What are GPs actually doing right how?

[Darkchocolateandcoffee]

I've just been talking to my 84 yr old mum who can't get a GP appt for love nor money and is worried what she does next as she has a serious condition that she needs to talk to the doc about.

I love 100 miles away from her but I haven't been able to get a doc appointment for my children for months either.

One had such severe hayfever all through the summer and the only appt I could get was with my GP surgery's pharmacist over the phone, who sounded very unengaged and said the only remedies were OTC ones despite me saying we had tried all of them.

I eventually gave up and did a one-off private GP appt and got him prescription meds which worked straightaway. But I wasted weeks beforehand in which he was suffering trying to get the same thing via our usual GP.

Everyone I talk to says the same. The rest of the NHS seems to be firing on all cylinders.

What on EARTH are the GPs doing instead?

I cannot fault my doctors surgery. I have had fsce 2 face appointments through the entire time and telephone consults to which I actually prefer but they call you in if needed anyway.. Think I must be one of the lucky ones

@Pixxie7

Most GP work for 4 days a week 3 hrs in the morning, afternoon for home visits then 2 and a half in the evening. I worked with GPS for years so know exactly what they do obviously you get exceptions but they are few and far between. Their interest is mainly focused on things that bring in money, so please don’t feel sorry for them.

You’re clearly not very observant then, because you have missed the 100 plus blood test results dealt with every day, the 100 or so prescriptions, the 50-80 lettters and other communications, the requests from district nurses, health visitors and consultants, the palliative care multidisciplinary meetings, the safeguarding meetings, the phone calls (even Pre-Covid, GPs offered quite a lot of phone consultations), the insurance reports, the housing and social services reports, the chronic disease management, the sexual health clinics, minor surgery, coils, the disease prevention, the referral letters and calls to the hospital/social services. Then there is running the practice, organising public healthcare, training GP registrars and students, improved access and extended hours.

Seeing patients face to face is about one third of the total workload, even pre-Covid.

What if they decide that you don't deserve a face to face appointment when you want one? Not right is it.

But if everyone who wants a f2f appointment demands one, that means people with a genuine clinical need to see a GP (rather than just a want) will wait even longer to see a GP.

@Pixxie7

Most GP work for 4 days a week 3 hrs in the morning, afternoon for home visits then 2 and a half in the evening. I worked with GPS for years so know exactly what they do obviously you get exceptions but they are few and far between. Their interest is mainly focused on things that bring in money, so please don’t feel sorry for them.

Erm no not today, you are very out of date and wrong. 3 hour for actual patient clinic, but then the same I the afternoon and home visits are in between. Also reading every clinic letter that comes, writing referrals, doing repeat prescriptions.

We’ll done on helping get rid of GP services spouting this crap. They start work 7/8 and finish 6/7 and lucky if they eat in their rooms.

Of course they have to prioritise work that brings in money, that’s what the government changed to the only way they could earn. They have to pay rent/wages of staff.

I’m just done reptying to people now thinking this. Go and be happy when you pay £60 an appointment to get seen or just to have a repeat prescription filled or extra tests to bring in more money from you when you pay

Can I just point out for this at the back, all my hospital consultant appointments are still telephone too! No one is shouting and getting riled up by the daily Mail for that?

@Pixxie7

Most GP work for 4 days a week 3 hrs in the morning, afternoon for home visits then 2 and a half in the evening. I worked with GPS for years so know exactly what they do obviously you get exceptions but they are few and far between. Their interest is mainly focused on things that bring in money, so please don’t feel sorry for them.

What a load of utter tosh. Do give over.

Absolutely fine here. Can get a phone consultation the same day and called in for a face to face if necessary. I think it's much better as you don't always need to see the gp face to face.

@Summerrain123 I’ve actually found that the new system means I get a quicker response and I always though having to take a morning off work for something that could be sorted over email or phone was bonkers. It works for me and frees up face to face time for those that need it.

