On Monday morning I rang at 9.00am to be told that the earliest available appointment was the following Sunday (6 days hence). But if I called back on Tuesday at 8.00am I would definitely get an appointment for him - strange given that Tuesday is before the Sunday but they tell me they 'release' appointments (a bit like a wild animal captive breeding program I suppose, a mysterious and technical process beyond the ken of us mere non clinicians).
So I planned to ring back the following morning at 8.00 when the surgery opens. Unfortunately though, 8.00am is when the kids leave for school and the wife and I leave for work and at 8.00am the line was engaged for over 10 minutes and I had to leave the house and go to work.
So I rang at 9.00am again when I got back to the office and now apparently there are no appointments for two weeks - options are to go up and wait at the surgery from 10.00am this morning until the end of morning surgery and see if there's a gap - or book the appointment on line.
Awesome I said, I'll do that - however you have to go to the GP in person and register. Undaunted I took time off work, downloaded the form, took (I jest you not) two forms of ID and went in to the surgery to register. The form clearly said that I'd get my user ID and password the same day - here's the relevant section of the word document they use :
"It is EASY - once you have your on-line
access set up you will never look back!
It is QUICK - prescriptions requested on-line
are available within 1 working day!
It is CLEAR - you can see what you have
ordered & when. You can see your test result history.
I would like
JUST LEVEL 1 (to be able to order prescriptions on line.) Signature: ………………………………………….
I would like
LEVEL 1 & 2 (above AND be able to get test results & view my medical records on line.) YES
/ NO
Signature: ……………………………………………………….
Full Name: …………………………………………… DOB: …………..…………………………………………..
Home Tel no: …………………………………………… Mobile Number……………………………………………………….
Email: …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
(WRITE VERY CLEARLY! You will be sent a verification email to
confirm. This means if you forget your
password you can request a new one without coming in to Practice with ID!)
By completing
this form, you will also be able complete
questionnaires on-line.
Show the receptionist your DRIVING
LICENCE or PASSPORT and get your username and log-on today!-"
It even tells me how easy the whole process is (putting aside the time off work, visit to the surgery, locating the ID and arguing the toss with the receptionist). Note the exclamation mark after they tell you it will be today - it's that 100% you even get an exclamation mark for emphasis !
I however made the mistake of pointing out they say I'll get the log on details today - you see the receptionist told me it would be this week, sometime - I said "but the form clearly states etc" - then the lady used that voice, the one police officers use that make the word 'Sir' rhyme with 'Cur'. In the end she conceded that apparently they are going to try and get it done today but no guarantees.
It really feels as if I'm inconveniencing the practice by trying to use them - in the end if I can't book in an appointment on-line in the next day or two I'll have to make a formal complaint via the practice manager. Really frustrating.
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