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Original poster

What are GPs actually doing right how?

599 replies

Darkchocolateandcoffee · 08/10/2021 06:50

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?

OP posts:
LadyWithLapdog · 14/10/2021 20:21

Telephone appointments ARE proper appointments. If you need f2f you’re called in for that. Stop talking this rubbish, Gwenhyefar. Anyway, you’re on the Continent, why are you so invested in this, you obviously are ill informed.

LadyWithLapdog · 14/10/2021 20:22

It’s not an inferior level, Javid.

DamnUserName21 · 14/10/2021 20:24

But that's not what's happening is it? They're offering phone appointments instead of real appointments for all sorts of things. As I said, you can't diagnose someone properly over the phone.

Eh, yeah, it is but sounds like there is a huge disparity by area. I work for a very large GP practice--people are being seen f2f and via telephone-it varies and depends on the issue.
I also attend a very large practice and they have same mix---f2f and telephone consults.

That's pretty irrelevant because it's not something you get to choose because you're busy. It's not like it's a nice service they provide, it's an inferior level of care

On the contrary, a lot of patients won't want to return to f2f unless it's needed for diagnosis because they don't want to trounce up to the GP practice and it fits in well with their schedule. Whereas some prefer f2f (usually the elderly).

Just because YOU think it's inferior care, doesn't mean it is!

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

General health
Gwenhwyfar · 14/10/2021 20:50

"Just because YOU think it's inferior care, doesn't mean it is!"

To diagnose somebody you need to see them, touch them and in some cases smell them so yes, if you don't get to do this, it's not proper care.

Gwenhwyfar · 14/10/2021 20:51

" Anyway, you’re on the Continent, why are you so invested in this"

I may come back and I'm entitled to an opinion either way.

DamnUserName21 · 14/10/2021 20:54

@Gwenhwyfar

"Just because YOU think it's inferior care, doesn't mean it is!"

To diagnose somebody you need to see them, touch them and in some cases smell them so yes, if you don't get to do this, it's not proper care.

You're assuming all GP appointments are for diagnosing an ailment or condition--they aren't!
honeylemonteaforme · 14/10/2021 20:57

Would prefer a timely phone appt to waiting ages for f2f. But I would like to be able to book a routine call for a non urgent thing rather than a phone up on the day system.

GPs are amazing people it annoys me they get such a load of hassle

MrsSkylerWhite · 14/10/2021 20:58

Gwenhwyfar

“I may come back and I'm entitled to an opinion either way.“

You are. But your opinion is misguided. My care these past two weeks has been more efficient than it was pre-Covid.

SunShinesBrightly · 14/10/2021 20:59

I’m afraid to say that the out of hours clinic has now become our ‘GP’.
DD has had several infections and cannot ‘wait in for a phone call’ between 8.00 and 1pm ‘the next day or in two days time’ as she is at work and university.
We have used the out of hours service twice now. It opens its doors at 6pm and have been first in the queue by turning up at 5.30pm.
By 6pm the queue was around 15-20 people deep on both occasions.

Fizbosshoes · 14/10/2021 20:59

I can only speak from my own experience but I've found it a lot easier to get an apt with my GP since they started phone consultations. Between myself and my DD weve probably had 7 or 8 appointments in the last 18 months which is way more than we generally do. Every time we've had a same day appointment and the drs have followed up with blood tests and (in DDs case) an ultra sound.
Prior to covid it was virtually impossible to get through on the phone, and I put off a lot of issues because I couldn't bear the rigmarole of trying to get an appointment. And once youd finally got to speak to someone all the apts had gone , you can't make any in advance and you would have to repeat the process the next day.

SunShinesBrightly · 14/10/2021 21:01

Just to add, it’s not really become our GP but for infections and urgent prescriptions it seems like the only option right now.

LadyWithLapdog · 14/10/2021 21:28

Gwenhyfar of course you’re entitled to your opinion. I’m just saying it’s not well informed. PS the right wing rags are not a good source. They just like to rile people and shitstir to sell their rags. Today it’s the GPs, tomorrow it’ll be the teachers, then the foreigners, then the single mums, then here we go round again. Never the right wing government, that’s a given. Did you know the Tories have been in charge for TEN YEARS? You’d be hard pressed to know it if your only sources are the right wing rags or even the BBC. What do you read on the Continent?

AppleCrumbleForBreakfast · 14/10/2021 21:53

Controversial but basically, the NHS is shit. They lost my MIL for over a week when she went in without COVID, but for cancer issues. Literally couldn't find where they'd put her!!! She was eventually found in a diabetic near coma, and had caught COVID. Went on to die from COVID in a shit nursing home.
Even before COVID every contact I've ever had with the NHS was shit, from telling me to 'just relax' when we struggled for years with fertility to ignoring my baby daughter who screamed solidly for 9 months due to extreme reflux and kept losing weight until they finally noticed she was failing to thrive, and I had PND. All shit.

