No wonder you can't get a GP appointment

[Intherightplace]

Currently all first GP appointments at our surgery are telephone. Which is OK for most things, even good, more efficient for both GP and patient. However, for some things a telephone appointment is never going to be any use. For example, if I'd been able to explain to "someone" that I needed an appointment for a dodgy looking mole, surely they could have seen that a face to face appointment was necessary?

Anyway, I waited 3 weeks for my telephone appointment. GP said she couldn't do anything by phone and she'd need to see me (like it was my fault, I hadn't seen her!). So that's one completely wasted appointment.

10 days later I had the f2f appointment. Buzzed the door, not allowed in before they've checked you out. Receptionist said she'd tell doctor I was there. 10 mins later the doctor herself came to collect me from the door. Now this is a large medical practice, it's a fairly long walk, involving 2 flights of stairs and she was wearing heels she could barely walk in

I was with her literally seconds before she said she'd refer to a dermatologist. So, at least 20 mins of her time, for a few seconds with the GP to do something she probably could have done at the telephone appointment, if that was going to be the level of the examination.

Either way, she could have dealt with other patients in that time. Why on earth are the admin staff still working at home? There are usually loads behind the large reception desk, but only the one answering the buzzer currently.

And why not just refer the first time and save everyone so much wasted time?

But for all the problems, and poor management, the NHS is the envy of many other nations, and rightly so.

This, I'm afraid, is a myth. Most comparable developed countries have far superior healthcare with far superior patient outcomes, much faster and better quality treatment, etc. I don't know anybody in the 9 different countries that I have family living in who "envies the NHS". 😂 In fact, many people who live in the UK fly home to their own countries whenever they need a doctor or dentist, which speaks volumes.

My gp practice has been amazing, even better since covid!
Phone apts on the same days when needed, or if not urgent within a few days ( or when i’ve requested).
I’ve been booked face to face apts when needed also with no long waits.

So my DH was in the same situation. He phoned and said he had a dodgy looking mole. A phone appointment was made for the same day and the GP then got him to zoom and show the mole. She then asked him to come in same day but 2 hours later. At that appointment she was happy he did not need a referral but would have if he had needed it. Same NHS obviously a different practice. I am sorry your experience was not as good as DH's.

My surgery is really good. Admittedly I've only needed them twice since covid. First time was because I thought my big toe nail needed removing. I did an online consult where it asked loads if questions and allowed photos. Got email day later to say referral to podiatrist. Call from podiatrist end of week to book telephone appointment which was over a week later. Telephone appointment went well and she booked me in to have nail removed for a couple of weeks later. So my first face to face was the treatment day, no missed work except for about an hour of the treatment.

Second time was a telephone appointment for my dd who gets recurrent ear infections, they were happy to describe the drops she usually has.

That sounds bonkers, I phoned mine for a mole, got a telephone appt, doctor asked me to email in photos of the mole straight away. Sent immediately and had an appt with hospital 2 weeks later. Your GP practice smacks of inefficiency

It’s a joke, I rang the dr with a complaint that I knew I I would need to see a gp about, a skin issue and impossible to get a photo. Spoke to receptionist and explained this but all I could do was book a phone consultation for 3 weeks time, within 2 secs of phone call gp said I need to see you, another 4 week wait for a face to face appointment. I agree that for some complaints a phone call is fine but surly they need to apply a little common sense and think outside the box, it’s a massive waste of appointments. And don’t even mention the hassle trying to get into the drs if you are privileged to be allowed a face to face. I’m a teacher and worked all the way through the pandemic, why are drs still super cautious even now. I think covid is now an excuse for shoddy service.

To be fair my practice are brilliant but when I tried to book my sons 8 week jabs I went round the houses a few times as they insisted I needed a doctor to agree to the in face appointment first. I haven't had this problem since for the rest of his jabs so I assume it was a one off!

If this system was working effectively and efficiently you'd have thought they would be able to see more patients, not less. Ridiculous.

My surgery has been brilliant. I can always get an appointment on the day unless it’s non urgent. Sometimes I have to wait until the afternoon. It’s always on the phone first now but that works perfectly well. I’ve been able to see someone when needed otherwise they’ve just phoned a prescription through to the pharmacy for me or I’ve sent pictures by text /online and then they’ve called. I’ve had to see the doctors a lot this past 6 months for myself and baby postpartum, and they have been brilliant. So I hope they don’t go over to any kind of new system.

I also had a dodgy looking ( just appeared out of the blue) mole.
Our GP now set up so you don’t ring for appointment- you fill in form on website asking for consult ( brief outline of what for .
I filled in form - within 30 mins I was sent a link to upload photos . I did. Ten minutes later had telephone call from GP. Brief discussion, concluded with I was being referred on urgent pathway to dermatologist. Dermatologist appointment came through 5 days later. I attended and the conclusion was it needed to be excised & tested , I would be rung with an appointment.
I got call same day, with surgery appointment the next day. Had my mole removed . My results came through nearly 3 weeks later - thankfully it was totally benign.
I now have a fairly sizeable scar compared to the mole but am happy they chose to take so much around it as initially is was thought to be a basal cell carcinoma.
Couldn’t fault the process, over the moon with the result and this was all within an overstretched struggling NHS.

