To think a good GP is a rare thing these days

[BackInTime]

Just based on experience but I feel that GP care in this country is seriously lacking. GP appointments at my local surgery seem to be filled by locums and it is virtually impossible to get an appointment with a GP. When you do get seen they barely pay attention - I took DD last week for a pretty bad infection and he was more concerned about his printer than DD.

I get that the NHS is stretched but it seems that they way they are failing to treat people in the first instance leads to people either having to come back or they end up in hospital which is not cost effective or good patient care. Why not just give patients their full attention for 10mins in the first place.

My GP is absolutely amazing. He listens, takes his time, trusts me, doesn’t judge. I’m very fortunate. I don’t think it’s that there are lots of GPs who are ‘bad’, everyone clicks with different styles of bedside manner and what isn’t great for one person would be perfect for another, for example I prefer a direct to the point approach which some people might find a bit brash. I also think how you treat them makes a big difference, I know a lot of GPs who started off totally empathetic and patient but were ground down by the number of piss takers, people who spend ten minutes getting to the point of what they’ve gone for, who book appointments just to chat, who are convinced they’re seriously ill despite all evidence to the contrary and requesting endless tests or demanding meds that won’t work, plus people who book and then just don’t bother showing up for appointments. You have to have the patient of a saint to deal with the general public, I take my hat off to them.