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Case ref:201606782
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Date:October 2017
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Body:A Medical Practice in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde NHS Board area
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Sector:Health
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Outcome:Not upheld, no recommendations
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Subject:appointments / admissions (delay / cancellation / waiting lists)
Summary
Mr C complained that his GP practice failed to provide him with a GP appointment and a medical certificate for sickness absence. Mr C said he could not get a same day appointment when he phoned the practice in the mornings. We found there were other means of getting an appointment, such as booking online or booking an appointment for later in the same week. An audit of the practice’s appointment records showed there were appointments available in the week Mr C phoned the practice. We took independent advice from a GP adviser, and in their view the practice’s appointment system was reasonable.
Mr C said because he could not get an appointment he could not get a medical certificate and, when he spoke to a GP by phone, the GP refused to issue a certificate. We found that the GP asked Mr C to make an appointment for review, given that his circumstances had changed. In the adviser’s view, the GP acted in line with the General Medical Council's guidance, and the care provided to Mr C was of a reasonable standard. We did not uphold Mr C’s complaints.