GP surgery like a forbidden fortress

[Redolent]

I left my daughter’s red book at the GP surgery so that the nurse could check it. She called me yesterday and said it was ready to pick up. Have no other details.

Went to collect it today (wearing a face mask, standing 2 metres back) and the receptionist was very annoyed at me. ‘You should have called beforehand so we could have left it on the table by the door’... ‘we don’t want people coming in’.

Then she asked me to step outside while she put it on the table, went back inside in, then called me to collect it.

AIBU to think this is ridiculously exaggerated? I’m all for facilitating phone consultations with GPs where possible, but when the surgery operates like a barricaded Fort Knox, it doesn’t exactly encourage people to come forward with their ailments. Especially minor ones that may turn out to be serious if checked out.

I think they are doing a superb job.

Anything that can be ordered, asked or arranged should be done over the phone. Always.

This reduces the footfall in and out of a surgery to protect front line staff and those who are clinically vulnerable that still have to go in for bloods, tests and examination.

I'm in the clinically vulnerable group and I'm so very thankful these surgeries have acted appropriately.

80% of people shedding the virus in the first 3 days are totally asymptotic. So even if you feel absolutely well you might be a threat to the very people who must go into these buildings.

@PawPatrolMakesMeDrink

There are likely to be more vulnerable people in the surgery than there are in Asda. It’s about protecting the most vulnerable.

I agree with the principle. I don’t think waiting rooms full of sick people is something we will see again for a long time.

But there are also vulnerable people who have no idea that they’re vulnerable, who are deterred from accessing GP services because they think it’s only for urgent issues, and because they’re made to feel like shit every time they don’t follow every operational procedure. The consequences of turning GP practices into these strongholds will show it’s deleterious side effects very soon.

I find it so completely unacceptable. I realise those shielding need to be protected but measures should be in place to protect us all (in terms of avoiding misdiagnosing serious diseases etc). The logistics are difficult but this is clearly going to be a long term situation so things need to change. I’ve had various health concerns since the start of lockdown but have been dismissed repeatedly by my GP and have been left feeling anxious and on edge for almost four months. I did consider demanding to see someone (not usually a drama queen) but looking at these posts it’s doubtful that will get me anywhere.

I phoned GP yesterday morning and was told to come in at 11.30am. Sent to health assistant and she took my bloods.
There was only me and another lady in the waiting room. Only 8 chairs spread out in the waiting room.
There was a sign asking for you to wipe the chair. (A table with disenfectant and wipes by each chair)
I was all done in 20 minutes.

@planningaheadtoday

I think they are doing a superb job.

Anything that can be ordered, asked or arranged should be done over the phone. Always.

This reduces the footfall in and out of a surgery to protect front line staff and those who are clinically vulnerable that still have to go in for bloods, tests and examination.

I'm in the clinically vulnerable group and I'm so very thankful these surgeries have acted appropriately.

80% of people shedding the virus in the first 3 days are totally asymptotic. So even if you feel absolutely well you might be a threat to the very people who must go into these buildings.

The GP receptionists should also be wearing face masks in that case. There are far more likely to be shedding the virus and to transmit it to a vulnerable person than I am (30 seconds in there with a face masks and standing at a distance). Instead they’re chatting away to each other and to the GPs, arriving paramedics etc, while grumbling discontentedly at any external violation of the rules.

For those of us who are shielding yet who still need blood tests and so on, it's really great that GPs are being so strict.

It's not so great when they're also refusing to the normal regular blood tests for the vulnerable/shielding, though is it?

@MintyMabel

Welcome to the National Corona Service. If you don't have the Rona - the NHS has fucked off.

DD has regular physio from the NHS. We've had consultant's appointments.

OH has just come out of hospital after having an infected elbow.

OH's uncle has just had diagnostic tests for cancer.

My sister has been seen for her MH issues.

You are very lucky, I wonder what area this is. I've had a worrying skin growth on face since and more recent different mole on back. Was told to send a photo of them to the GP. Then got told days later to make another phone appointment to "discuss". The face one cannot be seen at all well in a photo. I really need a referral to a dermatologist which is what would normally happen after one GP appointment. I gave up with them and booked an online consultant with a private dermatologist who can't see the face issue well enough by photo but thinks it definitely needs looking at under a microscope, so will have to wait till private hospitals open (if ever). The NHS has been a dead loss for this, even though it could be cancerous.

Couldn’t agree more OP, similar experience at my GP surgery. I think I would have got less of a reaction if I’d walked in with my arm hanging off. It seems completely over the top but I wonder if NHS staff/medical staff have conditioned themselves to be like this because the Government has cut so many corners over the years that they feel overly vulnerable. Some could do with reigning it in a bit though.

@DominaShantotto

Not entirely true . My mother had a stroke at height of pandemic and was treated in hospital very well . My aunt had a burst ulcer , the same .
Another relative had a July appointment which has been kept , just changed to a telephone consultation . Which was fine .

