To want to give my GP surgery an award for being clueless

[MyNameHasBeenTaken]

My head is broken, having to deal with these people!
Me: I need to see my GP
Gp: no. You cant come here. Corona. Lockdown.
Me" fair enough. Can I do a repeat prescription please?
Gp: no. You have to phone. We cant touch a slip of paper you have touched
You cant come to the surgery to post it. There is a virus. Lockdown...
Gp : sends random text asking me to do a home blood pressure diary.
Me : goes to surgery for a home blood pressure machine, as requested in the text
Gp: it's over there, in the corner
Me : what is?
Gp: the blood pressure machine.
That anybody can use. And an old biro. And some scraps of paper to write on
Me: you cant give me a form for repeat medicine, I cant see a gp, cant borrow a biro (not that I wanted to), but you expect me to come in to the surgery and use a skin-contact machine that anybody can use.
With no cleaning materials to use on it between customers?

Yes, this is the same gp reception team who said " you can tell them you don't have a phone, when you ring in the morning for an appointment "

They should be wiping down the BP machine between uses or have wipes there for you to. Good machines cost about £20 from Amazon. YABU of course they don’t want people in and out unless they need to be - there’s a big difference between people popping in and out unnecessarily for prescriptions, and a very small cohort of patients with a clinical need to check their BP who have no alternative means.

They should supply wipes and hand sanitiser.

But failing that, at least you know to bring your own next time.

I have never had blood pressure issues in my life. So why I suddenly need to take BP 3 times a day for the next few weeks is another mystery
I dont want to go in to the surgery to use their (grubby) machine 3 times a day.
I cant afford that much time off work
So, I went in to my local chemist and got myself a nice machine.
Just for me.
It was £20 I cant really afford, but I now have access to one
And I guess they will have to put up with having my results on a piece of paper. Even though they dont want bits of paper.

Can't you email the results?

Obviously they'd prefer you to buy a machine rather than come in 3 times a day, but if they suggest that to people it wouldn't go down well if they can't afford one.

Text the results.

The BP machine will be sanitised after each use. You can email the results to the surgery. Easy x

It’s not only you needing repeat prescriptions, it’s hundreds. Easiest thing in the world to reduce (not eliminate) contacts is to have telephone or online prescriptions. Not that many people will need the monitor.

So yes YABU to say they are clueless.

It does come across as though you are actually looking for issues OP , would you rather they just gave you medication without bothering to see if it will do you harm ?

YANBU This sounds very like my surgery.
Some things can only be done by phone but it's impossible to through.

GP practices seem a bit loopy about HBP. I cycle to all my appointments, and cycled to one to treat a skin infection. Wasn't given antibiotics (which resulted in another appointment a week later to be given them when it worsened) but my BP was tested and found to be high - something like 135/98 or similar.

So I got the spiel about the danger of HBP, diet and exercise. I'm a slim size 8 and tried to repeatedly point that I had just cycled there, and the surgery is at the top of a long steep hill. Completely ignored and was issued with HBP medication.

So I thought I might as well take it. Go along to my running club training session 2 days later and I am flying! I literally can keep running without getting tired well beyond the bit where I normally slow down. So I begin to think I've been prescribed a magic secret medicine that will lead me to athletic glory and take it religiously as prescribed.

2 weeks later, I pass out at work. Like properly pass out, starting with feeling sick and queasy in a work meeting, groaning, feeling awful, having to lie down on the floor and then becoming unconscious for a short period.

The same thing happened in the supermarket the next day. Fortunatley both time, I manage to lie down on the floor before passing out.

I phone the GP and tell them. They are sceptical that the HB pills are causing it and tell me to keep taking them "because hypertension like mine is so dangerous" and issue with me with a home testing HB monitor. That night I take my BP with it. The highest reading is 65 over 50 something. Surprisingly, I am still conscious.

My GP practice still have me flagged up as needing regular checks on my BP and I am always questioned, patronisingly, whether I've "got my BP under control now".

YANBU I left my surgery and found another where the staff actually knew what they were doing and spoke so that I could understand them.

Oh, if only things were that easy!
I really wish they were.
There is no way to email a gp. I have asked dozens of times. Same with texts. There is no "text number" as the texts come from a computer.
I have been on my medicines for about 3 years . Nothing new. Nothing needs changing, from my side. All still working ok, no increaes etc
I would be extremely happy to have an online repeat. They even deliver?? That would suit me perfectly.
This surgery are currently doing my autism assessment. They know I dont have a phone (they have the text number for emergencies only)
They make NO provision for people who cant phone dead on 08:00 for a phone appointment.
Unfortunately, they are the only surgery that covers our area, so I cant change.
I'm not picking for a fight... but i am very frustrated at their double standards.
Do some home blood pressure tests. But in the surgery.
Dont share anything. Even a pen. But use this machine where anybody can use it, with no wipes.
Dont come to the surgery when you want advice, but do come when we tell you that you need some random tests for a condition nobody has ever mentioned
Dont use our paper form for your medicine request, but you can use the back of the paper form (recycle, save paper!) For your readings
Dont come to the surgery unless you are dead/nearly dead. But do come in for a blood pressure check.
Ah. Typing that, I have solved it!
Boris has been helping.
Stay home. Stay safe. But go shopping. Eat out to help out.
Wear a mask, but you dont have to wear a mask....

