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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

GP (Doctor) visits

50 replies

bridgetjonesmassivepants · 06/02/2019 15:46

Does your GP offer home visits?

I asked for one and you would think I'd asked for the moon on a stick!

OP posts:

whattimeisitnow · 06/02/2019 17:57

Why did you feel you needed a visit?

We need a bit more information.

FrancesFryer · 06/02/2019 17:57

I had a home visit when i had an addisonian crisis. I needed treatment quicker than waiting for an ambulance. The doctor, after injecting me, phoned an ambulance and also phoned ahead to the hospital.

I had no idea whether the wait for an ambulance would have been quicker

SubparOwl · 06/02/2019 18:00

We offer them when truly needed. Typically for housebound patients or people on palliative care. We also do welfare visits if needed for patients with mental health issues. Sadly we just don't have the resources to offer visits for everyone what requests them. It has to be decided on a case by case basis.

SubparOwl · 06/02/2019 18:01

Who lol.

Bryjam · 06/02/2019 18:02

Why did you ask? Was it for yourself? Is this your first need for a home visit? Perhaps the surgery need to assess the request for you/whoever to be put on the home lis?

Sirzy · 06/02/2019 18:03

Ours does but only if they are really needed and someone is bedbound. Not just because someone doesn’t want to get a taxi or whatever.

Didiplanthis · 06/02/2019 18:11

Yes. For housebound or palliative patients. A home visit will often take up over an hour taking that GP away from surgery for that time. There are not the GPs, time or resources to do that for all but the most in need. Also the home environment is usually suboptimal for a suitable examination without the facilities at the surgery.

Lazypuppy · 06/02/2019 18:12

For elderly etc yes

Tunnocks34 · 06/02/2019 18:13

As with every else, bed bound and palliative only.

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 06/02/2019 18:14

DM used to have home visits. She wasn't bed bound and I could have taken her if necessary but the GP was happy to come out - he actually offered.

I should add that she was nearly blind, couldn't walk very far and suffered from depression so it wasn't just me not wanting to take her.

TestingTestingWonTooFree · 06/02/2019 18:19

Perhaps you can explain why you thought you needed a home visit? It has to be a really good reason to take up the 4-6(?) patient slots that the GP could be using in the surgery.

Bringbackthestripes · 06/02/2019 18:19

Both the surgery I am registered with and the surgery I work in do but it is for housebound patients or people genuinely too ill to come in. You are put on a triage list and a dr will phone and speak to you and determine if you need a home visit.
Being a bit poorly and not having a lift doesn’t qualify, you would have to get in a taxi for that if need be.

JasperKarat · 06/02/2019 18:25

Given the OP has vanished I'm assuming she isn't disabled or stunning palliative care, and doesn't want to admit she wanted a home visit because she'd stubbed her toe....

katykins85 · 06/02/2019 18:28

Unless for the reasons already stated, why would they?! in the time it takes to get to you, sort you out and get back that could have been 5 or 6 consultations in the surgery.

IAmWonderWoman · 06/02/2019 18:31

Depends why you wanted a home visit.

Upsy1981 · 06/02/2019 19:48

3 days after I had DD 12 years ago, I attended the surgery as I had a chest infection. The GP couldn't believe I'd made my way to the surgery alone, 3 days after giving birth, with a second degree tear and told me off for not requesting a home visit but it never crossed my mind. Not sure I'd get one now.

Fluffyears · 06/02/2019 20:15

@barbedbloom one of the feminax blends has naproxen which is weird as they won’t give it over the counter.

My dad was on the home visit list die to his progressive MS that made him most house or bed bound. If my mum called up she was guranteed a visit for him that day or the out of hours on call doctor if the surgery was closed. We had them outa few times as a youngster, once after a head injury my mum called the gp for advice and he nipped in during his home visits (I was 4 and had fallen asleep, I never slept in the day). The other time was when I had conjunctivitis, tonsillitis and gastroenteritis all at once(that was grim).

I remember a few others but mostly you had to get yourself to the surgery. I had awful flu with a chest Infection and they wanted me to drive to out of hours, that was bad. It was a Sunday as well so I had to drive 15 miles to nearest chemist to get antibiotics for my chest infection so I made my mum come in the car and go into chemist while I sat crying in the drivers seat.

PinkPaperCrown · 06/02/2019 20:19

Most GP surgeries I’ve been with have only offered a home visit to housebound or terminally ill patients. Usually only with prior agreement through the practice manager and lead GP.

Fortybingowings · 06/02/2019 21:04

I assume the OP journalist has vanished because she didn't get the answers that she'd hoped for.
As others have said, yes we do them for the very elderly or for end of life care. I can't think of any other appropriate clinical scenario where it is justified to spend that time out of the surgery when I could see 6 or more patients in the same timescale.

BarbedBloom · 06/02/2019 21:25

@fluffyears Thank you! I didn’t know that. Will send the husband to Boots

user1498193554 · 06/02/2019 21:31

I’m an advanced nurse practitioner working in a GP surgery, and I see 90% of the patients requesting home visits. My days are generally split between managing all the end of life patients (used to be a Macmillan nurse) and complex frail elderly. The GP’s are super happy with this system as it means they can manage their time more appropriately in the surgery.

nocoolnamesleft · 06/02/2019 21:33

My lovely, lovely, GP once gave me a home visit. I could, absolutely literally, not have made it out of the house if it had been on fire. By his attendance, a readmittance to hospital was avoided. When it became simply slow and painful to leave the house, using a zimmer frame to get as far as a taxi, I obviously used the surgery, and would not have dreamed of asking for a home visit.

cavycavy · 06/02/2019 21:37

OP, have you been watching too much Call The Midwife?

melj1213 · 07/02/2019 02:29

My GP only offers them if there is a medical need - either palliative care patients, bed bound, elderly, disabled or if there is an extenuating medical need that means you can't get to the surgery for a short period of time.

Eg you live alone and have broken your leg so need crutches to get around as you can't weight bear on your leg. You then get a severe chest infection which leaves you dizzy, short of breath and unsteady on your feet and could be the beginning stages of pneumonia. Obviously you need to see a doctor to get appropriate treatment but your circumstances mean that there is no way you can safely get to the surgery so a home visit will be arranged as a one off.

elliejjtiny · 07/02/2019 02:40

My gp visited me at home to do the new baby check on ds1 and ds2. Ds2 is nearly 11 now though so things might have changed since then.

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