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Original poster

Has the service from your GPs taken a massive nose-dive in the last year or so?

48 replies

Liz1tummypain · 23/02/2022 09:18

I've currently been " caller number one in the queue" for half an hour. Caller number zero must be a right nuisance. I'm just here to rant I guess. What are your GPs like where you live? I know when I see someone it's fine. It's just the difficulty in getting an appointment to see someone. I'd like to change surgeries ( as we moved about 10 miles away last year), but I expect they're all pretty much the same.

OP posts:
Candleabra · 23/02/2022 09:21

Yes my GP is awful now. It’s impossible to get an appointment. They have a massive staff shortage. They also recently discovered a fault with the phone system where the phone was ringing (to the patient) but not connected. Unbelievable. I have routine appointments I need to make but cannot book anything. They send regular text messages saying we need to practice self care, seek pharmacy advice or go to a&e.

GoldiePrawn · 23/02/2022 09:24

Yeah, I’ve been on the phone for up to an hour and a half on hold to book my baby’s vaccinations, got an appointment and it was cancelled on the day, half hour before. Couldn’t rebook on the phone had to wait until the following day 8am to wait in the queue again. Completely nonsensical, still haven’t got an appointment as I’ve not had time to be on hold.

I need to see a doctor for myself but phone appointment only, and none of those available for three weeks.

Davros · 23/02/2022 09:26

Ours has been pretty good, that's for me and DH with various issues. Ditto the local hospital. Apart from my long term autoimmune disease, I've seen:

  • cardio for echo
  • colposcopy for soreness
  • physio for wrist and knee
  • quick and good attention for broken wrist
  • I'm waiting to go in for mammogram right now
  • breast clinic following above
I'm sure there's more

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General health
MrsSkylerWhite · 23/02/2022 09:28

Ours has been good: when we’ve needed attention/referrals, we’ve had it/them.

CormoranStrike · 23/02/2022 09:28

No, mine is superb, regularly get face to face appointments same day or next day. No complaints from me at all.

BestKnitterInScotland · 23/02/2022 09:28

Appalling.

They are sill around 1965 in terms of technology. No email, no video consulting. Only way of getting in touch is phoning and waiting in a queue. Still lots of messaging about Covid when you phone, doors locked.

Needadviceagain · 23/02/2022 09:29

My GP practice has actually improved during the pandemic. They respond to online consultations on the same day and will just do simple things like sick notes or whatever and send a text to say its done or they'll call same day. If you need an in person appointment, they will make that appointment whilst on that initial phone call. If you call them as it's clear an appointment is needed, the phone lines are picked up quite quickly and they can usually see you same day or at least next day. It all seems to have become more efficient! The pandemic has actually been the time that we've made progress in figuring out a couple of health issues I have that have been brushed off and appointments rushed through for a good few years.

I daresay my experience won't be common though!

Abra1d1 · 23/02/2022 09:30

Our GP practice has been pretty good during lockdown. The only people I hear complaints from are from people who refuse to use e-consults or emails to make contact.

Two of them are 70, and fit and active people, but say they're too old to use the online system to request a callback from a GP, which will lead to an in-person appointment, if necessary. I refrain from saying that my 84-year-old mother seems to manage the e-consult system pretty well.

ChardonnaysPetDragon · 23/02/2022 09:31

No.

It's always been bad.

TheDoveFromAboveCooCoo · 23/02/2022 09:31

No. Mine have been great apart from a few arguments discussions about pain relief for a chronic condition I have.

I can request my repeat scripts online and have them delivered to the door within a few hours. Can generally get a phone appointment within a day and then a face to face if needed usually the same day or following day.

Great helpful reception staff too (not like the traditional gatekeeper nightmare).

Reading through this thread I think I have fallen pretty lucky!!

chinateapot · 23/02/2022 09:33

My GP is superb and I am incredibly grateful.

WhatHaveIFound · 23/02/2022 09:35

Ours is hit and miss. Took several months to refer DS to the Long Covid clinic but same day appointment for a MH issue for DD.

I can join the telephone queue at #16 and it'll take 30+ minutes to get through to the receptionist.

