‘Seeing a doctor these days is like the Hunger Games’

“You have waited a week for the appointment to have your dodgy mole checked, you are within minutes of the doc putting your mind at rest and boom … you’re back at square one.”

Seeing a doctor in 2024 is like the Hunger Games, Health Reporter Jackie SInnerton writes.

Here’s the scenario. You booked an appointment at the GP for 1pm and at 1.03pm, while you’re trying to find a parking spot outside the clinic, the receptionist calls and says: “You’ve missed your appointment and must reschedule”.

Seeing a doctor these days is like the Hunger Games.

You have anxiously waited a week and a half for the appointment to have your dodgy mole checked, you are within minutes of the doc putting your mind at rest and boom … you are back where you started.

Let me make it clear, in spite of my age and blonde bob I’m not a Karen.

I was not the patient in this scenario. But rather a shocked witness.

The reason this phone call got my hackles up is that I was waiting in the reception for my appointment which was already 20 minutes late.

A leading GP has emphasised the importance of patients being on time.

When the poor bugger who received the call arrived at the reception desk at 1.04pm he took the rescheduling demand with good grace. Polite and respectful, he accepted his fate.

OK I get it. There is a shortage of general practitioners and doctors are booked solid and being on time is important.

If your name is called and you are not there… yes, I agree you should reschedule. But if there are already delays throw him a bone.

Imagine a poor mum with a vomiting child getting the call that she’s been cancelled because she is three minutes late.

Veteran Redlands GP Bruce Willett says he agrees that a cancellation after three minutes is harsh but emphasises that it is important for patients to be on time.

“The reality is that if we have 15 patients waiting to be seen and everyone is three minutes late the last patient has a 45 minute wait.

“I agree that it’s probably better to cancel if the patient is not there when their name is called. Doctors often run late as patients don’t flag that they need a long appointment. The online booking system is helping that situation as the patient can specify if they need more time,” he said.