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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think GP surgeries shouldn’t be closed over Easter weekend? [Title edited by MNHQ]

245 replies

Albertslittletie · 29/03/2024 16:07

AIBU unreasonable to think there’s no reason for Gp surgeries to be closed for four days over Easter weekend? They aren’t even closed for this long over Christmas.
Why does this happen? I don’t work in the NHS but I don’t understand why most other services seem to run apart from a GP surgery, doesn’t this just force people towards A and E?

OP posts:
softkitty79 · 29/03/2024 17:56

I didn't see the OP as goady. It was a question and they have taken the replies in good grace.

There are a lot of misunderstandings and myths as to how General Practice is funded, commissioned and provided. These are often fed/potentiated by politicians and the media for their own ends.

If General Practice want the public to understand the reality of the state we are currently in then we have to be willing to explain the facts (it is hard not to take it as personal criticism when as knackered as many of us are)

Greybeardy · 29/03/2024 17:50

It isn't just the GPs though is it? It would be prohibitively expensive to have GPs, secretaries, reception staff and nursing staff on site on a BH (which is really what you'd need if it's just a normal working day). And then without the pharmacies being open/no outpatient phlebotomy services/ etc it'd all be a bit pointless for a lot of people as they wouldn't be able to get the prescriptions they were given/get the blood tests etc. A lot of GPs will be working today to cover the OOH services, and I bet quite a few of them will be spending their 'off' time doing admin too. For the ones that are having a long weekend off - good for them - they're no less deserving than anyone else in the country!

Original poster
Albertslittletie · 29/03/2024 17:21

twitternotx · 29/03/2024 17:20

GPs aren't funded to work over Easter. NHSE could offer that funding, but they choose not to. Are you volunteering to work the long weekend, in your usual job, for free?

Of course not.

to be clear, this is not a criticism of anyone who works in a GP surgery - just a system that underfunds it to allow a four day closure.

OP posts:
twitternotx · 29/03/2024 17:21

Albertslittletie · 29/03/2024 16:07

AIBU unreasonable to think there’s no reason for Gp surgeries to be closed for four days over Easter weekend? They aren’t even closed for this long over Christmas.
Why does this happen? I don’t work in the NHS but I don’t understand why most other services seem to run apart from a GP surgery, doesn’t this just force people towards A and E?

Really? Do you think that people are getting routine elective surgery or being invited in for outpatients appointments over Easter? Emergency services run. Routine services don't.

twitternotx · 29/03/2024 17:20

GPs aren't funded to work over Easter. NHSE could offer that funding, but they choose not to. Are you volunteering to work the long weekend, in your usual job, for free?

Original poster
Albertslittletie · 29/03/2024 17:13

HelloMiss · 29/03/2024 17:05

So what would your solution be op?

i don’t think we live in the Utopia that would allow any decent solution to happen tbh….

OP posts:
Roselilly36 · 29/03/2024 17:10

@needsomewarmsunshine thank you for your serviceFlowers

Datafan55 · 29/03/2024 17:07

@GwinGwynplus to be fair the decision to live 18 miles from a hospital is yours. I live within three miles of two hospitals, because I choose to.

Hardly a choice! they close A&E depts and put everything in big, superhub hospitals. I used to have an A&E dept 2miles from me, this they closed completely. I used to have one 6 miles away, which they then switched to minor injuries 24hrs, and recently to a walk in/minor injuries up to 8pm. My nearest A&E is therefore 40minutes drive away (about 18miles), with awful transport links and there are hardly any taxis at 2am, so it's very hard to get to. Most of the clinics run out of that hospital too, so things like parking are a nightmare. And I am in suburbia, not the depths of the countryside. I hate being this far away but we can't all live near to these few hospitals.

HelloMiss · 29/03/2024 17:05

So what would your solution be op?

Original poster
Albertslittletie · 29/03/2024 17:04

Mannikin · 29/03/2024 17:02

Honestly no. Speaking as someone who has left general practice to work in a patient care role which does require me to work weekends, bank holidays and nights on a rota. It’s still better and more manageable than general practice was.

Edited
Show quote history

That’s really interesting to know - thank you

OP posts:
Mannikin · 29/03/2024 17:02

Albertslittletie · 29/03/2024 16:39

A good point but I presumed that was an issue across the NHS in patient facing roles especially….