KleineDracheKokosnuss · 23/02/2022 09:35

I much prefer the new systems. They’ve switched to lots more telephone consultations and triage of email enquiries. All my issues in the last two years were handled quickly and efficiently, without me having to wait on hold for hours or go into the surgery when it really wasn’t necessary.

womaninatightspot · 23/02/2022 09:37

No ours has always been pretty good. The only thing that has changed is the receptionist now asks details so she can redirect directly to physio/ nurse if appropriate.

Always been able to get a same day appointment for a child and within a day or two for an adult.I've lived through the call at 8 for an apointment, engaged forever finally get through to find all appointments gone. Repeat ad infinitum until better or until hospitalised. Don't miss it.

kistanbul · 23/02/2022 09:37

I love my GPs move to online consultation. It’s been so much easier to access medical care and get appropriate referrals. But I’m IT confident and find the online systems easy to navigate. Can still get face-to-face appointments if necessary.
Must be very hard for people less able to get online or to advocate for themselves to be sen face-to-face.

Fretfulmum · 23/02/2022 09:37

Very good GP service here. Always cals back the same day and offered on the day face to face appointments if needed. Otherwise I can send a photo or video to them of the problem. No complaints here

Some practices are very short of staff. There are simply not enough GPs and nurses for the population. Practices are probably working harder than ever. Overall if you look at NHS figures, the number of GP consultations is the highest it’s ever been currently. They can’t work any faster or harder

moonlight1705 · 23/02/2022 09:37

I've just had this morning a bad experience with my GP. I've got an ear infection (i think) because of a cold. I've done lots of LFT tests which are negative but they won't accept those so will not give me an appointment. The PCR tests seem to be taking two days to come back around here so I am going to book one but then not be able to get an appointment until Monday with an awful painful ear.

They don't seem to give a damn about anything but covid. I asked what the policy will be once free testing is stopped and got a bland 'we don't know' answer.

Zazdar · 23/02/2022 09:38

I’m pretty happy with mine. The went the extra mile when my husband was ill with covid and I haven’t had any problems getting phone appointments. Face to face with doctors is taking longer but appointments with a nurse are reasonably quick.

girlmom21 · 23/02/2022 09:38

Ours has been pretty good. We had the queue issue for a while but that's been resolved now.

We never have a problem getting an appointment and if you're 80th in the queue you only wait about 20 minutes. I know that's not feasible for a lot of people but I've been on Mat Leave so not the end of the world for us.

Becles · 23/02/2022 09:40

No. They're actually better than before covid! Same or next day call backs and appointments. The problem is actually me because I found telephone appointments so much more convenient but They're trying to get everyone back to face to face consultations.

middleager · 23/02/2022 09:43

Huge inconsiatencies in service.

To get an appointment at mine, and this is just a phone appointment, not face to face, 50 people (receptionist told me) are flung into the phone lottery at 8am. You hold on in a queue for 45 minutes (screw work and school runs hey?) to then be told there are zero appointments, call back tomorrow! You can't book in advance.
I'm not sure some peoole understand this - that it's nigh on impossible to get an appointment.

I'm in the West Midlands, yet have relatives in Bristol and Windsor who can get appointments same day easily and whose GPs also ring back!

middleager · 23/02/2022 09:44

Oh, and my relatives do not understand there's no e-consult either!

helpfulperson · 23/02/2022 09:46

Our has always been pretty good but is now even better. If you are happy to share your issue with the receptionist many things can be dealt with by others than a GP.

megletthesecond · 23/02/2022 09:46

No.
I email them an e-consult form and she gets back to me a day or so later.

I have no need to phone my GP.

ghostmouse · 23/02/2022 09:47

Hit and miss

Cannot see a doctor at all, there’s hardly one available in my practice although they are there Everything seems to go the practice nurse who can do prescriptions and refer to hospital.
She’s lovely and I have to see her every couple of weeks due to my health problems, she’s sorted out anti depressants, pill, organised blood tests where it was found I have pernicious anaemia and low iron and I’m now under cardio for heart arrhythmias and made me have time off work.

She is new and only has been at the practice for a few months but I’ve had more sense out of her than I have had for 2 years.

We’ve never had on line consultation and we used to have the e consult but that was stopped. I know other people don’t even bother with the doctors now, they either go to out of hours or straight to a and e.

I’m lucky with my experience but the fact you can’t see a doctor is I think shocking

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