Protective equipment for UK GPs: coronavirus

[GPwife2411]

Hi

I've name changed for this to avoid anything identifiable.

My partner is a GP and owns the practice. He has been phoning his care commissioning group (CCG) on and off for a couple of weeks to ask for basic protective equipment to wear and give to other staff in the event of a coronavirus outbreak / patient presenting with concerning symptoms. This is looking pretty likely in the near future.

Yesterday the CCG basically admitted that they didn't have any for local practices and are not sure when, if ever, they would.

DH basically came home resigned to the fact that he was going to catch it and probably encounter massive exposure once more cases appear here.

AIBU to think that this is a truly shit way to treat medical staff?

Not only does this scare me in terms of DP passing it to me and the children, it also scares me even more in terms of DP passing it to vulnerable patients. He's not allowed to close the surgery if he feels it's unsafe otherwise he would be in breach of contract.

111 are also still merrily scheduling GP appointments for people with suspicious symptoms, and DP's and other doctors' efforts to override this (so people get a phonecall first to check their travel history etc before they arrive in the waiting room) have been rebuffed.

In summary, AIBU to think this is all just pretty shit? Or am I overreacting through my concern for DP?

Aha thank you TroysMammy.. i couldnt understand why the poster appeared, as nearest school with connection re. Northern Italian skiing and pupils sent home is Haverfordwest, but get it if its just bogstandard guidelines.

First case confirmed at our surgery today op - we found some PPE thankfully! Good luck to your husband

@Endoftethermum1 Wait, what? Confirmed case of Covid-19 in the UK today?? 

@AvocadoOwl - I would assume a walk in case ?query CV rather than confirmed. But could be wrong!

We bought in our own PPE at the surgery. Then the CCG said they would supply it. And havent....

Doesn't appear the masks have stopped the spread of the virus elsewhere. It's a respiratory virus, those are pretty nigh on impossible to contain. Just gotta hope for the best.

The government will do FA. I'd prepare for that. Dead people cost less. They're all about saving money and getting rid of the NHS. This is a perfect opportunity for them to let it all collapse and kill off some pesky and expensive already sick people. That's how they roll.

Yes GPwife without giving too much away , let’s just say it was a relative misreporting and actually it is still not confirmed- for now anyway.

Not really the point but how come he’s a sole partner? Does he employ salaried GPs? DH is also a GP, just didn’t take a two person partnership because the financial risk felt too great (failing practice though)

@zelbazinnamon - I can answer this one because he's sitting next to me this time! Essentially he was working there as a salaried GP but when the previous owner retired he decided to take it on but all the other salaried GPs wanted to stay salaried.

How big is the patient list? Does he find it a strain being sole partner or is he a little autocratic & find it suits him just fine?

He would really like a partner to be honest. Patient list is just under 6000. I think there is considerable strain but also he thrives on being able to run things his way or the high way ;)

I have bought some masks and goggles of the correct spec from Wickes and he will be taking them in tomorrow morning.

My DH is a GP partner too and I'm due a baby in April so am keeping an eye on all this with concern... 😣

I was saying to DH yesterday that I wish there was a place on mumsnet for GPs / spouses to discuss, particularly at times like this @happymrsc

I can recommend resilient GP Facebook group (GP survival might also be relevant for a single partner!) - there is discussion of this sort of stuff for him. I don’t know if any for spouses too.

In the trust where I work there are Coronavirus pods outside A and E where anyone who suspects they have it goes. They speak to someone on the phone and can be assessed have bloods but a HCP wearing PPE. That is what 111 should be doing NOT sending someone to the GPs

My DH is a GP Partner in a busy clinic in part of the UK, not in England.

They were issued with masks for GPs and all staff, but advised that they only help people who don't sport big bushy beards like my DH does!!! So far he hasn't shaved the beard off, and he has no plans to.

@PinkDaffodil2 - I concur, DH is a regular on Resilient GP and it's a great group. He's also a member of Tiko's (for the entertainment value?)

I wish there was 'Resilient GP spouses' ;)

It would appear that the 20th UK case of CV may be a GP in Surrey (still to be officially confirmed).

It would appear that the 20th UK case of CV may be a GP in Surrey (still to be officially confirmed).

Did they get it from Italy rather than the patient though?

The Surrey GP has no travel history so it's thought to have been a community transmission here unfortunately.

The NHS has large stockpiles of drugs and equipment in reserve for a pandemic.

In the most serious situation NHS England will essentially take over the command and control of all NHS services and a national team will oversee the distribution of PPE (masks etc).

You can read about the plan here - the plan is for pandemic influenza but dealing with a coronavirus will be pretty similar...

www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/nhs-england-pandmic-influenza-operating-framework-v2.pdf

The fact that individual GP practices are having trouble getting masks right now is because the full pandemic plan hasn't been activated yet. Which in a way as a good thing! It means things haven't got that bad yet.

@bobbiester but they don't have enough...not nearly enough. There's no way GPs will see any of it. It will all get routed to hospitals. If you believe there is the knowledge or resource to enact that plan I have a bridge I'd like to sell you.

It's my 'hope' (used as a relative term) that the potential Surrey GP's case, if applicable, can be linked back to the man from Surrey who travelled from Milan. Yes, it wouldn't be great that it had been transmitted human to human on UK soil, and there would be so many contacts to trace, but at least we would 'know' where it came from vs a mystery in which no contact can be found ...

Of course it would also be an example of the fact that people just turn up to the GP with CV. Which rather argues for the availability of PPE now rather than in X unspecified weeks when things are worse, surely?

Sorry for lack of reply, been away and phone free! It's the first time we've encountered something like this since DH qualified a few years ago, at least something thats felt a bit concerning to us with a newborn on the way I mean. But trying to stay rational after seeing the statistics about severity/morbidity being worse for older people, which obviously isn't great for the older members of our family but is at least vaguely reassuring in terms of if either of us come into contact with it. Might be locking myself in the house breastfeeding for the first few months

Haha my DH loves resilient gp!

Of course it would also be an example of the fact that people just turn up to the GP with CV. Which rather argues for the availability of PPE now rather than in X unspecified weeks when things are worse, surely?

As my GP practice you can only make a telephone appointment and they make the decision on whether you need to go in. Is this something that your DH's practice could do?