GP waiting times?

How long does it take to get an appointment with your GP? I get quite bad flare ups of eczema now and again and need to get a strong steroid cream for it, i can feel a bad flare up coming on and rang to get an appointment and they told me 5 weeks to see my doctor You could be dead and buried well before then, the consolation was that i could get an appointment in 3 weeks time with a different doctor...i think its time to change practices which i really dont want to do as my GP specialises in dermatology and she is very good

I usually call at 9am and get an appointment that afternoon or if I call in the afternoon and say I need to go I get a evening appointment that day. I have never called any gp (had about 4 in past few years with moving houses) and not gotten an appointment for the day I called.

Same as Nostress I would usually get an appointment for the same day or maybe the following morning depending on the circumstances. That waiting time seems crazy McLisa - what if you needed antibiotics urgently or something? Did they ask what the appointment was for?

i think if it is urgent and by urgent you need to be at deaths door you can get an emergency appointment, if not the doctor will sometimes give you a call back and prescribe you something over the phone, if they think they can diagnose it. I had this before when i had a big flare up before a holiday and couldn't get an appointment and the doctor left a prescription at reception for me. I'm gonna have to change doctors which is a shame as my doctor is lovely and very good, obviously they are a hugely over an over prescribed surgery!

What the hell?! 5 WEEKS? I thought I must have read it wrong and it was 5 days, which would still be a while, but 5 weeks is nuts! I very rarely go to the doc when I'm sick, usually just wait for it to pass. So mainly I'm going to renew prescriptions etc and I know in advance so I'd usually book in the week before. If I was to be waiting for 5 weeks like that I'd defo change practice.

I normally just arrive on,our doctor has 3 days where you can make appointments but can still be seen if you don't have one,and then 2 days of open surgery. Could not imagine having to way that long for appointment.hope you get sorted soon

Are you in the north Mclisa?

Doctors like that can be hard to find alright - I have found it hard in the past to strike the balance of finding a good doctor who is personable at the same time. Hope you get sorted soon and you don't have to wait the 3 weeks to see someone!

That is crazy ~ like other posters I can ring GP and she will see me that day. Wonder why your GP has such a long waiting list, what happens in an emergency? Are there any other GPs in your area?

[quote="Mrs W ":1w7mr5kt]Are you in the north Mclisa?[/quote:1w7mr5kt] i am actually, i was with a practice where the appointments were relatively quick - usually a week at longest but they had a lot of trainee GP's which i dont mind but you were seeing someone different all time and getting conflicting treatment. I moved house and my current GP was much closer and on my route to work but the waiting times are unreal. I found a new practice not too far from home but out of the way of work but its a small price to pay!