@PolkadotClouds - couldn't agree more - that's my experience too (that health systems in other developed countries wipe the floor with the NHS, and if I could return for treatment I would).

Trouble is most people in the UK only know the NHS, they believe the drivel they are fed about it being wonderful. Sure, it has flashes of excellence, but most of it is dire and some of it is dangerous, and we're being brainwashed not to question it.

Sadly, for lots of people, their experiences aren't as good nor successful.

That some people have poor outcomes doesn’t make the whole system a disgrace. Overwhelmingly, those who need help are helped. Branding the whole system as a disgrace is hyperbole.

When you’re in regularly there with a sick child, sitting beside the same people cheerily discussing their minor ailments

Your snapshot in time of a couple of conversations doesn’t equal a massively overused system by people who don’t need it.

I heard through a retired GP that they were using Covid as an excuse to get back at the government for them wanting the Drs to work more out of hours? Basically being more finicky than they need to be. I've been to AnE in Covid lockdown and they were no way as thorough as the Drs surgery, I should think they are well pleased for the rest!

GP practices that have gone digital (econsult, doctolink or askmygp) seem to be fairing much better.

It’s the ones that are sticking with the traditional model of care that are struggling.

You need all modes of contact- f2f, online forms, video, photos and phone appts. It’s inefficient to operate a triage system by phone only.

This is what happens when people vote in a government that intends to run the NHS into the ground so they can privatise it. It’s absolutely genius to be fair, underfund it, give services to private health companies that are shite but keep the NHS logo every where, add Brexit and the loss of thousands of vital staff, throw in a pandemic where an already stretched to breaking staff are under resourced and you have the perfect recipe for the total collapse of the NHS. This is when the truly genius bit comes in because then everyone complains that the NHS isn’t fit for purpose and when they announce that it is inevitable that the NZhS be dismantled and a US insurance based healthcare system is bought in the country nods in agreement. Just wait until you’ve paid your insurance premiums but when it comes to your massively inflated bill the insistence won’t pay out.
It’s unbelievably genius and terrifyingly it’s working a treat.

My personal experiences have been similarly dire. Don't get me started on being in A&E no triage for 10 hrs with blood clots! Seriously needs national standardisation asap!

The receptionists at my surgery are now known as 'Care Navigators"!
Bonkers.

Midwife

Agree with you OP. I pay privately now- if need be. My GP is less than useless.

The MP and primary care group can't sort our GP surgery out. Their phone system does not work.
They've been shite for years. A manager gambled away a lot of money.

My daughter has long covid. She caught Covid doing her job in ICU.
She managed to get a blood test (nurse not doctor). Got a text to say the dr. wants to speak to her. Phones for an appointment and the receptionist tells her it will be over the phone and she can only tell her the day not the time of the appointment. Daughter explains that she will be working in ICU so wont be able to answer the phone unless given a time. After a lot of huffing and puffing receptionist says it will be Wednesday morning but cant give a time. Daughter against all the rules keeps her phone on vibrate to take the call..........no call Wednesday morning. Missed call 3pm Wednesday afternoon when my daughter was laying out a patient. The hospital Doctors have to see patients face to face, the nurses have to see patients face to face, why cant GPs see people face to face.

This is why the ED'S and Ambulance Trusts are so stretched! People are attending ED because the GP's aren't seeing them. People are calling 111 for advice and an Ambulance is sent because the algorithm says so! Ambulance crews being requested by GP's to go and take a look on their behalf as they aren't doing f2f!!! The system is collapsing!

GPs drive me nuts - DD2 is under a dietitian (autism, OCD and a chronic condition that causes stomach pain). Dietitian put her on protein shakes as she was losing weight, advised GP for repeat. She submitted repeat prescription and it was declined, we got a phone appointment to discuss. GP said it was ridiculous that dietitians do this and that she should just eat properly, she would issue one prescription and no more! Luckily I can afford to buy them myself (and I have found a flavour she prefers), but if I was on a low income I wouldn't have that luxury.

DD2's rheumatologist sent a detailed clinic letter to the GP advising of specialists to refer her to if she had X, Y or Z symptoms related to her condition, most of these are London. Last week she got a phone appointment as she was having issues, having outlined everything in the e-consult form, she was told by the GP

• I don't know much about that condition
• I can't refer you to a specialist in London I need to refer you to hospital.

Maybe the second one is true, though I'd have thought the consultant would've known that before writing a detailed instruction telling the GP who the specialists were. As for the first, couldn't he have looked it up?