That GP waiting times are unacceptable?

[frustrationfrustration]

I very rarely visit the doctor, I have only needed to visit once in the past year. I have rang up for an appointment today and apparently every single pre bookable appointment to see the one female GP at the practice has already gone, she apparently only sits on a Thursday morning and a Friday afternoon. The earliest I can ring up in the morning for an on the day appointment to see her is the 16th of March. I was interrogated by the receptionist who demanded that I tell her what my concern is as apparently this dictates who she should book me in to see, she was sharp with me and asked why I couldn't just see a male gp with a chaperone provided. Has anybody else had similar experiences with GP practices recently? I can't help but feel that this is the reason that a+e's are being overused. This is a busy practice that serves a large council estate so I can't help but feel that the female GP provision is inadequate.

My GP is an all-female practice. I can get an appt (non/urgent) within a week with any of the GPs. Less if I’m
Not fussed on times.
Wouldn’t bother me seeing a man as they bring in a chaperone for intimate examinations.

Tghe problem with our surgery is that there is nothing inbetween 'urgent' and 'long wait'. I'm currently in the middle of a four week wait for an appointment. I was told I could ring and get and urgent appointment the next morning with a different doctor - which I would be happy to do if it were really urgent. But it involves changing the medication I am on as currently it is not working and I am feeling unwell, if you ask one of the other doctors to change your meds they say you have to see your own doctor.
Receptionist was very apologetic about the wait and said if it becomes urgent ring in - but it feels into the category of 'doesn;t need an appointment the same day but four weeks is too long.'

I don't know what can be done, the appointments system is now as bad as Ive ever known it. As far as female GPs are concerned - we don't have one at our practice, - only three doctors, all men. There are twod female practice nurses though.

YANBU it's a sign of things to come. We can't see a GP in our surgery for 3 weeks! I think they are counting on either you will get better in the meantime or if you get worse you will attend a&e - who are overstretched as it is!

It won't be long before we see the end of the NHS I'm afraid 😣

Wow, 16th of March is brilliant. 3 wks is the minimum wait for us.

Something like 70% of medicine u-grads are female nowadays, so should be all fixed in 12 yrs or so.

YANBU, but I've no idea what to do about it that doesn't involve hiking taxes up a lot.

@ConspicuouslyInconspicuous, £20, really?

I just googled & came up with private practice 45 minute drive away that costs £100 (may not be with a female). Teen DD thinks she has (female problem down below that would require day surgery so referral to consultant), and can't face talking to a male GP about it. The hoops we have to jump thru to see a female GP for initial examination are defeating us so far.

We pay less than the rest of the developed world on health care, have a government hellbent on breaking the NHS to privatise it, and doctors driven to leave before they burn out completely.

I think you should stop being fussy male or female they are professional and after maternity surely you seen male consultants?

Male (and female) doctors are very used to examining all parts of a body regardless of who it belongs to. It really is just part of the job for them - perhaps explaining that to your daughter will make her less embarassed.

IMO the NHS is underfunded, out dated, inefficient and completely unsustainable long term, (and not all nurses are angels). No politician dare say it though. The insurance based systems in other european countries are a far better model, most people pay a bit more but get treatment when they need it and there is a safety net for the poorest.

The bashing of receptionists is just awful. Firstly they are asked by Drs and nurses to ask questions.

Twice in the last month I've needed urgent care which ended up with hospitalization. The surgery was fully booked. If it hadn't been for that nosey receptionist asking me what was wrong and her having the good sense to interrupt a gp in clinic I would of died from sepsis.

They aren't setting out to piss you off. They are doing a job and actually trying to help you.

Oh and my ward nurse was a male and had to help me with everything because I was in so much pain and he was absolutely amazing. Made me feel relaxed and as comfortable as possible given the situation I was in. So much so I wrote to the hospital expressing my thanks to the ward and him personally for my care.
The receptionist also phoned me a week later just to see if I was ok.

It's not always a bed of roses but these professionals are paid a small amount for an immeasurable FREE service. We are very lucky to have what we do!

I managed to see a gp today, had to book online 3 weeks ago as I can only wangle a free morning every so often. We used to have a late evening once a week which was brilliant, but my local surgery had the great idea (not) of reducing their hours to 9-4, so if you work full time then you’re pretty much buggered.
I’m going to move practice to the local walk in as they have gps available at weekends and 8.30 pm. So much for extended hours. We need a wrap around service, but the nhs is just too cash strapped.

I don't think it's wrong to not want to discuss my breasts with a male gp!

Didnt get further than that.

I discussed my periods and the possibility of a transvaginal ultrasound with a male gp. He said the word vagina infront of me 😯

He is a nice kind sympathetic man and a very thorough GP. Not only that he has a wife and 6 dc aged from primary to early 20s. He's seen it all personally with his own family and professionally too.

