Im furious

[Dancingonmylonesome]

Omg I'm furious. I've been put forward for an urgent gastro opinion as I've been going the docs for 2 years with diarrhoea. The last few months I'm getting up to poo in the night and I have left sided pain. I ended up in hospital and the doc thought I was in a Ibd flare up so asked gp to chase up gastro again. I've been given a date for an appointment urgently which I assumed would be a scope but I've had a letter today and it appears to be a telephone consultation. A telephone consultation when I'm practically incontinent in my 30s passing maroon stool??

My 'urgent' camera capsule & endoscopy was cancelled in march - and still no date.
all appointments have been phone only......and no plan till the camera capsule results - and I already have a gastro diagnosis. its just a holding pattern really.....

there are lots of us with UC & crohns needing urgent tests who are managing at home on TPN, tube feeds etc.....phone consults are the norm now!

Have a read about Matt Hancock.
He actually wants GP apptmts by phone or online and NOT face to face even after Covid. Covid just makes it easier to force upon the public. GPs I work with feel there is a place for phone/digital but that over 50% should be seen as you can assess much more when a person walks into the room. I await the privatisation.

It’s normal at the moment to use remote means to get the talking done by phone, then book the tests or procedures needed. This is to reduce the time spent talking face to face - getting details or explaining procedures or discussing current medications. Effectively appointments get split into 2 .it means you are about to get your procedure. Do however check this is the case.
I hope all goes well.

My husband had his cancer results over the phone. Other than going into hospital for actual chemo, everything is done over the phone at our local hospital. Personally I think it's great and a way forward (although possibly not for cancer patients)

We've just been through similar op.

GP told dh he was extremely worried about him (first face to face appointment after two months plus of telephone appointments telling them things were getting worse to the point he couldn't eat and was having trouble swalling liquids.) and referred him on the two week urgent pathway.

We had a similar reaction when informed the hospital appointment was by telephone. Absolutely distraught when you've been suffering for so long and have been fobbed off with telephone appointments which don't seem to resolve anything.

Had the telephone appointment and were booked in for the next week for exploratory tests, so hopefully you should be seen immediately after the telephone appointment. Consultant reckons its something that's easily resolvable, although he hasn't actually been seen yet...

In the meantime, I have a husband who currently weighs less than six stone because of fucking telephone appointments. I will be so grateful and am praying the consultant is correct (given that he hasnt seen him) but I am angry that if it is something easily resolvable they've let him get so much more ill before they resolve it.

Choppedupapple wish it was a couple of days! My son is in a flare and the consultants won’t change meds TIL he’s had a scope - end of sept at the earliest, more likely November! How he’ll survive TIL then I don’t know. I feckin despair.

What part of the country are you in - it varies a lot from area to area. We are seeing new patients face to face but with that history you would be booked straight for a scope even on a phone consultation.

There is a bit of a postcode lottery though

Can you afford to have any more investigations done privately to speed things up? I know a couple of very ill people who’ve been forced to go private through desperation.

I’ve had three phone consults with my gastro since March and one hospital appointment for a CAT scan which occurred after a phone appt. I’ve had crohns for 20 years , 8 surgeries and 2 stoma bags - I think you’re acting very entitled , just take the phone appointment and discuss your symptoms with the professional - see what he recommends as next steps or pay to go private

@maggiso

It’s normal at the moment to use remote means to get the talking done by phone, then book the tests or procedures needed. This is to reduce the time spent talking face to face - getting details or explaining procedures or discussing current medications. Effectively appointments get split into 2 .it means you are about to get your procedure. Do however check this is the case. I hope all goes well.

Sorry but no it’s not normal!!!

Pubs are opened, physios are opened, beauticians are opened. Hairdressers are opened. All those people who are working in close contact with people are deemed safe enough to see people.
But somehow it’s not safe enough for GP or consultant to spend 15 mins with a patient???

There is nothing normal about that. It’s all about managing the whole system to phone consultations only. This is a great way to open the door wide to a private system where you will never meet your GP and just ‘see’ a random person each time you have an issue.

Just think about the situation atm. You have an infection (tonsillitis, ear infection, dental infection and the lies) and some fever.
‘Oh we can’t see you because you have a fever. Come back when the fever is down’....
So you have an abscess on the gums and ... you cant get treated at all (because of fever for which you need AB that you can’t get because... no one can look at your mouth.
Oh ear infections are usually viral so no ABs, all wo checking the ear. Cue for major issue with the ear.
Oh you have a UTI, it will just go on t’s own. What a shame the infection has now spread to the kidneys.

All of which are RL examples of what is happening atm. And a flavour of what is to come with telephone consultation only.

@QuestionMarkNow I don't think that's very fair. I had a big flare which I stupidly tried to manage at home for 2 months. My Pentasa wasn't treating it effectively, so I did an e-consult form. A GP called and said that he needed me to have blood tests, but couldn't see a slot soon enough and was unhappy to wait. He booked me in to see him the next morning. He also wanted to prescribe oral mesalazine, and even phoned the chemist to see what they had in stock, so that I could start them that afternoon.

DD2 has been losing weight and CAMHS asked me to phone the GP. I got a call back the same day, with a face to face appointment booked for today.

I've been struggling with migraines and the GP called me to discuss medication, then sent the prescription through to the chemist.

I think the telephone system, combined with e-consult and the ability to send photos in to the GP, works really well and makes it much easier to see a GP. Most of the time there is no need for face to face.

Have you tried an elimination diet? That has always worked for me to find the cause of bowl upset

Tbh I’m not sure why the OP needs a face to face consult. Surely the Consultant can look at her results on the computer whilst he talks to her about her condition, and then make a decision and book the scope if it’s needed. He’s not going to be able to examine her bowel in an outpatient clinic room anyway!
And yes patients with long-standing disease do know their own bodies and when things are going wrong, but it still takes a professional to decide on the next step.

i have serious neurological problems and my apt on monday was at the hospital but i have received a letter telling me it will be a telephone apt. i am expecting to be told i have to have an MRI so not worried and it saves a very long car journey.
my GP surgery told me today they are in the process of changing from telephone calls to actual apts. it is often more convenient for a phone call but what will be will be.
hope you get it sorted soon

@louge, I’m working with people in a similar way. There is NO WAY you can spot all the small details from a form or a tel conversation.
Most people do not say what is bringing them until the end of the consultation. Sometimes they don’t even mention the important stuff because 1- they don’t know it’s important, 2- they might be embarrassed.
Eg someone might be very pale but won’t notice it.
And that’s the very simple and easy thing.

And then when it’s about a consultant, giving explanation can be harder just over the phone. You can’t ‘see’ if people have I sers-toi what you said, incl how and when to take a medication fur example.
Someone up thread mentioned explaining Covid measures. It’s assuming people will 1- have understood and 2- will remember.

It’s great that you have managed to have a quick face to face or a telephone consultation was enough fur you. I’m going to assume that said GP knows you well.
This is not going to be the case fir most/a lot of people

@QuestionMarkNow
My dc had a uti last week. Filled in the econsult and to save time dropped a sample at reception. Phone call back asking more questions as it is a dc, said yes leukocytes in wee, will send off and ind in meantime take course of antibiotics.
No need to see a GP but if dc became more unwell phone and GP will reassess.
All that with 4 hours....no complaints here!

@QuestionMarkNow yes, you have a point about subtleties, but that doesn't mean that phone consultation is bad, just needs tweaking. Face to face will always be needed at some points, but phone can be effective for routine and follow-up, IMO.