Doctors

As some of you may or may not know, I have not been well over the last 2 weeks (not swine flu )
So I felt rough as hell Wednesday in work and come Thursday morning 4AM ish I was up and being ill.
So I thought right, enough is enough, waited until 8:30am and called my doctors surgery.

Dalo Hi can I book an appointment for ASAP
Receptionist The next slot we have is.........wait for it............a week on Tuesday (bear in Mind it was Wednesday)

Dalo so thats not next Tuesday its the week after
Receptionist Yes thats right

Dalo was not very happy at all, and expressed it in a polite and curteous manner
Receptionist well we do have an emergency clinic its 10-11
Dalo and when is that?
Receptionist Today, you come in and wait and at some point in the hour a doctor will see you


For those of you that do not know me so well I am very forthcoming with my words

What a joke is that - how many people are sat at home day after day feeling like utter ****e and have to wait a god damn eternity to see what is wrong and by that time 99% of things would have gone or you would have died!

no other words other than SHOCKING spring to mind!

 

Interesting observation in light of the fact that we are undergoing a huge debate on health/insurance reform here. That being said, I would not be to quick to see the UKs problems as being universal.

Glad you are feeling well enough now to Rant though Dave!

 

yes common problem now days, would not be the first time I've told a doctors receptionist that there is no point in me being registered at a doctors as if I have to wait that long I will ether be better or in hospital!!

 

What really gets me going is when you have an appointment for a certain time and when you get there a half an hour early there is a packed office. Then you have to sign in so they know that you're there. Then...instead of taking you in at your appointment time they go in the order of who signed in first. So...even if you come an hour early just to sign in for an appointment you still have at least an hours wait if not more just to get your vitals taken!

From there they make you sit back outside in the waiting room to wait until the doctor, who is overbooked, gets around to seeing you. So here, even though you have an appointment, you still have to wait and wait and wait just to be seen by the doctor.

And...if you're in there just for a checkup you're stuck in the waiting room with a bunch of sick people who don't even know how to cover their mouths when they cough!!!

Plus you can't even use your cell phone to occupy your time playing games or texting because that's not allowed either. But it gets better...Say you don't hear your name called for whatever reason you wind up stuck there waiting all day until everyone else who had an appointment is seen.

Nurse can you call people a little louder please???

End of Rant.....for now...

BTW...Hope you're feeling better!

 

It really is all your fault. You should book your appointments before you get sick.

 

I'm so, so sorry you've been ill, Halo! And sorry you've been getting such lousy service when trying to get in to see your physician. Perhaps when you do see him/her, it could be mentioned as perhaps the doctor hasn't clarified criteria with the receptionist regarding the criteria for which symptoms should be book now regardless versus oh well, a couple weeks from now will do. (Fever, any sign of open infection, etc etc).

I know each Country may be different, but after reading the above posts, do wonder if the Doctor one is waiting to see is worth it? And if another doctor can be chosen freely?

Some doctors here deliberately 'over-book' and each patient is allotted a maximim of about 6 minutes (not a lot of time if one is truly feeling like hell) and all it takes is one patient 'overstaying' the time and waiting can become an eternity. Suspect all of these doctors care more about money than patients - but if we're stuck with one, at least choose the one that apologizes for having kept you waiting forever.

And then there's the doctors that blithely couldn't care less if you have the first appointment right after their lunch ... and you see them laughing with friends and strolling back to the office 1 1/2 hours late - nor do they apologize to you for having kept you waiting so long and equally bad, don't apologize to their receptionists who have taken the blunt of the hissy fits from the stacked up in the waiting room patients. I think of these as 'run as fast as you can to find a new doctor' because this attitude may well prevail should you become truly, truly ill too.

And then there's my idea of a 'perfect family physician' - yup, they are out there! Ours books her patients each 15 minutes apart but even so, there is always a delay until getting called in from the waiting room. But not a one of us complains because each and every patient gets as much time as needed to ensure she 'covers all medical basis' and that each patient's concerns are attended to.

When the going gets truly rough with a serious disease, one not only wants a good, caring doctor, one needs one - it can literally mean the difference in the outcome.

- - - - - -
I read the words about being stuck in a waiting room with a stack of sniffing, sneezing and 'sharing of diseases' patients. Ugh!

Some wee hints ... if the doctor doesn't supply them freely in the waiting room, ask him or her to provide paper face masks. Or bring your own. Feeling foolish wearing one takes second place to catching something else on top of whatever you've already got.

And never, ever touch the magazines provided - no matter how bored we may become while waiting. (Just think of all the sick people that have touched them before you do). And because germs from those rude people that don't cover their mouth when coughing or sneezing can - and do - land everywhere, try really hard to not touch your face until you've had a chance to wash your hands thoroughly after leaving the doctor's office.

 

I do agree, Doctors should supply face masks.
Same in Hospital waiting rooms.
You have made many good points,Mara.
It's not the fashion yet,but in China and South East Aisan Countries,many, many, people wear them, in public.
I won't touch, just about anything, in Public places.
I also, wouldnt be against wearing cheap throw away gloves, in Public.
Only takes a few, to start the trend, and people will think nothing of it.
Like just another accessory,one wears.
The masks could be colourful,and colour coded to suit one's attire.
Trains are shocking here, to ride in.Jam packed, and everyone coughing and sneezing,and very few could really give a dam,how many germs,they spread.
These new strains of Viruses,I think it won't be long, and we will be forced to wear protection.
I won't also touch the Bottom of my shoes, after walking the Streets.
One never knows, what you have walked through,without realizing.
OK, masks are not the most comfortable,but they could be made, more user friendly,I am sure.

 

My psychic powers do not entend that far, I only do hardware and software foresight

 

Think of the 'book ahead of time' appointments with doctors at least every two years as the same 'tune up' we schedule for our cars . Yup, prevention is a lovely thing - huge gentle smile.

Colour coordinated paper face masks - am quite serious when I say you may be on to something there, Dougie - just think of the fortune you could make if you started marketing them in the Asian countries!

Trains, buses and trains - in fact, any public area filled with people is a great way to share bugs with others. But then again, so is the hand rail of escalators in shopping malls, the handles of grocery shopping carts. And I smiled when reading your words about the soles of your shoes (yuck) simply because it's woman who, while they've never dream of playing with the soles of their shoes either, will think nothing of entering a restaurant and putting their purse on the floor beside their chair - and then perhaps taking it home and plopping it on the kitchen counter as they come through the door.

Because I love someone dearly that has a low immune system, while I've not let myself worry too much about the abounding bugs - I always carry a package of those disposable hand wipes.

But I do think it ironic that doctors - the very people who dedicate their lives to keep people healthy - seem to be the last to provide paper face masks and hand cleaner by the door in their own waiting rooms.