GP practice "not offering appointments"

[Darkestseasonofall]

This is a new low. Just called to make an appointment to be told they aren't doing any for the foreseeable future.
If it's an emergency you can call on the day and try to get a telephone consultation, but that's it.
I can see a huge rise in people attending ED in appropriately or just becoming very ill with avoidable things.
This isn't NHS bashing, I'm a nurse, but I can't understand how primary care can just opt out of 90% of their contract.
AIBU to think this is just silly?

I called up to register at my local surgery because I want to be checked for asthma. I was offered an telephone appointment in 2 weeks or I could sit in A &E. So wait 2 weeks and then what? Seems ridiculous that we can't get basic care.

I tried to make an appointment for my son this week was told we aren’t taking appointments! I had to go online and fill up a form and to be fair I had a call the following morning from an adv nurse and prescription was given, nothing serious so for us all good. One of young girls at work was asked to do her own BP and weight for her pill renewal, she guessed her weight and who on earth has a BP monitor at home!! Maybe GP’s should set up in a cafe or gym! 😆

silentpool a diagnosis of asthma is usually made with spirometry (breathing test) which is currently contraindicated due to
Covid.
milly thousands of people have BP monitors at home. I speak to people aof all ages with them every day.They're about £20, and actually BP is more accurate when checked at home. Not an expensive outlay when you consider the pill is free.

But OP you said they are offering appointments you just have to call on the day? That’s what mine have always done. It is a bit annoying but it wouldn’t be fair of me to say they aren’t offering appointments.

Due to covid you ring on the day, a doctor phones back and if you need to be seen they bring you in. They can’t have waiting rooms full of people anymore it’s dangerous.

@millymoo1202

I tried to make an appointment for my son this week was told we aren’t taking appointments! I had to go online and fill up a form and to be fair I had a call the following morning from an adv nurse and prescription was given, nothing serious so for us all good. One of young girls at work was asked to do her own BP and weight for her pill renewal, she guessed her weight and who on earth has a BP monitor at home!! Maybe GP’s should set up in a cafe or gym! 😆

I’ve had a BP monitor for a decade. Easily available online and very useful as the measurements tend to be more reliable at home than in the surgery, feeling stressed.

@Houndabouttown yes they are offering appointments, but told me twice that they weren't, it wasn't until I said I'd contact the health board (their commissioners) that they told me I'd misunderstood and they were doing same day appointments.
I've a good grasp of the English language and I'm reasonably intelligent and educated, I struggle to believe I'd misunderstood, the receptionist was deliberately misleading, which is what made me cross.

@Houndabouttown

But OP you said they are offering appointments you just have to call on the day? That’s what mine have always done. It is a bit annoying but it wouldn’t be fair of me to say they aren’t offering appointments.

Due to covid you ring on the day, a doctor phones back and if you need to be seen they bring you in. They can’t have waiting rooms full of people anymore it’s dangerous.

But what they could do is allow pre bookable telephone appointments for the huge numbers of people who cannot take phone calls at work.

We have a phone conversation & if needs be they will see us in person after that. I think it’s great having the phone consultation first. I’ve had 2 medical problems sorted via a quick call & pop to pick up the prescription. We’ve had a great experience

@WillowSummerSloth

I'm a GP and I find it hard to believe this is happening. I'm also on tons of GP forums and it's not happening anywhere as far as I know. Most appointments are initially telephone triage and then patients that need to be seen can be booked a F2F review. We've been busier than ever, regularly working 12 hour days as have most of my GP friends and people on the GP groups. So it doesn't quite add up to me.... If they are genuinely not offering any routine appointments, then they would of course be in breach of contract and you should take it up with the local CCG. Is it that there were no prebookable appointments? So you have to call on the day? There's good reason behind this method currently. Is it that your individual GP is high risk/ isolating and thus not seeing F2F? In which case you should be directed to an alternative doctor. It just seems odd and not at all the experience of me and my colleagues.

Are you accusing people of lying?

While I'm on, I'd like to know the magic password to get past the GP receptionist if you don't mind?

I do it all online. It’s fab.

