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?

[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]
Our surgery has stopped the system online booking system and we've never been able to book an appointment via email.
I do wonder just how many receptionists are taking calls. It's only earlier this week my ed had to phone up and I waited until she had made her appointment before calling to make one for my yd. We both had the same person. Now, it may have been a coincidence but if the surgery has limited people answering the phone, that might explain the long wait.

Op how's your baby now? Did you manage to get seen somewhere? So sorry you've had such a difficult time, it is very hard.

There is a number of reasons why you couldn’t get through, colleagues stuck in traffic, staff covid outbreak, telephone lines down etc...

If you couldn’t get through there is always 111

It was 12 mins, not hours and there are other means to get in contact with a medical professional.

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

that worked before covid but not anymore. Someone posted on here the other day that they wanted to drop off a letter and the surgery told her to go away or they'd call the police! Mind you I'd have probably said "go on then" and listened to the call with the police. Could have been entertaining.

And nobody is actually reading what the OP is saying. It didn't ring out for 12 minutes, there was nothing at all.

@midsummerflowers

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.

If they've flat out refused to see a baby who appears to you to be in pain, that's shit. What did they say you should do?

People keep voting for a horrendously underfunded NHS. So that's what we've got.

But you have spoken to a GP, they said to go back to A and E.

You have for whatever reason not done than - it sounds like you don't want to wait again, but ultimately you've been advised that is what you need to do.

Thanks, pump, someone rang us at 2 and we have antibiotics.

I’m definitely not attacking individuals but the system is dreadful. This morning was pent up frustration at the last twelve or more months of care for both me and my baby that to be honest hasn’t been good enough.

No aurelia

I’m not being rude, I promise, but read the thread again.

A few weeks ago my baby had a horrible rash.

We went to A and E.

A and E said it looked fine but to go to the GP on Monday just in case.

I rang the GP a on Monday, and without seeing him or asking any questions, I was told to go back to A and E.

I said something along the lines of ‘that’s ridiculous, we’ve already been and they told us to see you’ at which point they agreed to look at a photograph of my baby and said ‘it’s a heat rash.’

This is a different occurrence, same problems getting through though.

And one day it won’t be just a heat rash or minor irritation and selfishly I just hope it won’t be my baby. It will be someone’s though.

mid its hard when you have a baby in normal times, never mind in a pandemic.

On our local news there was a story about a GP who refused to see a 6 week old wjos breathing wasn't quite right before they had a Covid test.

If we take the slight impatience this morning out of it, (we would probably all be similar) it's not right that it's so difficult for babies / children to see GPS in person.

And is it really the solution to take the child to A&E? I would do it, but it's ridiculous that is the only option to many parents.

@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

That is just awful

A and E is essentially the GP service now. Whatever the GP's are doing , it is not seeing non emergency care. The system isn't fit for purpose and sadly AE has had to pick up the slack.

I'm sorry this is happening OP, it is so awful when your baby is sick, it is the worst part of being a parent.

We are waiting here for an operation for my 2 year old, the service is overstretched due to impact of Covid and it has been terrible worrying that her condition is getting worse

But this is the fault of this government, which has been undermining and cutting the NHS for years. GPs would actually be better off emigrating to another country where they would get better pay and conditions than UK, but they stay as most of them are good people who care about making a difference. They hate working like this too, not enough time to see patients, not able to prescribe the best treatments, not given enough time to keep up to date with their ongoing professional development.

If you pay £50 you can see a GP same day and get the referral or px you need.

I agree that accessing GP care is very poor but I think it does depend on your area and practice. I work in a surgery (10,000 patients) and we are drowning in work. However, where I work you can come to the door at 8am and book a telephone call through the intercom. The clinician will call and if they need to see you face to face they will book a time that day to come in. Patients can use the econsult system and we have roughly 250 + emails a day where patients can request prescriptions and ask general enquiries but as emails aren't manned constantly, we discourage patients from requesting appointments/clinical advice due to the sheer volume of emails and an automated reply requests them to ring or fill out and econsult.
The hospitals are putting a lot of work on GP's to do blood forms, various tests, referrals and prescriptions when they should be doing them as the specialists which is creating enormous administration too for the clinicians and receptionists/admin staff.
A lot of patients could help themselves too by seeing a pharmacist for cold sores, verrucas, headlice, athlete's foot and other ailments that can be dealt with over the counter rather than take up a 10 minute phone call appointment.
I'm sorry your baby is unwell OP and I hope they're better soon. It's very frustrating all round.

I recently moved and have been told they have a registration waiting list of WEEKS!
How absurd!
I can't go to my old practice, and I can't even register for my new one (been moved for two months!).
Obviously if urgent I would go to A&E, but I do wonder how many silent but serious things like cancer are being missed because people can't get appointments, or in my case even register.

Please stop defending the indefensible.

GP practices are paid a lot of money, enough to pay a full time partner £150,000 per year.
They draw the money and pay part timers and temps about 60% and pocket the rest.
Greed!