Id rather see him than one of the female gps there who is a hardened cow with absolutely no sympathy.

Try changing gp practice?

@lljkk

"lingering gawp"

Is that what you think male physicians do? You idiot.

Unfortunately for every patient who has a good experience there is another who has a terrible experience. It may not be the NHS's fault but patients with potentially serious problems are slipping through the net.

A three week wait for a consultation for a breast lump, if that's what it is, is very poor.

I would go down there and make a fuss. I've heard that mentioning the word urgent can make a difference. And write to your MP.

Or go private. Trust me it's worth it. I waited years for a diagnosis of a (luckily not life threatening) condition by the NHS. I self-diagnosed correctly. Was constantly fobbed off by my GP. Eventually gave up and went private, had multiple investigations and scans followed by surgery all in a matter of months.

I agree with @twotabbycats, sometimes saying the word urgent can make a world of difference or saying the word lump. A few years ago I found a lump on my neck, my surgery normally has a 4 week wait (or 6 at times when it’s really bad), i rang to get appointment and mentioned the lump and was seen next day

OP if you get referred to a specialist for your issue and it's a male doctor will you demand to see a female? If not why is a gp different? (just curious)

Understand your frustration, in an ideal world you'd get a choice but your practice only has one female gp that works a day a week.

To those who say they can't get an appointment for 3+ weeks etc, does that mean you can't get a same day appointment if you ring on the day?

Until recently I lived in London, now home counties, both gp practices I've experienced release a load of appointments first thing in the morning then again in the afternoon. Yes it's annoying to keep ringing back until you get through but I think overall the system is a good one as you can always see a doctor on the same day. To me the prebookable appointment s are for people with chronic problems where they have to go back every x weeks, or baby immunisations etc. For everything else I think you just use the same day system. I really don't think it's that bad.

We moved from South Bedfordshire where the whole thing was a chuffing nightmare. Massive new builds. Our Gp merged with 2 others.
Typical scenario: i have been discharged from hospital and need stitches out in 10 days. Can i make an appt? No, call back at 8 on the day you need the stitches out. We will see if someones here.
Or Is it urgent? Not for today but need to see someone in the next few days.
Only urgent appts or nothing for 3 weeks.
Our new GP, popped in yesterday to ask for an appt for daughter. Is it urgent? Not really.
Would 5pm tonight suit you?

@givemesteel, generally I can only get a same day appointment if I say it’s urgent (which my DH says all the time to get seen but I won’t unless it really is urgent because I don’t want to take an appointment from someone else). I think when the appointment is for children or elderly they make a real effort for same day appointment but it isn’t always possible.

Did you mean to be so RUDE, @4Funnels ?

Our receptionists are brilliant
"I think I have tonsillitis and I'm immunosuppressed" gets you a nurse practitioner appointment within an hour
When I turned up and couldn't do anything but cry (I didn't know where else to go) they found me a doctor instantly
Providing you tell them what's wrong, they will get you in as soon as they can

Something like 70% of medicine u-grads are female nowadays, so should be all fixed in 12 yrs or so.

Or worse, because you'll have fewer full time Drs, as more female Drs are likely to choose to work part time. And fewer GPs overall anyway because there aren't enough people choosing to become GPs to fill all the roles. I have several friends who are GPs, there is an enormous recruitment crisis - partners in their practices are retiring and they can't find enough Drs willing to take their place, as the applicants simply aren't there. Not enough Drs want to become GPs. And many are leaving the profession in droves

Policy announcements by ministers about introducing more GPs mean jack shit when there's no one that wants the roles, because the service is so stretched that you'd have to be mad to want to become a GP. And you see time and time again posters on here saying how GPs are overpaid - if so, why is there such a GP recruitment crisis?

I don't think it's wrong to not want to discuss my breasts with a male gp!

Perhaps not, although they are professionals so there really is no need to be embarrassed. I know some women may have a reason (such as prev assault or abuse) which may mean they would not want a man to conduct intimate examinations.

Many of the Dr's working in the breast clinic are male. So are you going to refuse a male GP, are you also going to refuse to see a male specialist? If so, you could delay your care if their aren't any females at the clinic on the day you are due to attend. If you were to need ongoing treatment, the specialist may also be male.

Recruitment crisis because GPs, although paid well, work 12 - 14 hour days with hardly any time to eat a sandwich for lunch. They have huge amounts of responsibility and have ten minutes to work out if you have a life threatening condition or just have a virus etc. They are continually bashed by the government and have to deal with tat like, 'I just wanted him checked, you can't be too careful can you?' or 'I have chapped lips.' mixed in-between the cancerous mole etc.

It's impossible to work full time, even four days a week means a 60 hour working week.

No wonder they can't recruit GPs.

Totally agreed @bridgetjonesmassivepants. My friends who are GPs are on their knees.