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Original poster

What is it like to be a GP at the moment?

9 replies

tvod2244 · 23/09/2022 21:06

Just that really!
I saw my own GP earlier this week who was as amazing as ever; thoughtful, kind and compassionate. However, I hear about all the pressure GP's are under, and how such pressure is increasing as the weeks go on. You would never know my GP was stressed with how great they have been (in my experience), but I am not naive enough to think that they aren't feeling it.
I just wondered what it's like to be a GP at the moment? Is it tricky to put on a brave face? Do some patients make your job/life "easier" than others?
Massive respect to all the GP's out there who probably feel as though they're being constantly bashed by certain media outlets... I think ALL staff in Dr's surgeries do an amazing job x

OP posts:
AFIK · 23/09/2022 21:18

It’s shit.
but thank you

BusyBeaMe · 23/09/2022 21:20

@AFIK just asked my GP DH and his response was pretty identical!

AnneLovesGilbert · 23/09/2022 21:25

Mine seems to have time on her hands as I had a text telling me to attend a “routine face to face” appointment with her next week. I don’t need it, I can’t attend it, I spent 25 minutes getting through to reception who didn’t know what it was about and wouldn’t let me cancel it but has agreed to request it’s over the phone rather than face to face.

Tbh I’m baffled as it’s been a struggle getting my 3 year old seen when she really needed to be and I’ve said on here before about this same GP agreeing to examine my urine sample and get the receptionist to fire personal questions at me in the waiting room when I had a UTI as she wouldn’t let anyone into her room.

Now all of a sudden I’m invited in even when I’ve politely tried to decline. I know they’re busy but this suggests there’s some unallocated time!

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General health
hashbrownsandwich · 23/09/2022 21:27

Not a GP But work in surgery as a HcP.
The abuse is rife and people are coming to us over things they could easily see a pharmacist for or just ride out.

MissTrip82 · 23/09/2022 21:36

I'm in a hospital based specialty with a high mortality and quite significant stress and was in tears reading the statement from Dr Gail Milligan's husband recently. It's worth a read if you google it.

Kezzie200 · 24/09/2022 08:19

My surgery seem to be running a sort of triage system. I rang and a doctor called me that day. He decided to use a face to face rather than photos sent in. He booked me in on 10th October.

He said since the end of covid its gone crazy so appointments aren't quick.

DuaneBenzie · 24/09/2022 08:47

It’s utterly shit, but thank you for asking…

We’re dealing with more patients than before the pandemic, by which I mean on average people are consulting more frequently than they did before. There are fewer doctors & nurses to deal with this increase in workload.

We’re expected to deal with far more
complex issues as a matter of course: conditions that just a few years ago would invoke multiple appointments with a specialist are now routinely dealt with by GPs.

Everyone seems to think every problem they encounter is a GP’s job. ‘Just get your doctor to (write a letter/prescribe this unlicensed medication/tell your boss they’re unreasonable etc)…’

We all know hospital waiting lists are dreadful but the number of consultations relating to this (‘I’ve not heard from the hospital…when will I be seen…can you bring my appt forward…’ etc) just adds to the pressure on GP appointments. (For info, these are issues between a patient and the hospital, please don’t go to your GP about this)

There’s so much anger these days. It feels like some people come in expecting (wanting?) a fight and are just looking for a reason to let that anger out.

And then the fucking Tories, who’ve been underfunding the NHS for years now, decide they’re ‘on the side of patients’ (or whatever it was Coffey said) and insist patients must be given an appointment within 2 weeks, again stoking the fire of unreasonable expectations and further destroying the dr-patient relationship.

I don’t know any doctor or nurse who went into their profession wanting to be shit, or to offer a poor service. This happens because people are ground down by years of poorly resourced services, of the goalposts constantly being changed and of the drip drip drip of negative media stories about how crap we all are.

Sorry. There are a million more things I could say but this has already turned into a giant rant and it’s not even 9am.

Please don’t blame us. We’ll look back in 5 years and realise what we had actually wasn’t too bad compared to where we’re heading…

Original poster
tvod2244 · 25/09/2022 08:49

DuaneBenzie · 24/09/2022 08:47

It’s utterly shit, but thank you for asking…

We’re dealing with more patients than before the pandemic, by which I mean on average people are consulting more frequently than they did before. There are fewer doctors & nurses to deal with this increase in workload.

We’re expected to deal with far more
complex issues as a matter of course: conditions that just a few years ago would invoke multiple appointments with a specialist are now routinely dealt with by GPs.

Everyone seems to think every problem they encounter is a GP’s job. ‘Just get your doctor to (write a letter/prescribe this unlicensed medication/tell your boss they’re unreasonable etc)…’

We all know hospital waiting lists are dreadful but the number of consultations relating to this (‘I’ve not heard from the hospital…when will I be seen…can you bring my appt forward…’ etc) just adds to the pressure on GP appointments. (For info, these are issues between a patient and the hospital, please don’t go to your GP about this)

There’s so much anger these days. It feels like some people come in expecting (wanting?) a fight and are just looking for a reason to let that anger out.

And then the fucking Tories, who’ve been underfunding the NHS for years now, decide they’re ‘on the side of patients’ (or whatever it was Coffey said) and insist patients must be given an appointment within 2 weeks, again stoking the fire of unreasonable expectations and further destroying the dr-patient relationship.

I don’t know any doctor or nurse who went into their profession wanting to be shit, or to offer a poor service. This happens because people are ground down by years of poorly resourced services, of the goalposts constantly being changed and of the drip drip drip of negative media stories about how crap we all are.

Sorry. There are a million more things I could say but this has already turned into a giant rant and it’s not even 9am.

Please don’t blame us. We’ll look back in 5 years and realise what we had actually wasn’t too bad compared to where we’re heading…

Thank you for taking the time to write such an insightful post. I am really sorry that more and more is being asked of you GP's, when you have less and less to utilise as the weeks/months/years go by. It must truly feel like an impossible task at times.
I personally think you all do a wonderful job and I have nothing but time and respect for all that you do. X

OP posts:
Theonethatflewaway · 15/08/2025 23:46

Waiting for visa to work abroad. The only thing that gives me HOPE! Smile and carry on like nothing happened.

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