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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Wasting GPs' time?

125 replies

buckingfrolicks · 25/05/2016 20:45

Watching Behind Closed Doors what amazes me is how people are going to their GP about things I would never think of going to the doctors with.

Athletes foot. A sore leg. A sore throat. Being scared of flying.

AIBU to think it is a waste of NHS resources to take these matters to the gps?

OP posts:
TemperanceBrennan · 26/05/2016 10:56

I don't necessarily think triage on the phone is a good idea. DS was ill a few months ago with a painful and seeping ear and doctor said to treat with the usual calpol. I wasn't happy with this and the next day he developed a rash and it didn't appear to be blanching so I took him to a&e and it turned out he had strep throat. I will not triage over the phone again for my kids if I think they need to be seen!

ClumsyFool · 26/05/2016 10:56

I get what you're saying as there are definitely some time wasters around but it's not as black and white as that.
I had a sore leg, didn't want to waste Drs time, assumed it was muscular and did all the usual self treatment, after 2 weeks it was worse so I went but felt really bad about it, as I thought I was a time waster, turned out it was a Dvt, even though I hadn't any of the usual pre dvt triggers.

Yes this isn't likely the everyday cause but like someone else said, it's about knowing your own body and something didn't seem right so I went and am glad I did. It was because of the whole wasting GP time thing that I left it for so long and almost didn't go.

missybct · 26/05/2016 11:11

I don't know how some people have time to go to the GP - I practically have to take a morning off to get an appointment, then get into work etc.

I used to go regularly when I had pretty severe MH issues, but since then (2013) I think I've been to my surgery 3 times that haven't been pregnancy related. One of those was for an entirely pointless medication review that I begged to have done on the phone as I ended up having two hours out of work for a 2 min appointment.

Sallystyle · 26/05/2016 11:11

I am working in A&E this afternoon. I always look forward to seeing the regular patients Grin We do get a lot of people come in for the most silliest reasons but a lot of the time they are suffering with health anxiety and their issue is a mental health one. I have HA myself but have never been to A&E with it but I understand those patients and have sympathy for them.

I have a GP appointment next week as I was suffering with night sweats, not very severe but enough to wake me up (Im nearly 35). I left it for a few weeks but then read a thread on here about people who had night sweats, didn't see their GP for weeks and it turned out they had cancer. I bought a third duvet two days ago and haven't had one since so it's obvious nothing sinister is going on and I will cancel the appointment, but I did find it hard to work out if I should go or not in the first place. You don't want to waste time but at the same time you don't want to leave something which could be a sign of something bigger.

There has been so many threads here where people are scared to see a GP due to worrying about being a time waster. I am glad people are more aware of how precious those appointments are but at the same time, it is scary to think of people who really need to go putting it off out of fear of being seen as a time waster.

honkinghaddock · 26/05/2016 11:58

My surgery does not offer many phone appointments and the ones they do can be at any time of the day ( they ring you at a random time rather than a set time) so no good if you can't have phone calls at work.

Twinkie1 · 26/05/2016 12:11

Completely agree with you OP. There was one on yesterday whilst I was ironing. Old man kept collapsing with pain due to angina. Didn't take his angina spray though. Had an aversion to taking any kind of medication. He was then referred for all kinds of different tests. I wanted to shout at the TV just take the fucking medicine.

Cheby · 26/05/2016 12:29

My friend works in paediatrics and covers in ED. She says it is surprising how many parents bring young children in with a slight fever. When asked how much Calpol or nurofen has been given, the parents say they didn't give the child either because they didn't know what was causing the fever

Current advice (from NICE) is NOT to give calpol or ibuprofen just to relieve fever. You should only give pain relief if the child is in pain or distress.

bluetongue · 26/05/2016 12:42

GPs must hate some work place policies. My work makes us get a sick certificate for any sick days before or after leave. Of course the only time I seem to get sick is either on holiday or just after a holiday so my most recent GP visit was for a sick certificate for one day for a heavy cold.

listsandbudgets · 26/05/2016 13:10

Its difficult though.

To my shame I once went to A&E with constipation - though I didn't realise that was what I actually had. DP took me after I collapsed on the floor sobbing because I had such bad stomach pains. Initially they thought I may have peritonitis. You can not imagine how mortified I was when it turned out to be a very severe case of constipation - I'd not thought of it being that as I'd actually been having diarrhoea and the blockage was further up IYSWM

gonetoseeamanaboutadog · 26/05/2016 13:17

I don't think there's anything particularly virtuous about suffering on your own and assuming something is a minor ailment when, in fact, it may not be. We pay taxes so we can have medical care. Depending on the length of time it has been a problem, a phobia, a fungal infection or a sore throat are all perfectly reasonable things to seek medical help over.

gonetoseeamanaboutadog · 26/05/2016 13:17

Constipation can be a major problem!!

quasibex · 26/05/2016 13:17

I'm so paranoid that I'm wasting my GPs time that I've been told off more than once for delaying going to see him. The last time I was blue lighted to hospital straight from his office. Ours is an old fashion sit and wait type practice so you do tend to find less time wasters, purely because they are loath to wait at least an hour to see anyone (doors open an hour before doctor sees anyone to stop people waiting outside).

Lifeisontheup2 · 26/05/2016 13:33

I do find that people use 999 without thinking, I frequently have shifts where nobody needs an ambulance, or even any treatment but each call out takes a minimum of half an hour plus to do a full assessment and paperwork.

