GPs “lottery”
Patients say getting one is like winning the lottery
Getting a GP appointment in Rutherglen and Cambuslang within a week of telephoning is akin to winning the lottery, patients have said.
Residents in both towns say they have been forced to wait up to three weeks for treatment of ailments which are not considered urgent.
Getting a GP appointment in Rutherglen and Cambuslang within a week of telephoning is akin to winning the lottery, patients have said.
Residents in both towns say they have been forced to wait up to three weeks for treatment of ailments which are not considered urgent.
And whilst doctors surgeries across the area are adopting different booking systems, dozens of people argue they are not working.
The most popular complaint is being asked to call at 8.30am to book an appointment, with locals complaining it is pot luck if you get through.
Stephen Allan attends North Avenue Doctors Surgery in Cambuslang and says the required 8.30am telephone call is punishing those who work and has lead to others abusing the emergency appointment system.
He said: “I’m being told you need to call at 8.30am. The problem is everyone is calling at 8.30am and I’m behind the wheel driving to work.
“They are using the excuse that people aren’t keeping appointments... but they have created the problem.
“People are asking for an appointment and getting one for two or three weeks time. Realising that’s rubbish, they phone at 8.30am, they are getting an urgent appointment and not cancelling the one in two or three weeks time.
“I appreciate people are phoning for urgent things, but what you are getting is people calling at 8.30am because they are not willing to wait that long.”
Mr Allan is not alone in his experience, with several people taking to social media to voice their frustration at the systems used at a number of surgeries including Rutherglen Primary Care Centre and Craigallian Medical Practice.
Speaking on the All About Cambuslang Facebook page, one woman said she called her surgery at 8.30am but it took 45 minutes to get through.
A second woman said she had to walk to the doctors surgery because she was unable to get an answer on the telephone.
In Rutherglen older patients say they have felt pressured to book routine appointments online, something one pensioner said he was not comfortable doing.
The issue was also raised at a recent meeting of the Burnside Community Council.
Dr Keith McIntyre, vice chairman of the Lanarkshire Local Medical Committee and a GP at North Avenue Practice in Cambuslang, said: “We understand the frustrations some patients may feel on occasions while accessing their GP surgery.
“Nationally GP practices are facing recruitment and retention challenges, resulting in many practices finding it difficult to provide cover for all their available appointment slots.
“Despite this, all practices continue to make patient access to appointments a priority and enable them to book appointments through a range of
I’m told you need to call at 8.30am. Everyone’s calling at 8.30am
mediums such as telephone, at the reception and online.
“Many practices are also exploring new models of care – such as telephone appointments – which aim to improve the service they provide to patients and optimise practice resources.
“All practices will also have systems in place which will enable a patient who requires an urgent appointment, to be seen on the same day.”
Dr McIntyre also encouraged people to think about their health problems and other services which are more suited to treating them such as a dentist, pharmacist or optician, rather than a GP. People who are unsure about this can seek advice by calling NHS 24, or their practice.
Patients who have specific concerns about their GP practice should make direct contact with their practice.