Greenland. Are you being forced to use my surgery??
I have a similar story from about 20 years ago.
My exes mum had left an answer phone message early one sunday morning. 05:00 kind of early.
Hi ex. Its mum. I'm in the hospital. Beep end of message.
Ex is then stressed and angry, takes it out on me. He has to phone several large hospitals to find out which one has him mum. And why.
He tracks her down.
We then have to drop all our plans and go to visit (fair enough, that's what family do).
3 hour driving on the m6, and in to the middle of Birmingham, in the dark and rain. Nice cold winter morning.
Stressed bf. Plans all changed.
Nurse comes round to do checks. Leaves the machine in "our" cubicle thing while she does whatever she needs to do.
Ex was a nurse, so he takes my BP. Assuming it should be a bit high, after the panic, the drive, the rushing round the hospital, visiting his mum who doesn't really like me or him...
80 over 50.
The machine is now beeping in alarm to get a medic
I dont think I was dead?

I had an NHS letter telling me I needed a smear test. I emailed the surgery asking them to simply send me an appointment as I'm not working and other commitments could be moved very easily therefore completely flexible.

They emailed back asking me to phone for an appointment. I emailed them back, after spending up to 2 hours trying to get through in between doing other things, to ask why it was necessary for me to call when they could email quick and easily. They responded that there were certain questions they needed to ask.

I rang them, made the appointment and asked what questions were asked that needed to be done over the phone that aren't supplied in the email (address, DOB, GP name) to be told it was whether I'd received a letter form them or the NHS. Which I had stated in the very first email 😤

Then they said they couldn't give appointments without talking to me. Yet, right back at the beginning of the pandemic I wrote to the GP about a lump I'd found, sent pictures, etc. and received an appointment via text with no phone call.

So much time wasted 🙄

I've got so many examples.

I did an online prescription request and a Receptionist rang to tell me it had been refused by my GP, and that she needed to see me first.

Me: Oh. Can I make an appointment then please?
R: No, she hasn't got any.
Me: Oh. So what do I do?
R: [and this bit is true] Search me. It's a complete shambles here. I'd tell you to ring tomorrow but the incoming call line is playing up.
Me: Oh. [I realise I say 'Oh' a lot to my doctor's surgery]

Issue never resolved.

I have never had blood pressure issues in my life. So why I suddenly need to take BP 3 times a day for the next few weeks is another mystery

80 over 50.

That's blood pressure issues. Why would your ex use a machine in a hospital when he's not working? I wouldn't have thought that would be allowed.

I've just been bollocked for ringing in for a prescription for someone. So clearly my Drs aren't concerned about touching bits of paper.

Ooh, it's a well known fact that there is a co-morbidity between autism and HBP....not!

They sound beyond useless tbh. I think many of us have realised just how useless our GP practices are.

What did they stay when you asked them for some wipes for the machine?

I've been told by our current surgery not to ring them again to try to find an appointment for my 94 yo MiL so she can get the covid jab. They don't consider her a priority. When I asked who they considered to be a priority I was told it's patients over the age of 80. ....Ummmm....

Previous surgery - DH was really unwell, no energy, couldn't fall sleep, then would fall asleep mid conversation and sleep for hours slumped over the dining room table. Rang the surgery and said I think he needs his blood sugar levels checked as it's possible it's diabetes but not being a doctor I really didn't want to guess. They agreed to him having blood tests and he was told to ring in a week for the results. He still felt really rotten but now was also scared so refused to ring them. So I rang instead.

Whomever answered the call said I could speak to a doctor about someone elses test results.

OK - so do I need to convince DH to ring?

No - not required as she can see from the results that there is nothing the matter with DH.

So why is he feeling so rotten etc?
He isn't sick so doesn't need any treatment. (aka he's making it up?)
NO (I was getting cranky) he's ill and needs to see the doctor and soon.
NO! (she was really cranky) that would be a waste of a doctor's valuable time, don't you know how much time is wasted that a doctor could be using to save lives, etc etc blather.
NO!!! (me at volume) YOU WILL GIVE HIM AN APPOINTMENT, FOR SOMETIME IN THE NEXT 2 DAYS OR YOU WILL PASS ME TO THE PRACTICE MANAGER SO WE CAN DISCUSS THE SURGERY'S LIABILITY FOR DH'S HEALTH.

net result was that DH saw the Dr the next day who pointed out that he shouldn't have delayed coming in as he was obviously seriously ill and likely to have long term effects from untreated diabetes.

I subsequently asked reception at the surgery (in person) if they had taken special training in how to provide bad customer service.

Retailgail
She had wandered away from her desk. Out of sight and earshot.
So I didnt get an answer

I've recently had a letter from the NHS telling me to book a smear test by phoning my GP surgery. If any issues, again just phone the GP surgery.

I haven't had a cervix for three years, or so I thought after surgery. I was told I would be taken off the cervical screening list. Now I'm thinking, Huh?? There's no phone number on the NHS letter - just 'phone your GP'.

All I'm getting is a load of endless, changing dual tones.

The website today says the incoming line to the GP practice is still not working properly. (It's been two months now.) And there's no point emailing because emails are never, ever responded to.

Maybe I'll send a jolly postcard about the Mystery of the Missing Cervix. Maybe it's grown back. Who knows.

OP can I suggest that you just get a cheap phone and solve the majority of the issues you're having...

It's the NHS in general. My daughter has ongoing issues. The last consultation was over the phone, even though the paediatric department is in its own building on the other side of the parking lot from the main hospital, and with children it is important to see their demeanor, and talk face to face (we do not know what is causing her problems). The end result was she needed a new blood test - at the hospital as the blood clinics are closed due to the virus. Why they do not see the irony of this I do not know. (Also I was invited in to the hospital for a routine test, went, was told it had been cancelled as no tests were being done currently, went home, was called up to be told it had NOT been cancelled and to come back).

I have to say my gp surgery has been really brilliant to me over the last week. Though I visited A&E last night and the consultant had his mask down under his nose, utterly baffling when our hospital is in bad shape.