"The Doctor Will See You Now."

It is funny how over time changes take place, at first it seems odd, then it seems wrong, and eventually it becomes the norm.

I remember ringing the doctors and getting an appointment, within hours and on the same day.

Then my doctor’s surgery changed it and said, “You can only ring at 8am in the mornings, to get an appointment for that day.” I said to the receptionist, “People will die.” As most people could not get through on the phone, to get an appointment, you had to go to the doctors before 8am and queue up outside, and the first 8, or so to get in, got the appointments for that day. Those too ill, trying on the phones, didn’t have a chance! As myself and others spoke to the receptionist, face to face, we could hear the phones ringing, and they stayed unanswered, until us 8 or 10 were seen first. Then those words would be said, “There are no appointments left for today, try tomorrow at 8am.

Then my doctors changed again, where we had to phone or go before 8am and queue up outside, and then we were told, “The doctors will ring, you back, and when they do, they will decide if you see you or not.” I said, to the receptionist, “People will die.” For how can they possibly assess a person over the phone?

My doctors have now changed again, now no one is allowed to queue up before 8am, but all appointments must be booked on line! This was SO out of my depth, that I had to ask my young manager to help me, he was fantastic and put the thing on my phone front page, he explained, “All you have to do, it to click on that picture,” (he didn’t use the word picture, but I can’t remember the exact word he used) and that will take you to the on-line form, to then book the appointment.” How is an older person supposed to do that? I said to the receptionist, “What about those people who haven’t got a smart phone, as not everyone has?” She replied, “We have prepared other ways for them to contact us.” I said, “OK.” I did try that on-line booking form, the first two times, it said, “No more bookings today, try again tomorrow.” That made me a little nervous. But the third time, it worked, and I was able to book a doctor’s appointment, and to be fair, it was easy.

I was reading some notes of years ago, and it seemed like another World away, ringing up to see the doctor and getting an appointment the same day, or on rare occasion the next day. Some of the people I work with, they can’t see the doctor for 3 weeks, which is quite scary, when you think, how an illness can develop in that very long time.

My Mum will be 90 this year, she has worked as a Nurse all her life, in intensive care, for the NHS. My brother William made an appointment for her to see the doctor and her appointment will be in TWO WEEKS!