@TaRaLa

Can I just point out for this at the back, all my hospital consultant appointments are still telephone too! No one is shouting and getting riled up by the daily Mail for that?

Mine too. For neurology.

I’ve got fed up with the long wait while i’m in pain. My insurance company won’t cover it because it’s as a result of the covid vaccine, so I’m having to pay.

Guess what? Same consultant, but face to face.

Why can they see private patients face to face but Nhs is over the phone?

Can someone explain to me how GPS are seeing so many more patients when we've had a Brexit and pandemic-induced exodus of people from the UK? Those two facts don't match up at all.

@MissMinutes24

Can someone explain to me how GPS are seeing so many more patients when we've had a Brexit and pandemic-induced exodus of people from the UK? Those two facts don't match up at all.

You’re wondering how in the middle of a pandemic people have been asking to see their doctors more often? During a pandemic that’s made loads and loads of people really unwell?

@MissMinutes24

Can someone explain to me how GPS are seeing so many more patients when we've had a Brexit and pandemic-induced exodus of people from the UK? Those two facts don't match up at all.

1) There has always been more demand for, than supply of GPs appt, even pre-Brexit/pandemic 2) GPs are playing catch up on services put on hold during the pandemic (such as disease reviews) 3) Lots of people want to see a GP (for whatever reason) because they haven't since pre-pandemic. Way more reasons, I'm sure.

@MissMinutes24

Can someone explain to me how GPS are seeing so many more patients when we've had a Brexit and pandemic-induced exodus of people from the UK? Those two facts don't match up at all.

Turns out all of the hard working, young, fit people (the fruit pickers, labourers, hospitality workers) that we "encouraged" back home didn't use up much in the way of health resources after all.

Turns out all of the hard working, young, fit people (the fruit pickers, labourers, hospitality workers) that we "encouraged" back home didn't use up much in the way of health resources after all.

I am surprised, as DDIL is Polish, and DS says they see it as quite normal to go to the doctors two or three times a week. (They appear usually to have private health cover, as well as the state provision)

@Intercity225

Turns out all of the hard working, young, fit people (the fruit pickers, labourers, hospitality workers) that we "encouraged" back home didn't use up much in the way of health resources after all.

I am surprised, as DDIL is Polish, and DS says they see it as quite normal to go to the doctors two or three times a week. (They appear usually to have private health cover, as well as the state provision)

That's definitely not the experience here. Young people consult infrequently in general and whenever we've looked at this there hasn't been a statistically significant difference in consultation rates between nationalities in this group overall*

*Caveat: NHS Ethnicity data is patchy and had only been recorded properly (in our area) over the last few years.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/oct/10/nhs-staff-face-rising-tide-of-abuse-from-patients-provoked-by-long-waits?CMP=ShareiOSAppp_Other

Young people consult infrequently in general and whenever we've looked at this there hasn't been a statistically significant difference in consultation rates between nationalities in this group overall

Doctor in the family says three nationalities present at our A & E, expecting to get anti-biotics for a cold - because in their own country, if they have a cold, they go to a shop and buy them over the counter; and that is what they expect here.

"I am surprised, as DDIL is Polish, and DS says they see it as quite normal to go to the doctors two or three times a week. (They appear usually to have private health cover, as well as the state provision)"

I live on the continent and my GP was amazed I had never consulted for some of my minor ailments. People here certainly don't go 2 to 3 times a week, but their threshold for going to the doctor is much lower and many employers also require a certificate for just one day's absence so I presume people go much more often.

"What a load of utter tosh. Do give over."

It's well known that many female GPs are part time. They may work more hours doing paperwork, but their consulting hours are often quite short. If I earned a GP's wage, I'd definitely work part time!

We work “part time” because we are in clinic often 12 hours per day. Doing that 5 days per week is incompatible with raising a family. Our part time hours are equivalent to and above the hours of a full time nurse, no one calls them lazy.

