[Fultonius]

That's pretty much what we do. Pre book up to a month in advance, plus roughly ten on the day appointments per GP. It doesn't allow for someone to book an appointment for tomorrow but no system pleases everyone.

We tried all pre-book able, all on the day. The patients hated both.

Why the fuck can they not just look at good examples (like yours) and roll it out across the board? I know "one size fits all" is not necessarily the best approach, but surely, surely they can take the good points and try to get other prectices to work towards it. 

[SA Chris]

My (admittedly terrible and overstretched) local practise almost never manage to give me a slot withn 10 days and even then, it's with any one of their pool of GPs and they'll inevitably be running late.

I know it doesn't help, but if we phone ours at 8:30 sharp and redial for 15 mins or so you can usually get an appto for that day if it's something that needs immediate attention (esp for kids). However with x hundred new houses being built in the area and no new GP practice in the immediate future it's going to get harder to see anyone.

[shurt]

That's pretty much what we do. Pre book up to a month in advance, plus roughly ten on the day appointments per GP. It doesn't allow for someone to book an appointment for tomorrow but no system pleases everyone.

We tried all pre-book able, all on the day. The patients hated both.

Mine works like this too. Same deal as what Chris said. Redial for 10-15 mins and you get an appointment. I thought most GP surgeries has this system...

[fatkid2000]

Workload has massively increased, things like chronic disease management. As a ballpark one full time parrner counts for roughly 2000 patients.

Thats interesting we run at that level we were at 1 to 2400 but had to take on another doctor.

The college and academics reckon it should be one full time GP per 1700.

There has been such a massive movement of work into the community.

Drugs that were started in hospital are now routinely started in the community.
Massive amounts of chronic disease we deal with - with no hospital input.

The elderly are getting more demanding and have a much less put up and shut up attitude.

The government has massively inflated peoples expectations, with no money to follow the workload drift.

Then there's all the acute on the day stuff - snotty kids etc and picking out the one case of cancer or other serious illness that turns up in amongst the other rubbish.

Its unsolvable - without more money & wheres that coming from - ?Trident?

No appointment system works - telephone triage / split pre-bookables etc. We usually just about survive until somebody goes on holiday then it goes all wrong.

[SA Chris]

You get holidays????

[Fultonius]

This polemic makes an interesting read. I don't have the time to check the validity of all of the claims where he says "The BBC didn't cover this" but, I have no recollection of them covering those stories so I am inclined to believe it.

Quite scary stuff!  I'm glad I don't pay a BBC TV licence any more. Independent and unbiased my sweaty arse!

[GCW]

Wow, seven day service in hospitals. Where are all the extra staff coming from?

[slackline]

I'm glad I don't pay a BBC TV licence any more. Independent and unbiased my sweaty arse!

Even if you ignore the news, radio1 & strictly come blow my head off, the licence fee is great value for money for all the other good output (6music, natural history films etc. Etc.)

[Fultonius]

I'm glad I don't pay a BBC TV licence any more. Independent and unbiased my sweaty arse!

Even if you ignore the news, radio1 & strictly come blow my head off, the licence fee is great value for money for all the other good output (6music, natural history films etc. Etc.)

I was being a little facetious - I live in France so therefore don't pay for it anyway 

I've been a bit annoyed by radio 6 recently - I've heard that shit Kings of Leon song at least 3 times.   

[GCW]

Just one?

[fatkid2000]

Wow, seven day service in hospitals. Where are all the extra staff coming from?

Once again Keogh has no idea.

Take A&E 24 hr 7 day consultant cover needs 16 consultants for a dgh hospital let alone the new major trauma centres. Fatdoc and myself were talking about this earlier in the week. Major service redesign will be needed with major down grading of dghs.
Dghs could end up looking after the elderly and virtually all surgery would be done in huge centres along with itu / trauma etc.

[Fultonius]

Fatkid, I really appreciate your input to this thread as it's a proper insight into what's actually happening in the hospitals.

Can I make one small request?  Can you possibly use less acroynyms? I don't have a clue what you're on about half the time!

DGH?

[fatkid2000]

 Sorry district general hospital - I.e around Sheffield they are Rotherham , Doncaster, Chesterfield etc.

Whereas Sheffield is a tertiary centre then you have regional and national centres. That's roughly how it works ,