[Busman747]

Originally Posted by WillowTheWhisp

WOW! I needed to see GP following a hospital referal (from yet someone else other than my own GP) and had a letter from them asking me to make an appointment so off I duly trotted for the queueing up outside experience and even then I had to see a doctor I'd never set eyes on in my life before, who funnily enough turned out to be Busman's doctor (someone Busman has never actually seen himself!)

THAT was a very interesting morning! Willow and I joined the queue just after 8am and was about sixteenth in the queue. I was quite excited because I had been trying to get an appointment by phone for a couple of months without success but couldn't take the time off work at 8am because of my school run but this was a school holiday.....

The doors opened and very soon we were at the front of the queue. Being the gentleman, I ushered Willow to speak to the receptionist first and heard the words "9 o'clock" At that moment, another receptionist called me over .......and told me that a doctor would see me at 10;30!! I exclaimed in despair that my fiance (pointing to Willow as she was still being dealt with) has just got an appointment for 9am.

"Oh, We've had phone calls since then" she says "The closest appointment is now 10;30"

Now THAT is efficiency!! How many phone calls can you take in 30 seconds?

In defence of the doctors at Peel House, on the ONE occasion in 15 months(yes, THIS appointment) I have managed to see a doctor, he was exceptionally good but what worries me is that I am the kind of person that would try to fit in an appointment around my work rather than take time off. The reason for seeing him was for a mole that was seemingly becoming aggressive. They soon cut it off and told me that it wasn't malignant..........but if it had been?

Likewise, if I started having chest pains, at what point would I say to my boss, "sorry, can't do the school run"? As an over 50, I get all sorts of aches and pains but I have been brought up to regard work as a priority and in the past I have always had the option of making a doctors appointment at a suitable time.

I love life Oop north but I find it so hard to get my head around the lack of funding here! Back in Bedfordshire, I would phone at 9am, get an appointment for 10am....arrive at 9:50, sit in comfortable leather seating with expensive mags to read and be called in at 9:55.

Living in Accy will probably be the death of me (but not for a while hopefully Willow)