The nature of providing quality general practice care to all patients can sometimes put our doctors behind schedule. Some of the common reasons a GP may not be running to schedule include:
- Medical emergencies that require ambulance dispatch to the hospital.
- Complex medical problems that require immediate discussion with specialists on the phone and/or organising urgent investigations.
- Calling for authority prescriptions where there is an extended period on hold.
- Mental health consultations can often take longer than a 10-minute standard appointment, especially in a crisis situation.
- A large number of issues raised during a standard 10-minute consultation booking.
If a doctor has been put considerably behind schedule, we will contact our patients ahead of time to let them know of the delay while our doctors catch up without compromising quality medical care for any patient. There are some things that you as a patient can do to help a doctor stick to their schedule and reduce waiting times for fellow patients:
- If you have more than one or two issues you would like to discuss with your GP, please consider booking a long appointment. You will not be disadvantaged as the fee incurred is based on the time you are with the doctor, not the length of the appointment you booked.
- If you wish to consult a doctor about a mental health issue, please consider booking a long appointment, as these appointments often require more than 10 minutes to talk through the issues and work on a management plan.
- If you have subsequent commitments and are relying on your doctor running on time, please consider contacting the surgery before you come in to see how your doctor is going for time and let reception know about your time constraints. Your doctor can then be made aware of the urgency and either try to fit you in or make alternative arrangements.
