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just a quick query………thankfully i rarely have to visit the doctor…..but yesterday i rang to make an appointment for myself for fri afternoon….to be told they are fully booked…..i was gobsmacked…….this is a practice that has i think about five docs….i was prepared to take any doctor but told they are all full up……….i was told to call back early fri morn to see if there are cancellations…………i work in Dublin and would need to take time off in advance for a doctors visit so that doesnt really work for me………………..now its not urgent that i see the doc so i can prob schedule it again but i really thought i was being organised ringing yesterday!!!!!!!!!!!….. like i said…i dont visit the doc very often and thankfully my child is rarely at the doc so was not aware of the appointment system……is this normal in other practices????
Sadly this is normal. If I have an urgent need to go to doc I tell them so and they usually will squeeze me in, especially if its for one of my children. They get a lot of cancellations most days so they should be able to get you in Friday. I would suggest you ring today and tomorrow and ask if a cancellation has come up and if they can let you know if you have an appt because Friday is too late for you to give notice at work.
We were just at doc today. My 3 yr old has had a terrible cough since last week and I called Monday morning for an appt but they were full all day Monday & Tuesday. Today at 9.30am was best they could do. It was not urgent but still, it took 2 days to get in to see a doc.
She actually has chest infection and needs an anti-biotic so I am glad I took her and we can get it sorted before she gets any worse.
The health system here is in tatters unfortunately. 🙁
Do you have to go to a specific doctor? Abbey House in Navan is usually very good. I usually get an appointment for the day I ring – assuming that I ring first thing in the morning. Rarely, they cannot fit you in until the next day.
If you really need to see a doctor, if you wait until 6pm when they are all shut, you can ring the Doctor on call. They are based in the Cottage Hospital in Drogheda or Our Ladies Navan and always have appointments. I think it is about 60euro to see one.
In some practices this has become the norm. I feel they got a bit greedy and took on too many patients. I rang recently to be asked if it was an emergency? I replied that if it was, I would be up at A & E! Then I was asked the nature of the complaint? By a non medically qualified receptionist. I was tempted to tell them to have the file ready so I could transfer my son to another surgery as they obviously have too many patients (as this has been their consistent answer for a few years now) but 2 sentences later and I had an appointment for him that afternoon.
One time when I was calling for an appointment, I was asked by a receptionist what the nature of my complaint and I refused to divulge that information. I said it was private and I would only be discussing it with the doctor! She said ok and made my appointment.
I said it to my doc when I went in and she said I should not have been asked that. She was going to have a word with the receptionist about it.
our practise has grown in recent years and have 2 additional doctors and I find it very hard to get an appointment with the original doctor. As much as I like him – since they’ve moved to new premises and taken on more staff – I cannot stand the office staff – omg I swear they went to lessons in rudeness before starting. I’ve said it to the Dr on one or two occasions but nothings changed
Thankfully we haven’t been too often in the last year (fingers crossed and I type this and touching wood) 😉
Thanks guys for all the replies………i rang every day since tues to be told the same thing!!!……rang this morn and thankfully have got an apt for this afternoon….i booked the afternoon off work earlier in week so thankfully it hasnt gone to waste……..but was a bit put out when the receptionist asked me the nature of my complaint???????…..think that is a bit unprofessional…….thankfully i dont visit docs too often and no it wasnt an emergency this time……..but it was a bit of a stressful procedure just to get an apt…..and thats before i even see the doc!!!! 😛 😛 😛 …thanks again for all ur replies
Yes, I agree. I would not divulge my personal reasons for wanting to see the doc to a receptionist and I don’t think they should be asking this. Tell the doc – you are paying for this service and they should know they are not making it easy for patients to just get an appt.
Hope all goes well today and you are alright.
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