Does anyone else have a great GP?

[WaggyTailsWetNoses]

I hear so much about people struggling to get appointments or being fobbed off. It must be a terrible experience, especially if there’s no money for a private alternative. We have a brilliant GP surgery with helpful staff from all professions and I’m always impressed by their kind, responsive service.

We don’t use them much ( although much more this year than usual) but in 2022/3:

DD14 was referred for a hearing test the day I sent an econsult about it.

DS was seen on the same morning for sore ears/ sinuses, was examined by the nurse, prescribed spray and a referral letter to ENT ( he has a long history of ENT issues) was picked up the next day.

At 44 I had peri symptoms and was listened to and prescribed ( life changing HRT) with no fuss.

DS had symptoms of scarlet fever. I sent a message about it at eight, spoke to the GP and collected the antibiotics from the village pharmacy at noon.

I’ve got a herniated disc. I sent the econsult Monday morning and had a prescription for pain relief at lunchtime, and an appointment with the practice physio for Friday. Medication didn’t agree with me and doctor called me back today ( after I messaged at breakfast time) with an alternative to try tonight. She was so kind about the pain too.

I don’t think anyone could argue that this isn’t an excellent service, and with no cost at the point of delivery.

There are amazing GPs out there ( or at least one!) and I feel so lucky our family has one.

I think I’ve seen a gp at my practice twice in 5 years, a different one both times. I’m not fussy about who I see, if I’m making an appointment it’s because I’m genuinely a bit scared about my health, I really don’t care who I see.
I’ve also needed to take my dc a couple of times and they’ve always seen someone different too! It’s a big practice 😂
it’s a bit of a ballache actually trying to secure an appointment though but I feel it’s the same everywhere.
One question I’d like to know though is when calling it asks if you’d like to book a routine appointment for up to 6 weeks time - what are those appointments for?! If I call the doctor it’s because something is wrong and I feel I need pretty sharpish medical insight - what kind of things are people booking in advance for? Not a snippy dig or a question with an angle here, I’ve just never known what they’re for.

Routine check ups, so asthma reviews, if you have been put on new medication and need a review, I have to have a couple of things checked once or twice a year due to medication I'm on (although they let me do my blood pressure readings at home now so i don't go in as often)

If someone thinks their thyroid meds might need adjusting they don't need an appointment today, but they need one in the next few weeks etc

Just chronic conditions generally

Thanks for explaining @ConfusedNT i hadn’t thought of any of those things (clearly).

Yes.
I call in the morning. Generally 10 min max to get through.
Gp always calls back before 12.
Generally will see face to face if the dc.
For me its only ever a re occurring issues so prescription sent to boots.

Ive called a mon afternoon for dc after school. Reception said gp has full schedule and is day off Tuesday so will call Wed, which is fine. And the gp has in fact called at 7.30pm as didn't want to make dc wait till Wed. ( wasn't emergency otherwise a different gp would call)

Last time. Called 8am. Called back 9.45. Seen at 10.20. Prescription given taken to chemist collect and home by 11.15

Never ever had an issue.

No.

I live in a county town and my GP was six doors down from my front door.

There are now no surgeries in my county town and I have to travel 10 miles to a remote village to see a GP. But you can't get an appointment.

I could rant for quite some time but I'll park this here.

I have just discovered that there is a lovely GP at the practice I am registered with. It is the first time I have been allowed an actual face to face appointment in the 18 months since I registered there. I actually felt listened to for a change.

However I am about to change to another practice as the admin and management is dreadful. It took over 12 months from me registering for them to put my previous records on their system. They only did it when I made a formal Subject Access Request under the Data Protection Act, which I did because that would force them to upload my records onto the system.
I have multiple chronic health problems and have applied for PIP
But the DWP would not have been able to see my records if they asked; as the practice had not uploaded them. Now they are on the system but they have made several serious errors whilst summarising them; which could seriously jeopardise my entitlement to PIP.
So I have, for the last six weeks, been trying to get them to look at correcting the errors. (Which were not on my previous GP records).
The number of excuses they have made for not doing so is unbelievable.
As soon as my records are corrected I will be moving to a new practice. Sad as I have discovered a GP I like, but the dismissive rude attitude and the incompetence makes the move necessary.

My old GP was wonderful - I err, send her a Mother’s Day card as she’s been such a huge help to me - love her to bits.

Current GP is pretty terrible, referred me to CMHT a few months ago for complex trauma and normally check in every 2 months - then rang me yesterday and asked, ‘have you been under any unusual stress in the last 12 months?’ - obviously hadn’t read back or remembered me at all!

Where do you all live? I’m crying while reading this thread. I’m with the same GP group more then 20 years and even the idea of seeing the same GP (or at least 2) is completely alien to me.

I filled the form recently for gastro issues (it’s helicobacter as I suspected) I was waiting for a phone call 4 weeks, and it was just to be referred for the test.

Wales

I moved from the west mids though where my last two gp surgeries were shit (so bad my current GP went through my records and suggested that I consider making a complaint)

It's such a lottery isn't it and it really shouldn't be