@Gwenhwyfar

"What a load of utter tosh. Do give over."

It's well known that many female GPs are part time. They may work more hours doing paperwork, but their consulting hours are often quite short. If I earned a GP's wage, I'd definitely work part time!

GPs 'part time' could well be 40 plus hours per week (as mentioned upthread) and all that entails. So really it's a full-time wage with tremendous responsibility and pressure.

What GPs earn is not commensurate with their responsibility, IMO.

I didn’t bother with the e consult form yesterday and called surgery at 8 am. I was given a phone appointment between 9.30 -12, GP called at 8.45, said he needed to examine me and I was seen at 11.30
He made a referral, a prescription and sent me for bloods which I got done today

All like clockwork so it seems to be working here

I've pulled this from another GP bashing thread as it's really good at explaining why demand has rocketed and highlights some of what GPs:

Demand is through the roof. It’s multifactoral. Reasons I can think of:

1. Pandemic - it’s still going on and some people are still sick with acute and long covid
2. Aging population- much greater fragility and multi Mobutuy
3. Health anxiety triggered by the pandemic - everything needs “to be checked out to be safe”
4. Litigation fears - 111 etc advise people to see Dr as don’t want to be sued. Your gym advises you to see a dr before you join. Your beautician advises see a dr before a treatment.
5. Other services being cut - lack of health visitors and sure start and funding in schools for behavioural issues - backstop is a GP. Worried that little jimmy is being naughty in class - see your Gp
6. Backlog from covid. Hospitals asking GPs to go through all the referrals made since covid started and re refer in priority order
7. Blood bottle shortage - loads of tests delayed. GPs asked to go through all tests they have requested and decide which can be cancelled and then inform patient and then make a catch up plan
8. GPs having to plan how to give the flu jab while also being involved in the covid booster programme
9. Social care cuts - no respite care for carers equals increasing breakdowns in care needing hospital admissions etc and loads of GP time filling in forms for social services and trying to get a care package asap so Doris who has dementia and no family dosent starve this weekend or end up admitted to hospital where she will catch covid and die

10. Increasing poverty - need a food bank referral - see your GP (no idea why) 11. Complete breakdown in CAMHS services - two year wait for anorexia treatment - plan is for GP to see three times a week and do bloods and monitoring for teens so sick they should be in hospital 12. Still not return of spirometer testing as it’s an AGP - how to montor and diagnose copd/asthma etc 13. Healthcare staff still have to isolate if a covid contact (in most places) so continual lack of staff 14. Staffing crisis due to covid, low morale, brexit and the pensions mess (doctors pay so much into their pension pot they end up paying to go to work at a certain. Point- and before all the comments about gold plates pensions the doctors pension pot is one of the very few where the amount in the pot more than covers the pay outs) 15. Squeeze on household incomes means people can’t afford what they used to - so see Gp for prescription for kids calpol etc 16. So much beautocracy- your kid needs medication in school - needs a dr letter, your kid is off school - needs a dr letter. 17. Other departments of government being closed down - dvla shut and not processing Medical’s - solution GPs can do an energy authorisation for them to still drive (and theirs a driver shortage so they must do this now).

Sorry but much of that list is just baloney and not true. Also many GPs are firing on all cylinders. Our surgery is big with a large elderly population, had no issues seeing our GP all the way through.

Much on the list was there prior to Covid and doesn’t involve actually seeing a doctor.

@Ashville5

Sorry but much of that list is just baloney and not true. Also many GPs are firing on all cylinders. Our surgery is big with a large elderly population, had no issues seeing our GP all the way through.

Much on the list was there prior to Covid and doesn’t involve actually seeing a doctor.

You're right---it's stuff GPs do in addition to telephone and f2f appointments, analysing diagnostic results, referrals, etc. But must be all lies!!! There are many reasons for the increases in demand before or after covid-clearly the pandemic has only exacerbated demand.