DamnUserName21 · 14/10/2021 22:54

@AppleCrumbleForBreakfast

Controversial but basically, the NHS is shit. They lost my MIL for over a week when she went in without COVID, but for cancer issues. Literally couldn't find where they'd put her!!! She was eventually found in a diabetic near coma, and had caught COVID. Went on to die from COVID in a shit nursing home. Even before COVID every contact I've ever had with the NHS was shit, from telling me to 'just relax' when we struggled for years with fertility to ignoring my baby daughter who screamed solidly for 9 months due to extreme reflux and kept losing weight until they finally noticed she was failing to thrive, and I had PND. All shit.
This is a thread about GP bashing thread specifically. Sounds like your issue is with hospital discharge. You could try starting your own thread re NHS generally.
Nat6999 · 15/10/2021 00:50

It's not only GP surgeries, it is dentists as well, my dentist retired & sold the practice which at the time had 4 permanent full time dentists. Now the practice has a permanent dentist 3 days a week & a locum for 2 days, they haven't sent out for check ups for nearly 3 years, I'm in desperate need of dental treatment because I have a chronic health condition which affects my dental health, I had to have a tooth out last week & have been told to ring back after Christmas, some of my teeth won't last that long, it is the only NHS dental surgery in the area & they know patients won't leave because there is nowhere to go.

Dreamstate · 15/10/2021 01:24

@Nat6999

It's not only GP surgeries, it is dentists as well, my dentist retired & sold the practice which at the time had 4 permanent full time dentists. Now the practice has a permanent dentist 3 days a week & a locum for 2 days, they haven't sent out for check ups for nearly 3 years, I'm in desperate need of dental treatment because I have a chronic health condition which affects my dental health, I had to have a tooth out last week & have been told to ring back after Christmas, some of my teeth won't last that long, it is the only NHS dental surgery in the area & they know patients won't leave because there is nowhere to go.
Well unfortunately the NHS doesn't pay dentists enough to stay afloat. You do realise they get a set amount per patient regardless of how much work is required. For example if you needed 6 fillings previously they would get paid per filling you needed e.g. £40 per filling for argument sake. Now they only get £40 for all 6 fillings. How do they stay afloat they are basically a self employed business. It doesn't pay to take on NHS patients for dentists which is why u see so many of them not doing it. You can hardly blame them for that.
Whiskyinajar · 15/10/2021 05:15

Many GPs are over the age of 50. The younger doctors are voting with their feet and choosing other specialties. This is something we should all be concerned about.

Telephone appointments are fine as long as a clear history is taken so that the GP can call you in if needed.

My autistic son with MH issues was referred directly to a MH worker bypassing the GP completely. Much much better than me talking with the GP and then him/her having to do a separate referral.

Zilla1 · 15/10/2021 13:53

Have any of the other GPs started getting several online anonymous online complaints that still need a reply to the email address, with odd phrasing that make no sense in relation to the actual patient services your practice offers?

Intercity225 · 15/10/2021 14:16

My autistic son with MH issues was referred directly to a MH worker bypassing the GP completely. Much much better than me talking with the GP and then him/her having to do a separate referral.

I could not look after DD with a life threatening condition, complex learning disabilities, and challenging behaviour, who cannot engage in self directed activities (she needs someone to direct her in what she is doing); widely accepted to need 1:1 care all her waking hours; and hang onto the phone for 55 minutes in a queue for an appointment for her, while listening 14 times to

'If you Covid....."
"You can access our website to....."
"You are 14th in the queue...."

I emailed the practice manager to ask what reasonable adjustments, they made for carers like me, looking either after people with learning disabilities or dementia? I got no answer.

I would like to know how many GPs think they could look after say a person, with advanced dementia, while hanging onto the phone for 35 - 55 minutes, listening to inane messages; when the relative may fall and injure themselves or do something dangerous, when they take their attention off them for 30 seconds?

Intercity225 · 15/10/2021 14:17

"If you have Covid...."

ARudeTerriblePerson · 15/10/2021 22:58

@Intercity225 the worst thing is that after hanging on for 45 minutes, the phone then goes dead.

There should be reasonable adjustments for people who need them.

maddy68 · 15/10/2021 23:00

They have been working exactly the same they are doing online or phone consults as well as face to face where Necessary
Can we stop bashing everyone now ...

ARudeTerriblePerson · 15/10/2021 23:04

I'm just thinking about the Autism Act, and wondering whether NHS staff are required to make reasonable adjustments for autistic patients. You'd think it would be a no-brainer.

ARudeTerriblePerson · 15/10/2021 23:09

I found this: sheffieldautisticsociety.org.uk/information/reasonable-adjustments/

So I guess a GP practice could be sued if they fail to do so?