To think gps need to unlock the doors/open properly

[Nousernameforme]

Theres an article on the bbc about childrens a&e being overwhelmed by visits that aren't needed. Aibu to think that these people would have taken their children to the gp had they been able to? I know that they say a lot of them wouldn't have needed to see a gp but the viruses right now are horrible, probably due to everyones immune system being protected for a year, so it's harder to tell what needs help and what will get better on it's own.
My youngest has just got over the most awful virus which if it had not turned a corner when it did I would have got him medical assistance and if I can't get it from a gp I would have had to take him to a&e.

Our gp surgery is locked up the phone lines are only for those who have no internet and if you do get through all they do is put a request through on the ask my gp thing. I or members of my family have tried to see the dr for about 9 things this past year and got in once. 4 times we were prescribed antibiotics having not seen a dr.
Can we not have an official unlocking of the gp surgerys now please.

[DynamoKev]

The government appears to have abolished GP services in my area, and they aren't even apologetic about it.

[BooksChocolateAndSleep]

GP's have come out of this pandemic looking awful, they have hidden themselves away while other front line staff have just had to get on with it.

I had a UTI earlier this year, phoned up and was told to "go online", I said no as I couldn't wait 48hrs for someone to get back to me. Eventually it was agreed I would go and get a sample pot then once I dropped it back and it was tested I would talk to a GP. Go down and get a pot but the receptionist spoke to me through the locked door and I had to tell her my name, address and d.o.b with people queuing for the supermarket next door!! Told I couldn't use the toilet so had to go back home then back to drop off the sample, different lady guarding the door so again queue of people and I'm shouting my details at her then she asks what the sample was for and what were my symptoms 🤷‍♀️ Told her I wasn't discussing that with people around me so she huffed and made me pass the sample through the letterbox. Finally got a phone call and antibiotics but it was awful and a massive embarrassment.

They do need to reopen now and stop hiding.

[MissLucyEyelesbarrow]

Cheers to all those gp's who are doing their best but it is obvious from the many posts on here that many are not

That isn't obvious at all. Some areas have half the number of GPs per head of population than other areas. GPs in the under resourced areas will be working harder but unable to provide the same level of service.

[SmidgenofaPigeon]

I am awaiting the whooping cough vaccine I mentioned earlier so am in my local GP now. There’s an elderly woman begging to be seen, saying she’s weak and shaking, and can’t get through on the phone, she’s literally begging to be seen, and the receptionist is not even letting her through the door and saying WAIT ON THE PHONES WE HAVE TO PROTECT EVERYONE FROM COVID. LEAVE THE SURGERY. The woman is in tears.

It’s a bloody travesty.

[Shurl]

Either opened up properly for f2f (preferable!) or proper efficient processes put in place for what you should do.

It's obvious that there was going to be an influx as things reopened, just because people couldn't do routine go visits before so a years worth all need doing now. It's not rocket science to put in procedures to cope with that demand.

Eg. I need my implant replacing. It's overdue, but there was no option for doing it last year. I filled in the online go appointment request thingy and got a call back from a doctor. Who said that right now it had to me the gum clinic at the hospital. I call the gum clinic who triaged my call and had a nurse call me back. The nurse says they are not seeing anyone, for any reason until you have done an at home sti test and had the results back. Which I have to book online. When I have done that, I will have to call the gum clinic back, have my appointment request triaged and a nurse will call me back again to determine whether I am worthy of an appointment. What a waste of NHS time and resources!

So a 10minute appointment precovid has turned into 1 doctors phone appointment, 2 nurse phone appointments, a sti test (requiring lab time) and (hopefully, eventually) a f2f appointment. It's no wonder GPs/nurses keep complaining they are too busy if my experience is representative!

[confused1974]

Lots of GPs don't see patients in person on the NHS but they do see them privately. I have already complained and named and shamed all those I could find.

And sorry "this bashing will get GPs to leave the profession?" (To quote a previous poster) You know what? Just go please as soon as you can. And no, I won't clap for you or thank you for your "services"

[toomuchtooold]

I was just thinking this. It's understandable what the A&Es are trying to do here, but you have a whole cohort of parents with babies who haven't been exposed to any infectious illnesses in their lives so far, because of Covid, and not only does that mean that the kids are likely to be getting a bad dose of whatever it is, it also means that the parents have had no previous experience of what it looks like when a baby is ill but not seriously ill.

I used to love our GP in Croydon, who was in his 60s and had seen everything. He used to say, if you're worried, bring them in, because it takes me 2 seconds to tell the difference between a post viral rash and a meningitis rash, I don't expect you to be able to! Exercising judgement like that is difficult, especially if the judgement is "no action to take". That's why for example 111 will almost always advise you to see someone. It's always better safe than sorry. But as a parent you're expected to be able to exercise this judgement pretty much perfectly from day 1.

