person studied at university for a degree? no! so why should i be triaged by a receptionist and wait 3 weeks for telephone appointment! its ridiculous these days.

And not to mention if you do go into the surgery its EMPTY of people! so why wait 3 weeks for telephone consultation

I think most GPs should be ashamed of themselves. I’ve recently had an awful experience. There must be a legal case for The people vs the GP. Since Covid, the service has been shocking!

My young daughter needed an appointment recently. We were offered a telephone appointment fairly quickly but that appointment resulted in her needing to actually see the doctor so we now have to wait till the end of the month! (3 weeks) For her next appointment.

I think some people don't use their common sense, others panic too much, especially if making an appointment for a child or elderly person. But thats sometimes human nature, as some symptoms may be indicative of something more serious as well as something minor. I agree that it should not be a receptionist who makes the decision as to who a patient sees, as they are simply not qualified. My surgery allows online nurse and GP bookings, which is great. They expect you to fill in a reason, I just write personal. I worry that serious issues are being missed. I am a carer, one of my ladies wasn't seen, I was told it was flu and treated her as such. I emailed her surgery, with a photo of her looking ill and tried to say it wasn't flu. She passed away a few weeks later from pneumonia. I believe it could have been avoided, had she of been seen.

I have had phone appointments & then had to go see the gp as a result , I don’t mind in fact in one way I think it is better , at my surgery there was so many people that really didn’t need to see a gp & were clearly wasting the gps time & also at least you are not at risk of getting worse or catching anything else from the other patients sitting in a room full of people

The chimp I get it that the old peeps are lonely but hopefully they get sent in the right direction , there are so many places where they can go & lot of the time they can get a hot meal & Cup of tea at really reduced price or sometimes free

I totally think that where GP surgeries are concerned that they need to be looked into .If as a surgery they choose to offer 2nd rate service then payments to the surgery should be at a reduced rate . I genuinely cannot remember when I had my 1st vaccine during covid that my registered gp was at the facility doing the injection .I went to him and he did my injection and his 1st words were now u have had your vaccine the reasoning the surgery use to do telephone conversations is now redundant . Roughly a month later I needed to book an appointment and I called the surgery and I was offered a telephone conversation and I said but I now have had my vaccine so I dont need an telephone consultation and I mentioned the doctor saying this to me when I had the vaccine .The receptionist asked who had told me and I said the doctors name . I then found for what he had said to me he was reprimanded. The hospitals I cannot fault and they rightly hold the surgeries in contempt .