I thought GPs were supposed to be open?!

[DrPatient]

So, I had a routine appointment booked in to check my anaemia - cancelled due to Covid back in March and they'll let me know when I can have it. Fair enough, I get that. But it's now July and they're still not ready. Then, I tried to make an emergency appointment as was told that, no, they aren't doing any emergency appointments and to phone 111. I phoned 111 and they said to book a GP appointment or go to A&E - but I obviously can't book a GP appointment because they said no. I received the letter saying I should book my son in for his one year vaccinations. When I tried to book, they said they aren't doing vaccinations due to Covid - but everywhere is encouraging parents to still vaccinate during Covid. I'm due a smear test - can't book it "due to Covid".
I've had issues with my GP in the past, for example they refuse to provide contraception at all - they tell me to go to a private sexual health clinic about half an hour away instead, and I needed a medical check done for a new job and they flat-out refused. It's very difficult to get an appointment at the best of times with the receptionist demanding to know every minute detail in order to decide whether or not you're "worthy". This was all prior to Covid.
AIBU to think they should be doing appointments now? Are other GPs back up and running?

at the contraception thing!
What are there reasons? 1800’s?

Wow OP. After responding I read the rest of your thread and you are very unpleasant to a lot of posters! Is it because you are annoyed at your doctors or is this just how you speak to people? If so, I think you will start to find a lot more people refusing to help you too - you come across as very aggressive and abrasive.

@TommyJoesMummy

at the contraception thing! What are there reasons? 1800’s?

Anything from Catholicism/Evangelism/unwilling to risk being pulled into selective practices in areas of concern to the Trust having a separate contract with a private provider to offer sexual and reproductive health services to the area and, as such, doctors are instructed to redirect people to the service.

@ToftyAC

I haven’t had my routine 6 month diabetic check in 18 months and GP still won’t see me due to covid. I’m due full blood work, flu jab, med review, repeat thyroid function and the usual nurse stuff. As soon as things calm down I’m changing GP. And I can’t believe your GP won’t prescribe contraception! I suggest you look at changing GP too OP.

Flu jab should be available from September. It's not here yet.

I am currently complaining about my elderly, frail, vulnerable mother's GP practice who are making access to primary care impossible for people like her.

I'm too angry to tell you about it. It's disgusting. And the collateral damage will be awful.

GP here.
Most surgeries have continued to offer as much as we can but systems have changed a lot so usually we are:

1. triaging all appointment requests- so patient speaks to a clinician and can then send photos do video consult or arrange face to face appointment if required
2. some areas have had hot hubs to see ? COVID-19 patients or hot home visiting teams
3. other areas have had to work out how to safely see ? COVID-19 patients and other patients using sometimes same staff and building in a safe way. (So in my surgery initially ? COVID-19 was after 10am now it's after 4pm as numbers lower, we are also seeing some patients in their cars).
4. we have continued to do some visits including to care homes- but have done lots of video consults for care homes as well. We have been very worried about the risk we pose to care home residents (and I think we are entirely right here). Currently we visit when needed wearing basic PPE + a space suit but don't have the good masks,
5. we have continued necessary bloods tests and baby immunisations throughout.
6. we have delayed or did delay less urgent blood tests but are now doing these
7. routine smears were not being processed nationally for a while- they are now so we have restarted these
8. the hospitals are not back to normal and neither are lots of other out of our control community services so I can't get you a joint injection or face to face physic appointment, or bring forward your deferred surgery etc.,
9. we were told to stop non NHS work (medicals etc) and so we did.
10. routine chronic disease appointments (mostly with nurses) were obviously stopped- we are now trying to restart and do remotely if possible (+/- bloods) but people with diabetes need foot checks so they have to come in (or will have to come in)
11. if we had junior doctors working with us many of them were (correctly) taken back into hospitals so we lost some workforce + we also have staff including doctors who are shielding etc.
12. I personally can't see how secondary care will every catch up unless there is an enormous further cash injection

It is not safe for us to have full waiting rooms, (as in not safe for the public/patients). It also takes more time to see people face to face as we have to clean the room after each patient now.

All of the above would be very challenging in a tiny practice with 1 or 2 doctors so I guess that might partly explain some of the 'shut' practices but clearly alternative arrangements are needed for those of you at the receiving end of that poor service.

You can complain to your practice and/or to NHS England and/or to the Health Service Ombudsman.

I think the problem is GPs are private. They're contracted by the NHS but each individual practice has its own guidelines on accessing appointments, etc. This was a problem before the pandemic, which has simply highlighted the disparity between practices.

Pre pandemic, I used to find it impossible to access appointments or help. The receptionists were rude and obstructive. I changed practices. You wouldn't believe the difference.

Throughout the pandemic appointments have been available with my GP. Phone or video if possible but they'll see you if it's necessary, i.e. blood tests, smears. No long waits.

I'd love to see a standardised service across all GP practices but don't know how realistic that is. Certainly not whilst they remain private businesses.

Mine is shit. They won’t see anyone unless its vaccs or nurse appt for dressings or bloods. Three things I have wanted to see GP about regarding newborn and they’ve just prescribed shedloads over the phone etc which I wasn’t comfortable with. Ended up at A&E twice so we could see a doctor. Absolutely ridiculous.

Oh yes and my 6 week postnatal check.. to check uterus, csection scar I was worried about etc etc.. over the phone

Op I think I remember seeing a post in general health that you are very worried about a health issue.
You said
ve phoned them again and demanded to be seen - they put me through to a different GP. She's asked for a blood test and a stool sample. She said that my results from when I was in hospital also showed I was anaemic and have poor liver function so she doesn't know why they didn't act on that
Your GP Surgery is clearly terrible but if the phone call was recent than the surgery is clearly not closed.
Anyway I hope you are ok op.