(This is something that really marks me out as a foreigner here in Germany - here, the culture is more like, you should always err on the side of caution, so if you're slow to take your child to the GP, they will think you're a little neglectful. My kids' GP is often surprised by how high my "yes it is scarlet fever/a broken bone" hit rate is, but I'm just used to the UK where a false alarm gets you the eyeroll and the lecture about misuse of antibiotics

[Letsallscreamatthesistene]

@Theunamedcat

People focused on funding just how much more expensive is it for a doctor to call you at a certain time than call you whenever my doctor calls me from home I can hear her dog barking at the neighbours the last time

What? GPs also work from home. Perhaps their neighbour has a dog that I doubt your GP has any control over.

I understand getting a telephone consultation at a different time than specified is annoying, but its largely done because some people dont answer when called, so instead of sitting around for the appointment slot, they just move on to the next patient. I agree thats annoying though, and the receptionists need to communicate better. At our surgery GPs have a 'morning list' and and 'afternoon list' which negates that problem.

[MissLucyEyelesbarrow]

@confused1974

Lots of GPs don't see patients in person on the NHS but they do see them privately. I have already complained and named and shamed all those I could find.

And sorry "this bashing will get GPs to leave the profession?" (To quote a previous poster) You know what? Just go please as soon as you can. And no, I won't clap for you or thank you for your "services"

That is bollocks. It's forbidden by the NHS and you would lose your contract in a heartbeat

[mam0918]

I have had no issue seeing a GP, probably seen them more since covid than any other time and there no wait times now were booked in same day.

Also how does unlocking doors help, cramming loads of virus ridden people especially children together in a small waiting room is clearly not the better option .

People need to utilise the systems properly and accept advice, just because you dont get what you want doesnt mean you should take it further. A lot of the problems are people who refuse to accept they arent as deathly sick as they think they are so waste hospital time after wasting GP triage time.

[Letsallscreamatthesistene]

@confused1974

Lots of GPs don't see patients in person on the NHS but they do see them privately. I have already complained and named and shamed all those I could find.

And sorry "this bashing will get GPs to leave the profession?" (To quote a previous poster) You know what? Just go please as soon as you can. And no, I won't clap for you or thank you for your "services"

So if you're actively happy to force people out when theres already a real staffing shortage, then how do you expect the service to improve?

[Spinningaround21]

My gp and my dads gp have been fine throughout and I can’t fault them. However I work in acute paediatrics and some of the referrals from GPS are shocking. Quite often refusing to see the child face to face because of a temperature or other ridiculous reason , that doesn’t actually need coming to a children’s ward that’s full including odd children with covid. A quick examination and it’s usually some antibiotics needed or a viral issue. I do believe primary care is also struggling.

We are very very busy, it’s like winter. But it has been expected Australia had a similar surge of viruses like RSV usually seen in winger. However we are beds down in all children’s units due to social distancing/infection control. I think paediatrics all across the country is going to struggle for the next 6 months.

I also should note that no one should hesitate to see a doctor with a sick child they are concerned about. Chcildren can become ill very quickly. If that has to be A&e then no it’s not ideal but what choice does a parent have.

[MapleMay11]

What precisely do you expect GPs to do about the fact that there aren't enough of us to meet demand?

Nothing to do with demand. My issues with GPs go way beyond that.

[Kokosrieksts]

Everybody seems to be getting a different experience. Our GP is definitely working, first you get a phone appointment and if needed they ask you to come in. I called about my daughter’s caught that was lasting 2 weeks (not Covid) and she was seen the same day 10 minutes after official praxis closing time. The doctor stayed after his hours to see her.
I feel bad for all the hard working GP’s that get nothing but complaints and reputation of not doing anything.

[everybodysang]

My GP surgery has been absolutely fantastic through all this, going really above and beyond for me at one point not that long ago. It's a terrible shame that not everybody is getting such a good service.

[confused1974]

@Letsallscreamatthesistene I would suggest hiring GPs who don't faff part time and who are FORCED to see patients. None of this phone triage. Aren't we all vaccinated? I think COVID has been the biggest bonanza to GPs (and work shy in general) EVER.

In the meantime, I hope people protest more and more until they stop this absurd phone triage and stuff.

[annie55]

@sparemonitor

We are open. I've seen patients face to face every working day of the pandemic. We have also been underfunded for the last 20 years and the gap between supply and demand is showing. Blame successive governments for year on year real terms funding cuts, because every GP bashing post like this pushes another GP towards leaving the profession.

