To wonder what my GP surgery are playing at

[midsummerflowers]

They open at 8. I’ve been calling since 8. It just rings out and now I can’t get through at all.

What the hell is the point of being a doctor that no one can get through to?

It's the same everywhere, as far as I can tell
The problem seems to be too few GPs, all of whom are overstretched and doing their best.

Reception staff are doing a thankless job in impossible circumstances. I imagine they are working at 150% at the moment logging/processing vaccines, dealing with catch up admin (baby vaccines, cancer appts delayed, mental health referrals etc).

It's frustrating. And I'm sure there are some situations where more could be done. But generally, i try to assume that people are doing their best in very difficult circumstances.

They're not doctors no-one can get through to, they're doctors whose days are already overloaded.

I know it's frustrating but our medical services have been systematically underfunded and undermined for decades - that's the problem, not individual doctors.

I’m sure but it’s such a ridiculous system. I’ve had to send a photo in before they will decide if we are worthy of an appointment.

@midsummerflowers

I’m sure but it’s such a ridiculous system. I’ve had to send a photo in before they will decide if we are worthy of an appointment.

It's not about being "worthy" - the services are in such huge demand right now that that have to triage the most in need.

Well 50% of our staff are currently off - sick, isolating or annual leave. Health services are breaking.

I know it’s frustrating for you, many staff are in tears every day too at the sheer volume of calls and patients
I am considering leaving primary care

It was 8.12 when you posted this.

There could be any number of reasons it rang out.

I sure you are through by now.

I’m sorry my unwell baby is adding to your stress menora

Well, in fairness to OP, you can't triage the most serious cases if you don't pick up the phone to find out what health problems exist. Someone who phones at 8am sharp clearly wants an urgent appointment.

My GP surgery puts you in a queue, sometimes it is over 90 mins long but you do get a reply if you wait. Although it is very hard to get an appointment, usually you have to go through 1 or 2 levels of phone consultation before you can get a chat with a doctor.

Services are very stretched so I'm 100% sympathetic. For anything urgent you just have to go to A&E.

And to think some GP think this is a suitable way to carry on, and are happy with locked doors and no face to face appointments.

It's not the same everywhere.

Yesterday I rang at half 8, dr rang me back at 9 and saw the dr face to face later on.

If you send a message through the website you get called back the next day.

It's easier to get an appointment now than it was before. Before to get a normal appointment you rang and got a phone appointment a few weeks later and they then decided if you needed to be seen face to face. For something urgent you got a call back the same day

Phone 111 if your baby is ill. They might be able to advise or get you an appointment somewhere else.

Yes call 111. Hopefully they can help you. I’m sorry your baby is ill.

I still want to leave as every day is miserable

Mine is the same and they haven’t kept up with the times. For example, why can’t people email a request for an appointment instead of waiting on the phone for ages? Emails could be triaged if people gave the right information.

@Stuckhere2021

Mine is the same and they haven’t kept up with the times. For example, why can’t people email a request for an appointment instead of waiting on the phone for ages? Emails could be triaged if people gave the right information.

Email would certainly be convenient, but it's a big No No for NHS, die to patient confidentiality, as email is not secure communication

@midsummerflowers

I’m sorry my unwell baby is adding to your stress menora

She didn't say that did she? She was merely pointing out that you can't just rant about something when you have no idea what it's like behind the scenes. If your baby was that unwell you'd take them to an urgent care facility. But clearly they aren't, as you're able to be on hold to the GP.

The fact is that there are millions of GP appointments wasted each year by people who just don't need to be there. I, for example, have a review every 3 months - it now takes 5 mins on the phone rather than taking up an entire appointment plus me sitting in the waiting room passing on/catching who knows what.

If they want to see a photo of your baby, send them one, and you'll get an appointment if you need it.

You're complaining about the wrong people - the people you speak to or see at your surgery have an impossible job. Please be a little kinder.

@notanothertakeaway I am able to email my surgery for an appointment. I'm not sure why others aren't! I'm also able to use their website, or the PatientAccess app.

I understand the GP's are stretched and underfunded. but this cant carry on. not everyone can sit on the phone at 8am and hope they get through and if they dont then repeat this daily phone roulette until they do. People are leaving for work or taking children to school at that time. its totally unrealistic to have this as the only option to get medical help.
My neighbour died of undiagnosed non hodgkins lymphoma because she had been trying to get through to her gp for a bad chest. they gave her antibiotics and when after 2 weeks she was no better they gave her different antibiotics. Not once was she seen by or spoke to a GP.
She got rushed into hospital and died of a treatable condition. All because of lack of access to a GP appointment

Email isn’t really very safe I hate hearing about emails

Programmes of online consultations that have algorithms are so much safer

People having a heart attack (but are unsure whether they are or not, not all of them are obvious immediately and having some discomfort) who fill in an online consult will get a red flag and directed to call 999

An email you get nothing back until it’s triaged

111 just will always say to take baby to A and E. we had to do that a few weeks ago and were waiting for hours.

(By the way that and today are the only times we’ve asked for medical help since ds was about 2 months, I’m not taking advantage of the system.)

menora I’m really sorry I was so snappy with you. Bad night and worried. Apologies

@reesewithoutaspoon

I understand the GP's are stretched and underfunded. but this cant carry on. not everyone can sit on the phone at 8am and hope they get through and if they dont then repeat this daily phone roulette until they do. People are leaving for work or taking children to school at that time. its totally unrealistic to have this as the only option to get medical help. My neighbour died of undiagnosed non hodgkins lymphoma because she had been trying to get through to her gp for a bad chest. they gave her antibiotics and when after 2 weeks she was no better they gave her different antibiotics. Not once was she seen by or spoke to a GP. She got rushed into hospital and died of a treatable condition. All because of lack of access to a GP appointment

I agree, but the solution can only come from the government choosing to properly create, fund and resource NHS and GP services. GP surgeries can only do what they can with the resources available. And quite apart from the difficulties arising from covid, there were already too few doctors in this country before it even started!

@reesewithoutaspoon

No it can’t carry on. Even the people who work there think this. It is awful. There just isn’t enough capacity to meet demand. And before everyone starts making helpful suggestions about more face to face, that doesn’t help because you deal with more patients by doing a mixture than you ever can doing face to face only

Have you tried turning up at 8 am and booking in person?

On a daily basis, GP surgeries are dealing with the following:

All of the online consultations/emails
People calling up to chase up their online consultation/email
Hay fever
COVID and long Covid
Absolutely everything COVID vaccine related as 119 are not very helpful sometimes, I could give you so many examples
Questions about travelling and vaccines
Routine appointments and tests
Chasing up hospital appointments (which we can’t really do, it takes how long it takes!)
Urgent health problems

It’s so huge and all encompassing

You can’t strictly

Even now I got through I had to send a photo of my ill baby before they decide whether we are worthy of this. They’d never let you in if you just turned up.