With every doctor’s visit I increasingly question the rational behind making an appointment. You arrive on time, yet end up waiting hours before you reach your position in the cue. So what’s the point in making an appointment anyway?!!? The fact that these clinics aren’t appalled with their despicable service disgusts me! If doctors were in any other business it wouldn’t last a week. Yet day in and day out citizens have to put up with constant disrespect! Is our time not valuable, do we have all day to set in a doctors office when our appointment was at 8 o’clock in the morning, I think not! To add insult to injury, when I asked the kind receptionist to call me 10 minutes before my theoretical appointment was to begin, she replied she could not because it wouldn’t be fair to the other patients. It is these types of totally illogical replies to a logical request that drive me fucking insane. Get your shit together already and stop blaming the patient for your own incompetence. If you give me an appointment at 8 don’t make me wait until 10 to see the doctor. Seems to be a simple request to me….
This article appears in Mar 6-12, 2008.
Well, my advice, change doctors! I never wait more than 10 minutes to see mine! Takes a week to get an appointment sometimes, but sitting around all day? Does your Doc work at the hospital?
Your sense of entitlement is appalling. You really expect the receptionist to call you 10 minutes before said appointment? That poor receptionist probably has hundreds of files and patients to deal with and you expect her to remember just you? Suck it up, you big baby, or change doctors.
It’s probably not entirely the doctor’s fault. Most doctors schedule a 15 minute block of time per person. Inevitably, in the course of a day, you get a couple of hypochondriacs who take up 45 minutes, some old folks who just want to talk to someone, and take up another 30 minutes. Then you get some moms who make an appointment for one kid and then bring all three. Before you know it, doc’s running an hour and a half late and all the patients in the waiting room are steaming mad.
I’ve worked in clinics in Halifax’s hospitals (different than family doctor’s offices, I’m not sure which you were in), and the only effective thing you can do is complain to your doctor, not to the receptionists, not to the nurses, complain to the doctor that you had to wait. Most people complain to everyone else until they actually see a doctor, but then they’re so happy to finally be seen, they don’t complain to the person who actually made you wait.Unlike family doctor’s offices, in clinics doctors can schedule in more time if they think that the patient will take longer. So while there are some people who are taking more time with chatter or random questions, it’s generally the doctor needing to see every patient, even after the residents have taken care of the problem, that takes so much time.
I agree with the first bitcher change doctors why complain. You are a customer /paitent of this doctor so you have the right to better service elsewhere I feel for ya really I do but I switched doctors and I got a fantastic doctor. Go to http://www.ratemds.com I think is the url and click on Canada and then Halifax Best of Luck!!
I agree with switch your doctor. My doctor is strict about time and I rarely wait more than 10 mins. to see him. I appreciate that. He will not tolerate people who come late and expect to be seen. If they are late, they miss the appointment – PERIOD. It is understood that sometimes an emergency situation presents itself and if you are kept waiting more than 15 or 20 mins., he apologizes. Miss 3 appointments without a 24 notice and you’ll be looking for a new doctor. You cannot get a same day appointment with him obviously, but that’s why we have walk-in clinics. As one person said, sometimes older people make appointments and just want to talk or complain. Others use a doctor’s clinic as a social gathering place. I’ve noticed this doctor’s office has very few elderly patients. Maybe they just can’t get away with their attention grabbing hypochondria with him. Organization is the key. He makes sure all of his appointments are booked in 10 minute slots. If you need a complete physical you book a time slot for it.