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 isn’t worthy, if you have COVID or some other easily transmissible illness and a couple of staff then test positive, PHE can shut the entire surgery down

If 111 tell you to go to a&e then you go to a&e. If your baby is that ill then surely you'd be ok with that and if they're not that ill then sending a photo and getting triaged shouldn't be an issue. I've had to do the same multiple times, only once have I been told to go to a&e

I know he isn’t that ill. That isn’t what this is about. Something can be painful and uncomfortable without being life threatening.

@midsummerflowers

I know he isn’t that ill. That isn’t what this is about. Something can be painful and uncomfortable without being life threatening.

I know but they will triage you appropriately and generally with babies get you seen or do a phone appointment same day. If you call 111 they can sometimes get you an appointment sooner or get you seen by a different doctor (locally we would get sent to the pediatric ward for day assessment) so to just dismiss calling with "they'll just send me to a&e" is a bit out of order when people are just trying to help.

[quote LindaEllen]@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.[/quote]
That's very interesting. Are you in the UK? I sometimes have to contact GP surgeries for work and it's a PITA they won't communicate by email

Yes, but they do just send you to A and E. I don’t understand why saying that is ‘out of order.’

@Menora

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

You do such an amazing job, please know that. For some balance. My GPs have been amazing throughout the whole pandemic. I’ve never struggled to get an appointment, including telephone appointments and in person. The receptionists have also been brilliant. I realise that this may not be the norm for everyone and I feel for those who have struggled.

It’s really frustrating. I’ve given up with our GP now. Both my kids have needed to see a doctor in the last year and we just couldn’t get through. We had to book private appointments in the end and they were seen the same day/next day. I appreciate not everyone has the money to be able to do that but we had no choice as we literally couldn’t get through on the phone. I’ve since found out our surgery isn’t actually seeing any patients but others in the group are. However you call the same number and it’s never answered. I really don’t know what people are doing when they need to be seen...going to A&E maybe?

I hope your little one is feeling better soon OP. It’s stressful and worrying enough when your child is unwell without the added stress of struggling to be seen.

@notanothertakeaway the patient access app is great. We’ve used it several times over the pandemic and found it works well.

Does your surgery have an e-consult online form? I've always had great success with my providers online form.

It doesnt sound as though the little one needs urgent attention (otherwise you would go to A&E/Walk In), so fill the form in with all the symptoms and a Gp will ring you or email back with a solution.

super we do have cover through DPs work but I am not sure if it is any good for these sorts of things, the small but annoying things that just leave you uncomfortable.

It’s just an awful system as no one will believe me but when we went to a and e it was with what emerged to be a heat rash but looked nasty. Waited for nearly five hours, got seen, got told to see GP on Monday. Rang GP on Monday, got told to go back to A and E

@midsummerflowers

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.

It’s not about you being worthy, it’s about prioritising patients and keeping the risk of patients coming to the surgery as low as possible. Hope your baby is soon feeling better.

@midsummerflowers

Yes, but they do just send you to A and E. I don’t understand why saying that is ‘out of order.’

Because they don't just send you to a&e. I literally gave you an example in my reply. They will either send you there, send you to a pediatric ward for assessment, try and get you in at the gp, book an ooh appointment or advise over the phone. That's the only responses I can think of off the top of my head but they certainly don't just send you to a&e. That may have been your experience previously but there was obviously a reason they felt that was best and if you are really concerned about your little one and struggling with your GP I would absolutely recommend you calling them.

Our GP no longer take phone calls at all. You fill out an online appointment form and they call you back with your appointment time. So you can fill it out in the middle of the night or 6am or whenever and they go through them from 8am and call you back with appointment times. It's actually really good. I filled it our at 2pm the other day and thought I wouldn't her back until the next day but they called within half a hour and got me an appointment the following morning first thing.

Same. V positive experience.

I filled in an online form as I have a few overlapping symptoms I am sure are connected and could do with tests - did the form Saturday evening as that's when I had time.

Got an email back Monday to agree with my assessment and told "Bloods on X day" "follow up appt on Y day"

All v.simple.

BeHappy but it’s still sending me halfway round the county with a yelling baby.

I REALLY don’t think it’s unreasonable to just want to see his fucking doctor. Not A and E or pedi attics or David beckham. Just a fucking doctor.

It's hard with a child. I have had so many nights of worry followed by a call to GP as soon as they open.

It's hard when your baby is clearly unhappy and there temps can spike so high too.

I am happy doing the online for myself but really we need to get it better sorted for children.

I live in an area where the existing GPs are all approaching retirement and we just cannot attract younger GPs into the county.

When I first registered at my surgery 12 years ago there were 6 full time GP on staff. There are now 4 GP, two of whom are on part time hours (and one of these an aquaintance so I understand why).
The boundary was extended meaning an influx of more patients.
More patients, fewer staff and resources. It doesn't take a genius to see how that affects working practice.

My surgery uses Econsult, and I have to say that for the most part I like it.
I've been put on medication and told it needs a 4 week review. I've been on it 6 weeks - no review and when I call the surgery they tell me there are no phone slots for this as it is not an urgent appointment. I am to 'call back' but get the same response every time.

On the one hand this is incredibly frustrating but then if they literally don't have the staff and there are only so many hours in the day - what to do?

I think one of the issues here is that different surgeries are operating according to their own rules and those surgeries which ARE doing well are being tarred with the same brush.

The senior partner at our practice is approaching retirement. I am genuinely quite worried for the future of GP healthcare for me and my family....

we do have cover through DPs work but I am not sure if it is any good for these sorts of things, the small but annoying things that just leave you uncomfortable.

Have a look into it, some providers have GP access, some don’t. Some do online consultations, we have that cover and it’s good for certain things.
It’s always best to be safe than sorry, especially with very young children as things can progress quickly and they obviously can’t tell you how they’re feeling. I feel for you. When my kids needed to be seen, I said to my partner that I’m so glad they’re both older so can say what’s going on and also they rarely get ill now. One of my children was at the doctors every few months when they were a baby. I really hope you get it sorted, if you’re not happy, keep pushing to be seen.

Dear op, I hear you - your baby is sick and you want to see a professional to give you comfort that they are ok or give some meds to make them ok.

Sadly all the other people phoning are in a similar situation and sadly there are not enough drs to go around.

So call 111 and they can give advice, they are pretty good at it and it may give you some comfort or a clear pathway.

I can only praise the current system having been admitted to hospital twice this week and seeing the go yesterday he has messaged me today (via text) with my results and to see how I am doing.

I get that you need them now, so just keep hitting the redial and you will get through, yes it may take a while.
I hope your little one gets well soon

Mine doesn't even triage
You ring at 8am, it cuts you off if more than 20 in the queue. I get through and say "I'm immunocompromised and have an infection and high risk for neutropenic sepsis"

"Sorry, no appointments left, try tomorrow"
Repeat. It doesn't matter if I ring from the very second they open, I can't get an appointment and they don't do online ones

I did manage to get through to them but they won’t see us so still same situation. It’s just really shit and I make no apologies for saying that. This baby has been disregarded for every day of his short life and it’s appalling.

That’s happened to me as well notmycat I can live with that for myself but for my baby it’s different.

superwe do have cover through DPs work but I am not sure if it is any good for these sorts of things, the small but annoying things that just leave you uncomfortable.

I'm not sure I would use it for a baby. I have used it to get a referral before. And that worked really well as I got nowhere with own GP.

I would use it again for minor things.

I'm a professional. I regularly have to ring GPs to discuss urgent safeguarding issues.

I can't get through half the time either.

If we're lucky, we occasionally get given an email address. But even they seem to be top secret information.