It's disgraceful and no-one seems to question it. It's also pushing older people towards going to a&e and that's not a good place for them if they don't have to be there.
My mother's elderly friend has been unable to get an appointment throughout the whole lockdown period and took herself off to a&e at the weekend where she tells us she had a very complete check up and considering she's in her late 80's they discovered various things requiring further examination.

Our GP practice has been great but it’s mostly been email, photos and phone. They did have my elderly mother in. An article by a doctor in The Times today says this is the new normal and GPS will never go back to the way they were.

@MitziK
I’ve had flu jabs all weird times of the year... I was offered one just about pre lockdown (by a few days) and was told to rearrange ASAP. 🤷‍♀️

Thanks @MitziK, although I have to say I don’t get some of that. Religion as a reason to fail as a medical practice is poor. I’m a Catholic, and on the pill.
I listen to others and respect their wishes, I don’t think a doctors religion or beliefs should go against patient care or treatment options, else they shouldn’t be practicing, surely?

@Northernsoulgirl45 Yes, I posted that AFTER this thread was created when, on the advice of people on that thread, I phone back and demand to be seen and don't stop until they agree to speak to me. You'll also see on that thread that I said "they said they aren't doing any appointments because of Covid but I think they might just be sick of me" before posters said I needed to demand an appointment and I was eventually successful.
Thank you for your support but I'm not sure why you're making me out to be a liar. I never said the surgery was closed. I said they refused to provide non-emergency appointments for my anaemia, refused to provide an emergency appointment for the issue discussed in the other thread, refused to do my son's vaccinations and refused to my smear test - all of that is true.
This thread was posted when they were still refusing to give me a telephone appointment.

Sorry to wade in with a smiley face .... My phones broken and I was trying to do something else at the same time.... I'm not laughing at anyone - my bad x

Fair enough op but an update on here may have been a good idea as people had taken time to give you advice.

Also, as an aside, I've just looked up the guidelines on contraception. At present, an individual GP/nurse has the right to object to providing conception on moral or religious grounds. However, they must state to the patient that they are choosing not to provide it on those grounds. They must also refer them to a GP/nurse who is willing to provide that service. A GP practice as a whole is not entitled to refuse to provide contraception on religious/moral grounds.
For the record, they've never expressed to me that contraception isn't provided due to a moral or religious objection.

This thread is making me really appreciate my GP practice. Theyve been open throughout. The default at the moment is phone appts but if when they phone they decide they need to see you they have you attend. Ive also had 3 sets of blood tests.

The process at the practise is different. You phone to say you're there then someone comes to get you. You have to sanitise your hands when you go in and wear a mask.

I'm amazed at how many practices are closed

sounds a bit weird to me - the surgery i work at has been seeing people throughout. wrt blood tests we can only book on the day and have way less appointments than usual, but are certainly seeing people every single day.

also soundsa bit weird they aren't doing urgent appointments ? idk though things might be different in differnt places

A.friend of mine works in a GP surgery, they said they GP’s are doing few telephone appointments and then deciding if the patient needs to be seen face to face, generally only 1-2 a day are asked to come in.
They are getting the nurses to do just about every it seems, one GP refused to do a home visit to an elderly patient saying it was too dangerous yet happily sent a nurse.

It’s embarrassing. The NHS has actively saved tens of thousands of people with Covid-19, which is absolutely commendable. BUT even before official lockdown, our GP surgery cancelled all appointments. They are still behind closed doors with very little contact with patients. What are they doing?? There is a triage service with a nurse practitioner and, if deemed urgent, a GP will call you. I was diagnosed with stage 2 hypertension a month ago and was prescribed medication. I didn’t see a doctor. I have ordered repeat prescriptions on the phone service and the recorded messages that the 48 hour notice is now 96 hours because only the local pharmacist can collect it. As there’s no change in the previous “rule” that you can’t reorder if you have one week’s or more meds left, this has given us a lot of stress when we have tried collecting in 4 days to find it hasn’t been done. And, as we can’t go into the pharmacy, we have to discuss with the pharmacy assistant on the street in front of an audience. I have been reduced to tears (I have diagnosed anxiety) and have had to allow my ADHD teen to go through withdrawal because his controlled drug can’t be faxed through.

We can get a tattoo, have our hair dyed, visit the optician and travel abroad but we can’t see our GP if we’re ill.

I really want to complain but with the NHS being hallowed, I might be ostracised. If not arrested!!!

It varies obviously but most patients are under the impression that surgeries are still closed. I work in a pharmacy & the added pressures During Covid when surgeries effectively closed their doors is still very real. Patients are constantly phoning to order prescriptions or check we have collected them from the surgeries as they are being told not to go to the surgery by dr & receptionists. They are also being told to contact pharmacies for minor ailment scheme (instead of triage calls)which the pharmacist has to do even though already three time’s busier than normal because the surgeries are deflecting all patients to pharmacies. Pharmacies kept their doors open throughout, organised ordering & collection of prescriptions from surgeries as well as delivering to the vulnerable as well as everyone who was isolating along with many more who were just too scared to go out. Surgeries have been behind closed doors & also their glass screens while pharmacy staff have had face to face with patients throughout. A&e are also feeling the strain of surgeries ‘closed doors’. I feel your pain op you are not alone many patients also can’t get an appointment in my locality either.

That's shocking!

Our surgery is mostly doing phone appointments, but will do in-person for things that can't be done over the phone. Since March, my youngest has had her 12-week jabs and my son has had his pre-school booster (separate occasions). You have to be buzzed in, arrive exactly on time (I.e. not early) and wear a mask, but they are open.

Can you change surgery?