I think people think it's better/cheaper to be assessed at home not realising that it still costs the NHS money and you don't get seen quicker because you come in by ambulance (if you even need to go in).

Recent examples include, short period of D&V in a healthy young adult, cut fingers, mild pain (no pain killers tried) amongst other things.

Lockheart · 26/05/2016 13:33

There are no medals for suffering needlessly, and something that seems trivial can have severe underlying causes. For instance, not three weeks ago my neighbours son went to the doctor because he was seeing those little floaters and spots you get in one eye all the time. Not in any pain or distress otherwise - waste of the doctors time right?

Turns out he had a brain tumour that was pressing on his optic nerve. It took a 12 hour op to remove. He has been left permanently deaf in one ear due to the op, will be in hospital for another month yet, and will need regular scans and checks fie many years.

If he'd ignored the little floaters he could have gone blind or suffered brain damage, or both.

You don't win any prizes by sitting at home stuffing yourself with paracetamol. If something is worrying you please go to the doctors. A few years ago I was in the doctors regularly for a "sore throat" (tonsillitis) and it took years for them to finally agree to remove my tonsils. Since I've had them removed (in 2013) I have been to the doctor only once.

Natsku · 26/05/2016 13:36

I go to the doctor for sore throats because its nearly always bacterial tonsillitis for me. But I hardly ever book to see the GP, I just go to the emergency doctor, they triage over the phone.

We have to pay for appointments though, and even more for missed appointments, so doubt there's too many time wasters.

Gottagetmoving · 26/05/2016 13:43

My friend works in a GP surgery. She says they have too many parents bringing children in who have colds. The kids are running around the waiting room,..obviously not too poorly but they have a cold so their parents think the doctor should give them something for it.
I wouldn't go to the doctor for a cold. If it was athletes foot I would self medicate and only visit the GP if it did not clear up after a month.
Sore leg wit no obvious cause? Yes, I would get it checked out.

Adelecarberry87 · 26/05/2016 13:44

Some judgemental posts here a friend went with constipation? They could of had real problem for them. I had terrible constipation and then diahoera. It was stopping me from going to work and I was in agony. I eventfully went to my gp who is fab who gave me painkillers and sent a stool sample in turns out it was c diff from when I went on my honeymoon and if left untreated could turn quite nasty. I was started on a high dose of antibiotics. Yes people do take the piss some are genuine and need further treatment and then there's people who need treatment but don't go.

SouthDownsSunshine · 26/05/2016 13:58

This obsession with not going to the gp winds me up!

Took dd to gp as a baby for constipation. Immediately sent to paeds at hospital for treatment. We've taken her to ooh, who then sent her to a&e for an ear infection. It wasn't just a normal ear infection, she was seriously ill. Sometimes we take her to the gp unnecessarily - yesterday on day 7 of illness because she was still screaming inconsolably. Nothing obvious wrong with her so it was probably viral, but it could have been another nasty ear infection which I'd want to catch early.

I've been sent straight to a&e for eye problems. I was rushed to front of queue despite others in pain/scratched eyes (Moorfields) - with the reason given the painless sight problems are the worrying ones. A week later I was back when I lost part of my vision. It could be called 'minor' - but it wasn't!

I've also taken a lot of my gp's time up with pnd, when he was amazing and saw me regularly until it settled down. Whilst waiting the 3 months for cbt...

Notso · 26/05/2016 14:13

TemperanceBrennan please don't take this as a negative comment but I am confused by your post. DD has had strep throat twice this year, I was advised to give her painkillers, plenty of fluids and get her a throat spray. She was pretty poorly both times but not much the Dr could do.

TheMaddHugger · 26/05/2016 14:40

I haven't seen the show.

Just want to say that a 'Sore Leg' can be serious. Thrombosis kills

notamummy10 · 26/05/2016 15:11

TheMadd exactly, I went to the hospital's A&E at the age of 14 (I may have walked to the local hospital by myself which didn't help..) with a sore leg, it was swollen, hot and red. They queried DVT, did the tests and saw the blood levels (whatever it is that detects DVT) weren't right and got worried that it was DVT but after the scan, they thought it was a muscle problem (it wasn't, it was my arthritis, I ended up having steroid injections).

The only appointment that i thought was a bit pointless was the one I mentioned... Although thinking about it, was it pointless? When you ring up for an appointment, whether it's through the triage, doctors or receptionists they'll work out whether it is something that needs an appointment or just advice over the phone.

I'm wondering whether it's worth going to the doctors about my digestion problems but I don't want to waste their time by them telling me what I already know... That I do suffer from lactose intolerance. All I really want to know is if I can buy something over the counter that relieves the symptoms.

gonetoseeamanaboutadog · 26/05/2016 15:49

Doctors encourage you to see them for chronic constipation because it could be cancer.

TroysMammy · 26/05/2016 15:57

Myusername we do this in the practice where I work but I've given up adding up the time wasted and only calculate the amount of dna's. However the only people who read the notice and care about the wasted appointments are the ones who turn up.

GraysAnalogy · 26/05/2016 16:21

Loads of people with constipation end up in hospital, especially elderly people. Its a bigger problem than people realise.

Obviously if you're young and it's only been a day or so you should first take something over the counter and not take yourself off to the GP.

I think there's a big issue with self care and utilising pharmacy services. Perhaps more education is needed.

my2bundles · 26/05/2016 16:39

How do you book a double appointment? At my surgery you are lucky to get a single appointment and certainly have no say over what time of day it is. If someone's allowed time overruns there must be a very good reason for it.