At my local surgery all GP's are on holiday

[MobilityCat]

I need a new prescription and when I called the surgery I got an automated message telling me that they were all away on leave but someone will be available for telephone consultation only in a weeks time. Meanwhile in pain and almost out of medicine. Is it too much to ask for ONE out of four to take their leave separately?

A Doctor in the next county to me did this, left her surgery without locum provision for a 2 week holiday. It was a huge story here & nationally, ending up in the Daily Fail so there should be some emergency cover. If not, ring your local newspaper, I'm sure they will be interested to investigate

www.pressreader.com/uk/daily-mail/20151212/281565174703319

@Lurcherloves

I expect they are burnt out from a very difficult year. They are human beings you know. They do a very demanding job. I’m sure there is alternative provision.

How is it a very demanding job when for the past 15 months I've had phone consultation only?

@Mamamia7962

For an emergency prescription you can ring 111.

Tried that but they won't do it for Tramadol, it must be prescribed by a doctor

@Twoforthree

What did the message tell you to do if you need medical assistance?

Someone will be available for telephone consultation only in a weeks time

YANBU to be angry there is no provision. That is not on and should be reported to the local health authority.

YABU to suggest GPs have had an easy ride during the pandemic.

That's terrible!! I'm sure they're supposed to get in locum cover if all the GPs are off at the same time for unavoidable reasons (I doubt it's all four of them on holiday at the same time).

I think if it were me I'd be heading down to the chemist that did my last prescription and asking them for advice on what to do next. Or going to another GP practice and asking them what to do!!

@Lockheart

The amount of threads you've posted OP with different problems each time, you clearly have incredibly bad luck.

I think I must have been very bad in a previous life. I'm sorry if I'm being a pain I know many people who are far worse off

Shouldn’t they have a locum in?

@hardyloveit

Lurcherloves - they haven't even been seeing people face to face for the best part of a year!! Only phone calls so GPs haven't had it as bad as some doctors

They have been seeing people who need to be seen in many practices. Our GP’s have never stopped F2F consultations, they are just only booking in the people who need to be seen in person and doing what they can via phone.

YANBU to be annoyed, there should be provision in place - I’d expect via 111 for urgent scripts. However you’re unreasonable to suggest they’ve had an easy time or that they’ve all swanned off on planned holiday - presumably some combination of sick leave / compassionate leave / parental leave / annual leave and already out of the country when the other went down.
What are they supposed to do if too sick to work and can’t get locum cover which is impossible in some parts of the country, especially if no partner on site.

Also it’s quite well publicised now that there are more GP appointments happening now than before the pandemic. Plenty are over the phone but if they were all face to face the workload would be even more unmanageable and there would be full waiting rooms full of sick and vulnerable people. Ours never stopped doing face to face but is continuing to triage everything which isn’t perfect but better than the alternatives given the lack of doctors / increasing demand.

Call the CCG and ask what’s going on and what the interim arrangements are. They won’t all be on holiday at the same, it will be sick leave or something else unexpected

@Smallfry79

Away on leave doesnt necessarily mean annual leave. Maybe the ons scheduled to cover leave has gone out sick or had a bereavement. Maybe one of them has covid and the others also contracted it or are isolating. Summer staffing is always an issue with so much annual and parental leave, throw in covid or other sick leave unexpectedly it can be a nightmare.

If it is all annual leave that is very poor management and terrible service

I don't have detailed information, whether it's annual leave or Covid related or what. I'm scared to go to A&E.

My Dr's surgery has 2 GPs. They nearly always take annual leave at the same time as they are a married couple and they "go home" for their holidays.
They always have a couple of locums in when they are away though so the surgery is never "unmanned".
111 should be able to do an emergency script... I've had them.

I think leave in this situation means absence not holiday, so its likely for eg one is in holiday, 1 is self isolating and 2 are sick. Its not ideal, but not planned on their part. There is no way they would have planned to have taken time away from work at the same time.

You should make use of the reordering systems pharmacies provide free of charge, then you wouldn't be almost out of medicine as they'd have ordered your prescription in plenty of time.

If you use the same pharmacy all the time they'll likely be able to sort something for you.

All isolating I expect. Call your local pharmacist, they can issue emergency prescription if you are a regular .

@RockingMyFiftiesNot

Ask at a pharmacy, I'm sure they are allowed to dispense limited amounts of certain medicines in emergencies .

Not for Tramadol being an opiate. I take 2 paracetamol, 1 Codein 2 Tramadol to keep pain at a manageable level

It's v v unlikely that they are on holiday, more likely as pp has said that it's a mix of sick leave, isolating etc etc- not something they can manage. There should be something in place for patients though.

@MobilityCat my GP hasn't been phone consultation only. They try to sort your issue out on the phone and if they can't you see them face-to-face. They also still doing things like referral letters, arranging tests and contacting consultants/departments for individual patients.

There should be a locum surly my GP surgery is the same as a pp a married couple so they take leave at the same time but they always have cover.
I am on weekly scripts and it’s dangerous to stop suddenly a few of my medications I can’t get a stockpile so rely on a GP to fill one every single week so I would be screwed
Can you get a out of hour appointment?

@Crazycakelady17

There should be a locum surly my GP surgery is the same as a pp a married couple so they take leave at the same time but they always have cover. I am on weekly scripts and it’s dangerous to stop suddenly a few of my medications I can’t get a stockpile so rely on a GP to fill one every single week so I would be screwed Can you get a out of hour appointment?

I can't arrange anything for the next week. Some of my medication will last, some won't.

Have 111 been able to help? They should be able to give you a short course to tide you over and much more appropriate than A&E (if not a controlled drug then pharmacy would best to try first, but you’re right they won’t with a controlled drug)

Well that seems ridiculous. Phone 111 and say you've run out of meds and your GPS are skiving!