Show quote history

Honestly no. Speaking as someone who has left general practice to work in a patient care role which does require me to work weekends, bank holidays and nights on a rota. It’s still better and more manageable than general practice was.

Foxgloove · 29/03/2024 17:01

Had to take my toddler to a minor injuries unit today as visited 4 pharmacies and they were all closed. Called 111 and they said the issue did need seeing to today so luckily got us an appointment at the clinic. The nurses and staff were excellent.

Original poster
Albertslittletie · 29/03/2024 16:59

Tagyoureit · 29/03/2024 16:56

Why does it bother you though?

If you meds, organise yourself, you knew the Easter weekend was coming same as you know about Xmas.

Palliative care has nothing to do with the GP from my experience so that would still happen and the nurses who looked after my mum always had someone to call if needed.

Your post seems goady.

Because it just feels like a really long time to take away such a needed service from people? And just push the workload onto the staff who do NOT get bank holidays off….

OP posts:
zaffa · 29/03/2024 16:58

But it's a bank holiday - GPs don't open on bank holidays ever - they don't open on weekends here either.

Tagyoureit · 29/03/2024 16:56

Why does it bother you though?

If you meds, organise yourself, you knew the Easter weekend was coming same as you know about Xmas.

Palliative care has nothing to do with the GP from my experience so that would still happen and the nurses who looked after my mum always had someone to call if needed.

Your post seems goady.

Blushingm · 29/03/2024 16:54

Albertslittletie · 29/03/2024 16:16

Didnt even notice that! Thanks!

i realise IABU to an extent to question a massively underfunded and under resourced provider I guess! It just seems like there’s knock on effects from the closure. What happens to the palliative patients etc over Easter?

Palliative patients are looked after by district nurses and palliative teams who still working weekends and bank holidays

Blushingm · 29/03/2024 16:54

They are closed the same if Christmas Day and Boxing Day land on a weekend

Why shouldn't they be closed?

LakieLady · 29/03/2024 16:53

GPs have been closed over Easter since before I left home, which was almost 50 years ago. Some surgeries used to open on a Saturday morning when I was a kid, but by the time I was in my teens that had stopped, and I don't remember if that included Easter Saturday.

There are other services open over the weekend though, NHS111, A&E and, where I live, the urgent treatment centres are open 8am-8pm as usual.

YABU, OP.

Parker231 · 29/03/2024 16:53

Boomer55 · 29/03/2024 16:48

My GP is rarely available at any time. Hopeless. 🙄

Perhaps they work on a part time contract basis

TuesdayQ · 29/03/2024 16:50

GwinGwyn · 29/03/2024 16:27

Sorry that makes no sense, you say you don’t have out of hours and then say you would call the out of hours doctor?

Not sure what the hospital A&E point adds to this discussion, it’s not primary care, plus to be fair the decision to live 18 miles from a hospital is yours. I live within three miles of two hospitals, because I choose to.

Show quote history

No the previous poster, but we're in a similar situation (although thankfully not quite as far), and our out of hours doctors are based at A & E; if we call 111 and get put through to an OOH Dr and they want to see us, we have to go to the general hospital (where A & E is also based) to be seen.

Original poster
Albertslittletie · 29/03/2024 16:50

softkitty79 · 29/03/2024 16:45

They are not contracted to open on bank holidays, nor funded for the costs of opening on those 8 days of they year.

Thanks, this is what I wasn’t sure of!

OP posts:
Boomer55 · 29/03/2024 16:48

My GP is rarely available at any time. Hopeless. 🙄

softkitty79 · 29/03/2024 16:45

They are not contracted to open on bank holidays, nor funded for the costs of opening on those 8 days of they year.

needsomewarmsunshine · 29/03/2024 16:41

I was a home visiting Marie Curie nurse for many years and along with my colleagues, our patients were attended to 24/7 365 days a year.as they should be,

HelloMiss · 29/03/2024 16:40

concernedchild · 29/03/2024 16:30

YABU.

It's bank holidays. Why should they not get a bank holiday after everything they deal with? OOH GPs exist for a reason

Also, the NHS would need to fork out bank holiday rates for staff..... what's that? Double pay?

Don't think there's the money for that!