@StrictlyAFemaleFemale

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

This is definately the way to get an appointment at our Gp surgery if you are well enough to stand in a queue

My GOD, why can’t people on Mumsnet EVER just listen to a frustrated parent and agree with all the experts who agree we have a massive NHS problem. It doesn’t mean OP is attacking individual doctors, it doesn’t necessarily have to be your experience either. Just listen to her version of events and emphasise. It’s not so hard.

OP I’m sorry you’ve been through a shit time and that your baby is ill. Hope he/she feels better very soon. I agree it’s so difficult at the moment. Don’t let this thread let you get down. Focus on your baby, always. 💗 I’m sick to death of it all too. Football stadiums of 60.000 viewers, sure. 120 kids isolating due to one possible covid case, has to be done apparently. So go shopping at The range or spend hours trying on clothes. But actually getting to see your GP? Don’t be utterly ridiculous! How very dare you want to do such a thing!
As for being told to go to A&E - I am very reluctant to go there as well unless told. I don’t want to be a bother to anyone and unless my life is at risk, forget it.

Vote Tory, vote underfunding the NHS. That's why you can't get an appointment. They're trying their best in the hardest of times.

The system is broken because people demand instant service from an overloaded system. Doctors aren't there at everyone's beck and call, to deal with little every twinge and stubbed toe. They are there to help when there is a need for them. Please don't call them unless it is really necessary.

The trouble in the UK is that because we don't pay (directly) for doctors we abuse the system.

We have an NHS problem because of years when this was coming everyone just said the same old crap which was "it's the NHS what do you expect".

Example, I can count on one hand (and have fingers to spare) the number of clinicians (Drs/nurses) and healthcare professionals like OTs and physios who brothered to actually attended meetings set up to discuss dismantling our rural healthcare and I know because I was someone who arranged those meetings. They simply didn't care. They couldn't even be bothered to send apologies or read the documents. I had appointment after appointment with professionals whining at me about removal of services, that's what happens when you don't turn up and don't give a shit. All meetings were then removed down to South Wales, due to lack of clinician engagement, where it was decided services were to be given.

Now none of the GP practices are NHS owned in my county. None. All private. The GPs are NHS but do nothing but complain as they must leave before 6pm. My practice and others in the area are covered in passive aggressive posters blaming patients for service closures and pressure on GPs. If they gave a shit then they should have gone to the engagement meetings not blamed patients. Of course no one will want to go into general practice with a bunch of whiny Drs who could have done something about it and I worked for the NHS I know if you try hard enough you can get funding and help but it takes a lot of effort AND I was "just" admin and clerical so it was even harder - without me none of the NHS services in mid and west wales would have a computer, just in case anyone in wondering what made my job so useful to the NHS.

This is before you even consider that EVERY practice in my area has staff on furlough! In practices that are CLOSED. There's zero excuse except saving money. Then there's the practices demanded seven days now to do repeated prescriptions, seven working days PLUS another two for the pharmacy to get the meds sorted out (we've only one - with no one on furlough incidentally) and the practices are blaming the pharmacy. Like a pp mentioned practices are phoning police if people turn up and police turn up to move people on due to severe risk. Not a risk though when the same staff working there want to go to the pub for lunch, or jump the pharmacy queue and refuse to wear a facemask.

I've a relative who has been diagnosed with terminal womb cancer because for six months they were fobbed off with antibiotics for a uti. Yes six months of solid bleeding.

Staff whining to the media about people going to hospital isn't going to change anything, nor is ambulance trusts doing the same. Either GP surgeries reopen 100% fully with FULL SERVICES (so no more of this "emergency only" crap, but diabetes clinic for example being open for the first time in over fifteen months, no clinics are being run) or hospitals and ambulance trusts will have to put up with people going to them with conditions that have unecessarily got worse.

I lost a friend today because no one could be assed to see her because "it's too dangerous", she had been diagnosed with terminal cancer and just left to get on with it because she was going to die anyway so where's the point in seeing her. She ended her life. I'm sure her practice is overjoyed at the news she won't be bothering them anymore.

I've been banned from Facebook for posting this opinion because no one wants to hear it. Doesn't change it though does it? The meetings happened everywhere about changes to services but clincians just didn't care.

@markmichelle

Please stop defending the indefensible. GP practices are paid a lot of money, enough to pay a full time partner £150,000 per year. They draw the money and pay part timers and temps about 60% and pocket the rest. Greed!

You’re completely missing the point. It doesn’t matter how much they get paid. ( IMO they should be paid well given the training and amount of responsibility they have). There arent enough GP’s for our population size. They can’t make up appointment times from thin air. Although not a doctor I’m a health professional who is fully booked daily and I’m currently seeing patients in my admin time (meaning that I have no time to write letters, make referrals etc) I’m coming in early and finishing late every day. I’m working 10 hours a day and that still isn’t enough! The demand is too high. It’s sad but I think it’s time patients were charged a small fee. If we did that the drop in demand would be instant.