Fed up of telephone appointments

[OverTheRainbow88]

I want to see my GP (well any GP). I have to call at 8am on the dot to have any hope in hell to get a phone back that day. They only do calls backs on the same day, so you can’t book one for the next day or week etc.

8am I’m waiting in line to drop youngest off at nursery... finally get through, receptionist wants to know why I am calling, I don’t want to discuss my possible nipple thrush in the nursery line. Get told ok a GP will call you before 1pm today but they won’t give a time.

I’m teaching 8.30-12.15 so now I have to teach with my phone on, and try and subtly whisper to the GP I think I’ve got nipple thrush and hope the kids don’t hear.

AIBU to just want to see a GP face to face or given a set time they will call?

@DarkMintChocolate

That is extremely worrying.
There has been clear guidance for GPS and nurses using video consulting that we cannot do any video or photos etc of any intimate areas.
I had to stop a video consult the other day as the patient was insisting on lifting skirt to show me mole at top of thigh and I was getting a view of her perineum!
These video consults are uploaded into your medical records, there is no chaperone present at either end, and they represent potentially huge sade guarding risk.
The midwife asking your dd to film sutures post birth was behaving extremely inappropriately

Are you able to check if there is a practice email address available that you can send via reception and they can forward it to the appropriate GP for action. The receptionists/ secretary are all bound by the same confidentiality as the GPs.

I have various (severe)health conditions and this has worked well for me over a long time even pre covid.

I tend to include the symptoms and vital signs (if relevant) photos as needed, any symptoms diaries, what I have already tried, if I can have consulted anyone else (who?) and their recommendations, what has helped and what made it worse and ask for action to be taken whether that is a test, prescription or referral etc. I put all the information in a logical order (everything that might be relevant) and often I don't need to speak to the GP at all as they have all the information.

This worked especially well before I was medically retired from work so I do appreciate how it is when you are working. I'm described by my medical team as highly complex as but this has worked for me many times, it would get around the waiting for a call back and it coming at an inconvenient time.

I used to drive 90 mins each way and couldn't step out to take a call at work so I totally understand how frustrating it can be.

If the GP needs to see you from the information provided for further assessment, they could leave a message for you to make a f2f appointment as you should now be flagged up on the system as needed a f2f

It’s funny isn’t it how businesses which rely on customer income like shops, cafes, hairdressers, gyms and nail bars have done everything they can to operate as normally as possible, but areas where no finances are at stake and users have little or no alternative choice are still making life as difficult as possible. Right now I can get a same day apart for my dog to see the vet, but can’t see my doctor in person and can only get a date not a time for a telephone consultation.

I like phone appointments, I used to ask for them pre-COVID and always managed to secure referrals, prescriptions and blood tests as normal. But with the added bonus of not having to faff around to leave work at some unspecified time to drive to the practice & back, as don’t work near the practice, most of the time I’d be stuck in traffic. For privacy I would just step outside of the office/go in the bathrooms to take the call.

My surgery was like this before covid.
Also you cannot book any appointments in advance and everything is over the phone, nothing online.

Update... finally had a face to face appointment with a lovely GP. Due to the The Leaky painful breasts and no success with thrush cream and GP examined my breast and found 2 concerning lumps so has made a 2 week referral to the breast clinic. I am sure it will be fine but it does highlight the importance of not just prescribing over a phone call.

If you know you have a personal issue to discuss, you’ll have to purposely allow time to be in a private area when you call. Whether that’s dropping her off at nursery earlier or later so you can sit in the car at 8am, or asking someone else to drop her off?

How can you do this when you don't know what time the GP will phone you? Possibly, you can arrange something for when you make the initial phone call but how can you take the call from the GP when you don't know when that will happen?

I can't have my phone on me at work so how do I now get to "see" my GP?

OverTheRainbow88

Sorry, didn't see your update when I posted.

I completely agree that many things are probably being missed because drs aren't seeing patients face to face. What a patient considers to be the main complaint might actually turn out to be insignificant on examination but another, previously unrecognised issue might be diagnosed.

Best wishes for your upcoming appointments

Its funny I think GP should be made to see patients face to face again. I see my patients face to face every day why should they not.