Brits have revealed how long they’re happy to wait for things – including eight minutes to get served at the bar and 11 weeks for surgery.
A poll of 2,000 adults revealed that 10 minutes is the longest people will wait in the supermarket queue before getting annoyed, eight minutes for a loo cubicle to become free.
While 22 minutes is as long as respondents can bear to wait before getting a response to an important text.
When it comes to health, six weeks was seen as a sensible wait for a dentist appointment and three weeks was seen as the longest you should have to be kept waiting for an appointment with your GP.
“Life is full of frustrating waits…but for health matters, clearly, people would like to wait less than they currently do for GP or surgery appointments.”
Jim Easton, Chief Executive at Practice Plus Group
The research, commissioned by Wellsoon from Practice Plus Group, revealed the thing that frustrates people most was waiting to get through to customer service on the phone, closely followed by waiting to see a doctor, and getting stuck in traffic.
Jim Easton, Chief Executive from the brand, said: “Life is seemingly full of frustrating waits.
“Of course, you can be more accepting of some over others in life, such as a wait for a cold pint or to get through airport security.
“But for health matters, clearly, people would like to wait less than they do currently for GP or surgery appointments.”
Respondents, however, revealed the ways they look to cut down the time they wait for things, with 30 per cent paying extra for fast delivery when online shopping and 39 per cent binge-watching TV shows rather than waiting for the next episode.
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Anyone planning to avoid bank holiday traffic this weekend won’t be alone, with one in two saying they set off early on long journeys to avoid having to queue on the roads, according to the OnePoll.com data.
While 42 per cent have admitted to skipping the queue at one point in their lives, with nine per cent frequent offenders, respondents still believe waiting is a British pastime, with 57 per cent believing we’re more patient than other nations.
However, 36 per cent see it as ok to skip the queue for a pressing medical issue and 35 per cent for safety reasons.
A quarter (24 per cent) admitted to not being particularly patient, while only one in six considered themselves very patient.
However, 32 per cent have lost their cool when having to wait for something, with two thirds of those having done so over something insignificant.
But 31 per cent are left regularly genuinely frustrated over things such as waits for surgery or to see a medical professional.
And 62 per cent do not think current wait times to see a doctor are acceptable and 67 per cent believe the length of time before you have surgery is unacceptable.
“The research shows more people are considering the idea of private healthcare which would benefit the NHS by shortening waiting lists.”
Jim Easton, Chief Executive at Practice Plus Group
Jim Easton from Practice Plus Group added: “The research has also shown more people are considering the idea of private healthcare, which would also benefit the NHS by shortening waiting lists.
“Findings from this study have shown that the little things in life can annoy people when they’re having to wait, but there’s a real frustration when it comes to things that are so much more serious.
“Your health above all else is something you shouldn’t have to wait for, particularly if you’re in pain or concerned.”