My father has regular injections . They have been resumed.

Our surgery is operational.

There was only me and another lady in the waiting room. Only 8 chairs spread out in the waiting room.

Ours don't even let you through the door, its red taped up and has a plastic table across. You have to ring the bell and wait. There were around 6 of us waiting in the pouring rain last week for a good 20 to 30 mins.

Yep. Got shouted at for not using a one way system that noone told me about and wasn't indicated by signs.
OTOH nurse who came to the door to let us in ( though several doors) went on to take dd's blood without changing her gloves.

People can’t even walk into our local GP surgery, the doors locked. Can take days to get a response on the telephone and you can’t attend surgery without prior notice. Really frustrating.

Our GPs are strict, telephone triage and new barriers etc but not one of them makes you feel like you're mounting an invasion if you pop in with an admin query or request for a routine appointment.

They've been incredible through the whole thing to be honest.

The more I read about other GPs the more determined I am to stay in the catchment area for mine!

Late to lockdown
Refusing to close beaches a few weeks back when they were absolutely rammed.
Dithering on face coverings until today
Encouraging people to eat out/hit the shops (Yes yes I know we need to drag the economy up off its knees)
No access to GP for the majority

Anyone would think this government were trying to kill us off...

Conversely our local hospital run breast clinic is fab. Everyone relaxed but super organised and all the precautions in place.

Anything that can be ordered, asked or arranged should be done over the phone. Always

Well that would be fine if they answered the phone or didn't make stupid restrictions. My mum's surgery decided it would be a great idea to say you could only order prescriptions between 10 and 12 each day. I assume they received complaints because now they've said it's fine between 10 and the end of the working day. Yes people can order online, but it's an experience and a half getting the password etc to log on, and they won't accept emails. At least at our surgery my husband can order by email.

I’m literally trying to call the doctor’s surgery as I type and it’s just ringing and ringing and ringing...

@Littlemeadow123

My GP surgery was like fort knox before the covid situation and it is even worse now. My mum went to pick up a repeat prescription from the surgery's onsite pharmacy and the pharmacists were throwing the prescription bags at people from two metres away, despite the fact that they are dressed head to toe in PPE. Picking up your prescription has literally turned into a game of catch. I don't know how they are going to administer a vaccine. Dart gun maybe?

That made me laugh, even though it is nor remotely funny. It is utterly bonkers.

YANBU it’s interesting they are still managing to avoid so much. Surely they should be back to normal-ish by now. Myself as well as friends and family have worked through lockdown. So few others have the luxuries they have

You can't go into our GP surgery. All face to face appointments have been at their other surgery 5 miles away since the start of lockdown. They are still dispensing prescriptions (rural practice) but you have to queue up on the car park and wait to be served through the window. If the things you are picking up won't fit through the window (it has limited opening) then they send you to wait by the door, tell you to stand back, the staff member opens the door and puts the package on a chair and you have to wait until they are back inside with the door shut before your allowed to pick it up. No idea when we'll be allowed in the very spacious surgery again.

MIL had a problem with her leg during lockdown. Was prescribed painkillers for a trapped nerve after a telephone consultation. There was a slight improvement and then it got worse. Painkillers increased but after a few days MIL could no longer walk on it (she lives alone). GP agreed, over the phone, to arrange a scan. MIL had to move in with BIL and family even though she had been shielding. 5 days later she had a scan and was immediately sent to A&E with a fractured neck of femur, admitted and the following day had a partial hip replacement. If it hadn't been for Covid, pretty sure she'd have had an x ray a week earlier and saved herself a lot of pain.

Threads like this really show the differences in access to care across the country and it really is appaulling. I'm amazed hearing that some of you can access GPs, dentists etc as normal. Dentists are still extraction only here. GP doors are shut, and they outright aren't doing anything like vaccinations for example. None emergency operations and treatments are all still cancelled indefinitely. An elderly family member of mine has been left with a fractured shoulder for months with no treatment or anything. It scares me to think of all the cancer diagnoses and other serious illnesses which are being missed right now.

I have seen my GP once and also collected a prescription from my dentist. Both visits I purposely called each practice when I was outside (rather than just walking in) to be polite.

You are one of a hundred people who that receptionist has to interact with that day. Each one of those people could mean death for her. Is it really too much to ask that you take a few steps to make her safer?

For me the issue is that because receptionists have explained their new processes about a million times already, they now assume that everyone knows. Despite this being the first time you’ve been in. I ask questions about what they want me to do and they look at me like I’m stupid and should know the new rules despite nobody every explaining them.

If you are introducing new processes to keep people safe - advertise them somewhere (on a website, on signs, in appointment emails or on a call) - don’t assume people know and then be stroppy when they don’t. Even my hairdresser has done a better job of communicating what they expect their customers to do when they arrive and why.

@TheVanguardSix

Scotland.