"Appointment lotto"

Begin calling numerous times at 7:55am hoping to be in the top 5 to then get through at 8am and you are 18th in line and eventually told there are no appointments available that day and the only way to get one is to go sit at the walk in centre or ring the non emergency number.

When you book an appointment in advance using the NHS app it is still not guaranteed as I found out today. Booked a physio appointment for help to identify the pain I have from an RTC on the 24th of last month, this appointment was booked 3 weeks in advance and it being the earliest one available which in itself is a joke, to then be called the day before said appointment and told it’s cancelled with the next available appointment being 07/05. After explaining the urgency of needing this appointment even if it is at a different practice I’m told that is not possible and to either ring at 8am and hope to win the lotto of getting through in time or just wait until the next available being another 3 weeks away. So what’s another few weeks off work and not being able to play with my children let alone have a shower or stand and cook a meal without feeling pain. After making this clear to both people I had to speak with on this call I have been ‘lucky’ enough to get a telephone appointment with the GP on Saturday. Going to be fun trying to show where I’m having pain over a phone call.

How can the surgery be taking more patients on when it can’t facilitate the current people they already have even when it comes to basic appointments such as physio. Wonder what the number is for each head they land on the book.