Today I want to talk about GPs and how you contact yours.
When I first registered at my GP, I was thrilled as it opened at 7.30am, which meant if I needed to make an appointment, I could simply pop in before work.
Hurrah, I thought. No more asking friends to call for me, which when you have Crohn's like I do, pushes the boundaries of friendship considerably. Although Miss K, SouperLouper and NikNak all take this task on amazingly.
Anyway, last week I wandered up to my GPs before work to find that the hours have now changed. It opens at 8.30. And at this time, I am already on my way to work. Harrumph!
I went online to see if there was a non-phone way of contacting my surgery. There isn't.
So, I decided to email my local NHS Patient Advice and Liaison Services to ask them if they knew of a surgery in my area that had an accessible appointment booking service for deaf and hard of hearing people - be it email, online or just opening hours that allowed me to make the appointment in person.
I received a lovely reply from a chap who said he would look into it for me. Two days later, he emailed to say he was looking into it, but he wasn't having much luck, and then two days after that, he emailed to say the same thing.
So it seems there isn't a simple way of contacting my GP or any of those in my area to make an appointment.
How do you guys do it?
For now I think I am going to mobilise my high-tech software of Friends who phone. So NikNak, Miss K and SouperLouper – action stations please!!
6 comments:
Have just signed up for web access to our GP surgery, so we can book appt, repeat prescriptions etc on line. If they can do it in the New Forest, London should be a doddle!
I use online web service for my gp, after they introduced it last year or more. Very handy.
Or I pop in and make one. Which I know you cannot do, so the online service would help you alot.
I figured as long as I'm alive, I'm okay so I just skip it. Not healthy, I know.
Helen and Liz – most envious of your GPs having online services. Haha, Deborah, that cracked me up! :-)
I used to have to depend on my husband because they would hang up on relay calls. I was told by a friend about a clinic right up the road from our home that does EVERYTHING online, messages, appointments, script refills and even my TEST RESULTS. If I have a question, I get an email that very day. It's WONDERFUL. Should we ever move to a new area, I will be contacting Deaf Services to find out if there are clinics in that area that do the same thing.
I get my mum to ring for me since I have no one else and she is just a text away.
Although my pharmacist now texts me when my scripts are due which is very helpful.
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