Have you given up on NHS GP and switched to private?

[LaSourciereEfrontee]

We used to have an amazing GP surgery. We knew the two GP’s running our village practice, could easily get in touch for information or an appointment, just before she retired one amazing GP spotted early sepsis in my baby son, and maybe saved his life.

Fast forward five years. All the staff have changed. It’s mostly staffed by locums and it is impossible to make contact. All appointments now are via limited daily online triage slots, which means waiting about all day for a call back (tricky when you are meeting your own clients all day.) And more often than not, after a brief phone call, but sometimes not even that it’s either a prescription left at the front desk, or an initial nurse appointment (the nurses are great, but not if you want to see your doctor.) All the other services, like routine screenings are still good, it’s just GP access that is impossible.

A private GP practice has just opened up about twenty minutes away and the difference in service is like night and day. We can make an online appointment for a face to face visit on the same day, and it’s so calm and friendly. The GP’s are great (one worked at our old practice) and have time to really listen.

Luckily, we are in pretty good health so only need a few visits a year. Despite the cost (and I do know how lucky we are to afford it), we’ve decided to move across to the private practice and it feels like a such a relief knowing that there is one time and and admin can rule out of my life. And we probably won’t be any worse off as I can choose appointment times and not have to cancel my own (freelance) work.

Anyone else made the switch? What have been your experiences?

In my area if your nominated pharmacy doesn't have your items they can check with other local pharmacies and transfer your prescription to them electronically as it is held in the local CCG group system.Very quick and easy. Is this not available in your area?

Our GP is fine for getting hold of and getting an appointment. However last week I went in and told them I had swallowed a fish bone and my throat was in a lot of pain. They decided for 3 days to treat it as a viral infection. Only after I rocked up for the third day in a row crying in pain did they call ENT who told me to come straight in. They found the bone and the relief was immediate. I can’t understand the GPs thinking at all as I presented having swallowed a fish bone!

Private all the way for me.. I justify it by being able to afford it, and to free up the NHS surgery a little bit anyway.

The problem with private arises when those who cannot afford it feel it is their only option now and that is not right either.

@Cheesecakecookie i'm even more shocked. I'm in much the same position as you - alone and little support. So yes, I go to the GP for the exact reason you want to go - empathy. And the GP is lovely. Just by having a regular chat she is helping me to cope and stay sane. I'm really grateful to her.

You can't if you're 65 or over. You have to see a doctor to get a prescription.

Despite the fact that UTIs are more common in the over 65s.

I don’t have a GP.

I spent a number of months in an NHS hospital requiring multiple spinal and neuro ops, from the moment I was admitted via A&E my notes been completed without a named GP. The NHS will always ask the question but I will not lie, I am not registered with any GP and have not been for many years.

I have also seem private GP's and consultants, advising them of the same information.

It is not a legal or mandatory requirement within the UK to be registered with a NHS GP.

Our visit with DS to the private GP today was like night and day compared with our local practice.

Because he was seen quickly and face to face, she was able to identify that he had different infections in each ear (one skin, one deep in the ear.) and could prescribe exactly the right treatments for both infections.

If we’d even got through to our NHS GP we’d probably not even have been seen face to face, and I’m not sure the practice nurse would have spotted what was going on. So we’d still be waiting for the right treatment.

Well worth the cost of the appointment for us.

I use a private GP, it’s £50 and I get an appointment within the hour. Deffo worth it. Last time I phoned to get a nhs appt I was left on hold for an hour, I tried 4 days in a row and gave up. Smh.

But are more likely to have other issues too which would need to be considered.

I understand that. Also the symptoms might be of something else, not a UTI.

But the problem is getting an appointment with a GP. It's not as though over 64s get priority because they can't turn to a pharmacy.

I had a routine mammogram at 50, I. Now 54 and haven't been recalled. The fibroids are the biggest concern, they are so big I can't get a tampon in and haven't had sex for three years. GP said to use lube and didn't even examine me.

I have both. I use the NHS GP for standard things where I can book an appointment in advance eg contraception / repeat prescriptions etc and I try to use them for general ailments for the kids such as ear infections where I know it’s a case of needing some amoxicillin as it kills me to pay for an appt when I know what I need
i use my private one for all referrals and for things I need to spend time on e.g mental health or things im worried about

@CMOTDibbler you get at home cover? Is it a local thing? My elderly mother might benefit from that. She hasn’t been seen in person by her GP for anything in the last year.

if she was seen in person we’d have to factor in taxi costs which makes me wonder if something like what you have might be useful for her.

@EmeraldRoulette the private GP practice we are with only do home/work appointments, but it may be because they cover a large out of towns area, I guess in large cities it's in their offices. But it's great and I feel like they know you better for it too

@CMOTDibbler thank you

did you start by googling? I just thought they’d charge per appointment so the set up you have sounds good.

Yes, I just googled 'private gp our area'

I googled private GP there's some many miles from us. So I googled concierge doctor. That pulled up some local ones but you have to go through the NHS surgeries and I'm not sure how accurate it is. I recognised the name of a GP I remember 20 years ago who retired then he'll be in his late 70s now.

And there's the rub. Your NHS GP gets funded about £120 per year for you. If we had £90 per appt, we could do that too!

Hi, sorry I didn’t see you’d referred to my post.

Thanks for that reply, my nominated pharmacist didn’t say they could do that, just that I would need to get the prescription transferred to another surgery which involved me doing all the running around. As I said in my later post I actually discovered I could buy the strength of hydrocortisone over the counter anyway but I’m sure it took 4 or 5 pharmacies to tell me. maybe they’re just too busy / understaffed to give time to a customer.

Then I respectfully suggest that surgeries are allowed to offer a two tier service. Our GP practice, doctors do two or three days a week max. They could utilise the building better by doing extra appointments for private patients.

That is expressly forbidden in the GP contract - we are not allowed to offer private services to our registered patients.

Plus don't forget that most GP days are 12 hours. Therefore 3 days/week, usually plus some admin from home = 40 hours = full time.

Why not.

Back in 1972 I had a boyfriend whose mother was a GP, she had private patients.

Fast forward to 1980 married with a new baby, the senior partner saw private patients in the practice.

Mumsnet folk have seen a private GP who turned out to be their GP albeit at different premises.

We all know consultants who work both sides of the road openly, why not GPs?

A GP practice providing private services to its registered patients is forbidden

A GP working in an NHS practice and a different private one isn't