Writing notes to the GP.

[LovelyBath77]

I do this instead of going in for appointments, to update them or ask for things. I have a mental health and another condition meaning get anxious about going in for appointments, although would try if they needed to examine me.

AIBU do you think?

Not at all I often write letters to my gp to save wasting an appointment if I can. Usually if there is an issue they will do a quick phone consult.

I personally hate this. I see 40 patients a day. Letters are appointments through the back door without an allocated time slot as far as I am concerned. I usually get them to make an appointment as that is what is usually needed.

If it doesn't work for them, they'll tell you to stop. Carry on.

I arrange a phone call for things where a face to face appointment is not required.

YANBU.
I've been on antidepressants for 13 years. Been told by several GPs not to bother trying to come off them again.
They still make me go and see them once a year to confirm that:

1. I'm still alive
2. I'm not going to kill myself
3. No, I definitely don't want to try coming off them again.
   Bloody waste of everyone's time. They will also only give me 3 months at a time. Just so I have to request repeat prescriptions and waste the time of the pharmacist too. If I could order them online, I would, except that I object to the fact I pay taxes so don't see why I should have to pay. (Scotland). I often wish I could just send them a note once a year confirming points 1-3 but nooooo they "want to see me". How they know it's me, fuck knows! I could send a stunt double.

What I mean is that I would simply buy antidepressants online to avoid the whole hassle. Must put people off taking medication, all that faff with the GP & pharmacist, which is the last thing you want when you're feeling depressed.

I agree with Olecranon.
If using telephone consultations remember these are often allocated a much shorter appointment time i.e. 3-5 mins and that includes the dialling, you answering confirming who you are by telling us your address, dob etc and writing up.

Phone is not good either with me. Although they usually get the secretary for my GP to ring me back to advise me what to do next. For example I wrote about a test for DC and they called to say he was referred. GP has also written back to be to tell me what to do.

Chicken that sounds like me. I have a care plan in place due to my different conditions so think they are aware I need a bit of extra support. I also get 3 monthly prescriptions and order them online, that is OK and have been told need to stay on the meds long term. So that's all set up. They also did MH directives with me, so can set up your treatment needs in advance if things worse. Kind of gives you a bit of control.

Ole yes I would make an appt if they needed to examine me, as I mentioned. But most of the time is not needed.

I do think it's useful to "touch base" with people once or twice a year. That is much more effective face to face. I think telephone consultations have their place but think they should be the exception not the rule. I find my telephone consultations can be longer than face to face as you don't have the body language to go by also there is no substitute for seeing the patient.
I never cease to be amazed at peop,e on long term antidepressants who are struggling and do need to see us, so many peop,e struggle on. Trouble is we are dammed if we do try to see peop,e and dammed if we don't.

YANBU. I email my GP. He tells me to!

I'm in a similar position - I have serious mobility problems and getting to the doctors generally requires several people all trying to co-ordinate schedules around full time jobs and the limited number of doctors appointment times available which is usuallly a nightmare that takes weeks.

I'm also deaf so can't use a phone, once I went into the doctors once and added a note on my file allowing them to talk about my file with another person they were happy to do everything over the phone with someone else. Would that be an option for you?

I'm able to get my named person to schedule appointments, order and collect repeat prescriptions, get test results and sort out referrals. Several times I've also had telephone consultations (through the other person as a translator) and had things prescribed which could then be picked up that day. It's made my life a whole lot simpler.

I still have to go in for more complicated things but it's nice that they work with me to make my life a bit easier.

With me it's more the condition is stress related, (can have psychotic features) and this results in me not trusting the doctors at times. Therefore going in can just make me worse! But of course I do if needed for a blood test for example. I had a person visit at home from the Mh team for a while, twice weekly, but that stopped which i was discharged and have a phone line contact now with CPNs from 8am to 8pm which i can use but don't know them very well. i found the staff changes quite a lot so difficult to get to know and trust them.

I didn't realise you could email the GP. I can imagine that might be given out to selected patients, imagine all the emails they would get!

I saw today we can soon all access out test results online. with a password.