I do understand the gap between supply and demand and that it is busy but GPs are paid for their job very well and have extremely generous pensions. Surely that's not 'underfunding' the service? It's great that some GPs have been seeing their patients but this is not (mostly)the reality for the rest of people trying to access any help from their surgery. Saying that I am desperate to see a GP and that the service is not great is not 'bashing'.

[FakeColinCaterpillar]

From what I’m hearing an investment in support would be the first start. There seems to be a lot of wasted appointments going on.

[MissLucyEyelesbarrow]

Trust me, @Spinningaround21 - you have no idea how protected you are as a hospital HCP , compared to being a GP. I work in hospital too and, even though it's intense and exhausting, at the end of my shift, I go home. In general practice, at the supposed end of my day, I might have another 200 calls, queries and results to deal with. It is totally exhausting and demoralising.

[Letsallscreamatthesistene]

[quote confused1974]@Letsallscreamatthesistene I would suggest hiring GPs who don't faff part time and who are FORCED to see patients. None of this phone triage. Aren't we all vaccinated? I think COVID has been the biggest bonanza to GPs (and work shy in general) EVER.

In the meantime, I hope people protest more and more until they stop this absurd phone triage and stuff. [/quote]
GPs are human beings. They are allowed to work part time.

No we are not all vaccinated.

Your work shy comment makes you sound like you dont really know the pressures GPs have to deal with.

[Oblomov21]

Our Gp practice is seeing people, I've been offered twice, but haven't needed to.

Ours is great.
I go online. Leave a message. Gp rings me back the same day talk about it, I am referred to the hospital as I've requested, or if it's just a prescription I wanted, it's agreed and I go to collect prescription. Fabulous.

[Cbtb]

I’m a hospital dr so see both sides. Some GPs do seem to be sending people to hospital without seeing properly first but most are working very very hard with excessive demand.

There are simply more people wanting healthcare than there are facilities and time to see them.

If it takes 30min to get through on the phone then why would it be quicker in person? It’s the same receptionist(s) answering the phone and at the desk so its the same resource just accessed a different way.

Ditto appointments - there aren’t enough of them. If a GP has 30 10min apt slots per day and they are full either f2f or telephone then if you are person 31 who calls it’s dosent matter if it’s f2f or telephone there isn’t a slot for you…..

Telephone is in theory quicker as you don’t need to clean the room in between people. Also so telephone before being seen happens because there have been so many times I have seen a patient and examined them getting very close and then they tell me that they have tested postive, have a cough or fever or a person they live with has tested postive…..then I have to isolate as I wasn’t wearing a ffp mask as does the nurse and the other patients in the waiting room etc…..

GPs are still manning vaccination centres and also providing admin staff for vaccine centres. Labs are still processing lots of covid tests meaning all results are delayed. Itu is still very full meaning major surgeries are delayed. A whole cohort of junior doctors and nurses who qualified during the pandemic are struggling as they didn’t get the right training and were rushed through. Very little training of students and medical staff is happening so people are unable to do things they did a year ago as they haven’t maintained the qualification. For example ALS course which is about cardiac resus was stopped for a while so people cannot take up more senior posts as they are not trained. There are still ongoing medicine and equipment supply issues (brexit covid I’m not sure). Add in the doctors regulator (gmc) being racist and the health secretary being a cheating bastard, no one having had a holiday in a year, many dead colleagues and morale is at rock bottom

[justasking111]

My GPS pre covid saw the worried well, the lonely, the chronically ill for which there was no help, those on long operation waiting lists with no triage filters . Now they're triaging. I was ill twice during covid both times filled in online form, was phoned photos sent. Twice I was seen in person, once prescribed antibiotics and referrals to consultant. GP said the calls had doubled over covid daily. The phone system crashed every day.

Online and phone triage is here to stay.

[Parker231]

news.sky.com/story/amp/soldier-turned-doctor-warns-gp-burnout-would-see-the-collapse-the-nhs-12305784

[confused1974]

@Letsallscreamatthesistene I have a professional job that is considered extremely stressful (also extremely well compensated, probably more than GPs but I work 80 hours a week - think banking or finance). And if I can't finish everything in 80 hours then I work 90 hours.

Instead unfortunately GPs have a public sector mentality. We close at 6 and at 1759 all is shut. I am lucky that I have private insurance and all the money I need to see private doctors when I want, but think about those who don't have the resources (whether the tenacity or financial) to do that.

Sorry but I hope more and more choose online GPs like Babylon and lots of practices close (some in my areas have already closed and no, I haven't shed any tears)