I work in a surgery and we do call backs with the Gp and the Gp then decide if they need a face to face appointment and book it themselves. The nurse is doing all appointments again.

If I was you I'd call the CCG and report them. I honestly don't think Gp surgeries have done nearly enough in this pandemic and have actually used this as an excuse to do the bare minimum. I'm actually trying to find a new job because of this and how awful and unhelpful managers want to run this shit show and do the absolute minimum to help patients. We are not receptionists anymore. They don't want us on the phone and want most patients not to call us but email us and use a new system online. I normally hate when surgeries get bashed and the reception team get the brunt as a few posters have said are you sure its not the receptionist!? No it's the managers and if it was up to us we do everything patients wanted and deserve and have the doors open again.

Nightmare here too
I had to wait two weeks for a phone call to triage me !!!!!

Our surgery put the shutters up and battened down the hatches in March . Impossible to get through on the phone and no f2f at all . It's like war being declared and the army all running to hide .

It’s disgusting
My son is a carer.
He goes into over 20 homes a day in just a useless mask, apron and gloves.

Why should doctors be so up themselves.
My son has had to see to covid positive patients with no medical training and £10 an hour.
Makes my blood boil

My dd has a breast lump . She had a telephone conversation over that one.
Luckily she is a trained homeopath and as it was a cyst was able to dispatch it with a couple of well chosen remedies.

Ooops..forgot that’s the stuff doesnt work 😁

I’ve got a growth on my face, thought it was a wart so didn’t bother with the doctors but my nurse friend said I need a GP to look at it, I tried to get one today but no luck as there’s no availability. I can ring after 12 on a Monday but the receptionist didn’t seem sure I’d get an appointment with it not being urgent. It’s getting awful!

@Mumsnorthernmonkey

I do it all online. It’s fab.

I might be “fab” if your concern is routine. If, however, you are worried you have cancer then you will be feeling very vulnerable and an online consultation is probably not going to help you much. According to some experts, there is a cancer time bomb waiting to go off. It’s all pretty scary.

Online is no good if you need blood tests or an actual physical exam though.

Our receptionists are fab to be fair

I would also suggest sending a letter to the manager as it's the manager who creates the Gps clinics at least They do in mine. We have a diary for things like blood results etc then the Gps clinics. Mostly from 8:30 until 5:00 or 9:00 until 6:00. I don't understand other Gps who say they work 12 hour days? All our appointments are same day and no waiting to weeks on end.

The suggestion that these face to face consultations are happening, based on anecdotal evidence and Twitter, is insulting to posters here who are providing their honest accounts.

jane that consultation should still lead to a prompt face to face consultation/physical exam and referral if needed. We've seen many people same day after such triage since March. Rather than waiting weeks and weeks for a face to face as a starting point, not good when time may be of the essence.

My dad was diagnosed with colon cancer and secondary brain cancer in July while in hospital. He got home but is now housebound and in a lot of pain The GP will not visit. His Macmillan nurse phoned them today to ask if someone would come out and examine his stomach and the answer was no they are not doing any home visits. They have just abandoned him.

@Janegrey333 I’ll clarify. I don’t call for an appointment or need to visit the gp. I do it online. The GP responds quickly and I get a direct message or call.

I don’t know if posters on this thread don’t know this service exists at their surgery. I didn’t. There is also the possibility that it’s not offered, if so, change doctors.

Of course the gp has got options with cancer treatment etc

PLEASE.... some GPs might be doing this, but for people to come on here and make sweeping statements about 'GP's' and doctors in general being lazy up themselves etc is just utterly unfair to those of us that HAVE seen patients face to face all through covid, are working our arses off and are frankly on our knees trying to keep our little bit of this utter shit show on the road. Threads like this just add to my overwhelming urge to chuck it all in and walk away from the abuse and sweeping statements from people who know NOTHING and care even less about what I do....

Also I have done home visits throughout, including at 8 pm 2 hours after my surgery finished when I finally got the bulk of my paperwork done, for people who didn't even clinically NEED one that day but I didn't want them worrying overnight.