jbl

Imagine that you are ill. You know what is the matter and that a course of antibiotics will cure it. You have to see the Doc' in order to get a prescription. You go to the surgery, unaware that they now operate an 'appointments' system and are told that all appointments are taken and they cannot see you.
Is this correct ? I have been told that a Doctor cannot refuse to see you if you are at his surgery.
Anyone know for certain.

Cheers

JBL

Snazy

Im pretty sure they can refuse to see you unless you are life threateningly ill.

If you just need a course of antibiotics, demanding to see the doctor NOW is probably seen as a little inappropriate.

I usually pop in and make an appointment for the next day.

PaulC72

AFAIK they always have space for emergancy appointment so get one of them problem solved, as far as the appointment it would be about capacity I would imagine

Snazy

Oh and more to the point... YOUR GP might not be able to see you, but there are usually walk in centres etc that you can see A doctor, who can deal with you.

john banks

There are some situations where a GP may well prescribe an antibiotic over the phone. A good story of a urine infection, or a recurrent infection/high risk situation with a known history and often an arrangement for quick access to antibiotics is in place. However, much patient demand for antibiotics is inappropriate based on current evidence. Often I will see these people the same day, usually within an hour or two of their call, examine them and advise against an antibiotic. Some are happy with that, knowing they can call back. Others are more insistent, usually I prescribe and advise them not to take the antibiotic unless complications develop.

What is the diagnosis in this case? Is there a likely or proven bacterial infection that will respond to antibiotics?

If you have a genuine emergency then negotiating with the receptionist will invariably get you seen immediately even without an appointment in most practices. We do see people that just turn up if they seem to have a genuine need, it isn't too badly abused. In some city practices the baby is thrown out with the bathwater as they have too many chancers taking advantage and quite ridiculous and inappropriate demands. This can be frustrating when you have a genuine need.

The bottom line is, most of us make space even when it isn't there to see people who are ill or believe they are ill. This can make our uncomplaining patients late even when often they are more sick than the noisy complainer.

Sonic'

I have been into my GP and got antibiotics by just asking for them, but I was warned that they shouldnt really just be given out

In my circumstance it was fairly obvious that I needed them though I do have to say

jbl

Thank you for all those replies and thoughts.
I am not going to go into details at all, but interesting reading.
Thanks again.

JBL

bigvern

iTrader: (1)

TBH I have never been to a Doctors surgery without an appointment even if its short notice (on the day) I'd still phone up in advance. Quite often you end up with a duty nurse which is fine by me . They can issue antibiotics, with a signature of the doc on the perscription.

Recently whilst in my local surgery I witnessed one of the rudest people who I've ever seen insist on seeing a doctor for some thrush cream (could hear everything!!), she wouldn't wait for an hour because she would be late for a meeting!!! She wouldn't go and buy it herself because she was pregnant and should get it for free.

john banks

We have signs on our door saying we do not see people who walk in without an appointment, we have it in our practice leaflet and we tell people who do this repeatedly.

It is a particular problem in the morning when you have a backlog of phone calls back to people who have left a note of their number for us to call them back and then someone turns up. Do I stop going through the list of people who have called which includes people dying at home with cancer, people with chest pain who need immediate action, people that have fallen and may still be on the floor etc (I do not call back the list of people in order in these circumstances) or do I leave them all to wait whilst I see the walk in with a sore throat for 2 days who hasn't even bothered to take a pain killer and doesn't need an antibiotic anyway most of the time?

Now I tell the receptionists to take their number and send them away and call them back a bit later. This can appear silly to them especially if I then ask them to come in, but why should they queue jump a system that gives the majority of patients quick and appropriate access and risk harm to other patients in the process? If they use the system we've made they get seen without a significant wait in the waiting room even if it isn't always immediately after they've decided they want to be seen.

The original poster's question - yes we can refuse to see you just because you have turned up at our surgery. We can also refuse to visit you when you demand it. We would not refuse either if there is a clinical need, although this can be difficult to establish sometimes, so we tend to see if in doubt.

jbl

Thanks again.

JBL

Leslie

There seems to be a peculiar system as far as appointments are concerned at our surgery. Most actual appointments always seem to be taken up for quite a long time ahead, but if you ring up first thing you can often get put into the queue to see the doctor if there is a spare slot. You can get offered another doctor instead of your own as well.

I think it is somehow tied up with NHS targets but it seems to be impossible for lay people to understand the system.

Les

spireite

There are special clinics you can visit