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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

At my local surgery all GP's are on holiday

110 replies

MobilityCat · 13/07/2021 14:08

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?

OP posts:
MichelleScarn · 13/07/2021 18:20

So all staff, GPS, admin, nurses, District nurses ALL away?

MrsPsmalls · 13/07/2021 18:29

My gp was a one man band and has extremely sadly recently passed away by his own hand. This I guess is how stressed our GPS are. So there is no gp at our surgery full stop. The next door gp has taken over in name only and is desperately looking for locum hours as obviously he cant do it himself. Things are dire for gps. Complaining doesn't help - it drives gps to early retirement, other jobs or worse. Campaigning might help.

EleanorOlephantisjustfine · 13/07/2021 18:31

@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
My docs have been seeing people face to face as well as telephone consultations.
EleanorOlephantisjustfine · 13/07/2021 18:33

Keeping on top of your supply of repeat prescriptions is your responsibility. You shouldn’t let your supply run down to nothing. Hope you can get sorted.

mineofuselessinformation · 13/07/2021 18:33

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
That's just not true.
I was prescribed tramadol about six weeks ago, via the out of hours service.

MythsandSparkles · 13/07/2021 18:39

@EleanorOlephantisjustfine

Keeping on top of your supply of repeat prescriptions is your responsibility. You shouldn’t let your supply run down to nothing. Hope you can get sorted.
Apart from a lot of GP’s won’t prescribe until you almost need the tablets,

I have ECHO which alerts me when I’m due to run out, the GP still won’t prescribe until I only have a weeks worth of tablets left, if they closed at the start of that week I’d be left with a tablet gap which absolutely wouldn’t be my fault.

OP this can’t be right, even if they have had a stressful year they still shouldn’t all be on AL together and if a series of unexpected events has miraculously all happened together there should still be back up- they literally can’t just not provide the service.

bnotts · 13/07/2021 18:40

My friend is a GP in a 4 person practice , 2 are isolating ( so providing telephone consultation only) , she has dragged in another GP on his days off and she is working all hours having run vaccination clinics every weekend for months . Call 111 - please don't report them it's been a truly shit time.

Original poster
MobilityCat · 13/07/2021 18:47

Thank you all for your supportive suggestions. I contacted the pharmacy and they confirmed the surgery is shut today and locum with agency office staff will be available tomorrow. If I've been a pain about this I am truly sorry

OP posts:
2bazookas · 13/07/2021 18:54

Contact your usual pharmacy and ask them for an emergency supply.

ilovesooty · 13/07/2021 18:57

@DeathStare

There are other types of "leave" as well as annual leave - maternity leave, adoption leave, compassionate leave, sick leave.

Try calling 111. They can sort out a prescription for you.

And training leave.
nocoolnamesleft · 13/07/2021 18:57

Sick leave.
Bereavement leave.
Emergency childcare leave.
I'd be gobsmacked if they were all on holiday.

EgonSpengler2020 · 13/07/2021 19:04

Talk to the pharmacist
Ring 111
Wait until out of hours GPs kick in (normally after 6pm & all weekend).

MissLucyEyelesbarrow · 13/07/2021 19:08

@MobilityCat

Thank you all for your supportive suggestions. I contacted the pharmacy and they confirmed the surgery is shut today and locum with agency office staff will be available tomorrow. If I've been a pain about this I am truly sorry
Right, so it's closed for a day? With what sounds like an unexpected staffing crisis (given that they've got a locum for tomorrow) , perhaps caused by bereavement or illness.

That's a tiny bit different to "all the GPs have fucked off on holiday", isn't it? 🙄

baldafrique · 13/07/2021 19:09

@MissLucyEyelesbarrow
Just a bit! Grin

CovidCorvid · 13/07/2021 19:11

Sounds like illness then, funny that in the middle of a pandemic that some health care professionals may have got poorly or at least be having to isolate At short notice.

RoomOfRequirement · 13/07/2021 19:13

Clearly they haven't all taken planned AL at the same time. Which of course you know, but why miss a chance to complain about doctors. Again.

JaneTheVirgin · 13/07/2021 19:14

Thank you all for your supportive suggestions. I contacted the pharmacy and they confirmed the surgery is shut today and locum with agency office staff will be available tomorrow.

Cross-posted but yes, there it is.

JaneTheVirgin · 13/07/2021 19:15

My previous post didn't post anyway, but was suggesting it was just an emergency and they'd get a locum.

MouldyPotato · 13/07/2021 19:17

If I've been a pain about this I am truly sorry not a pain at all! It is a very unusual circumstance! Glad the locums are coming in to help.

LizJamIsFab · 13/07/2021 19:19

I think it must be something like COVID +ve and they have all had to isolate or serious unexpected illness?? They might be saying “leave” to avoid panic.

I have never heard of 4 out of 4 GPs off at the same time and think it is highly unlikely holidays.

Everywhere I worked as a GP (17 practices so far) would only have 1 or max 2 out of 4 GPs off at a time.

Thefirsttime · 13/07/2021 19:20

@MissLucyEyelesbarrow just a bit! Given that they are being run by a locum and agency office staff tomorrow I would put my bets on this being an unforeseen emergency due to them either having or having been in contact with a confirmed covid case and them all having to self isolate.

@RoomOfRequirement the complaints about doctors on here at the moment are all getting a bit DM-esque.

LizJamIsFab · 13/07/2021 19:22

(they would only have any off if possible to get adequate cover - increasingly difficult as chronic lack of GPs means have been in constant crisis for past 2+ years)

Zilla1 · 13/07/2021 19:22

On leave doesn't necessarily mean annual leave. It could mean COVID sickness or other sick leave or special leave for family reasons. I would expect arrangements to have been put in place though I've never herd of this happening. I would call and ask to speak to the PM to find out what is going on and why alternative arrangements haven't been put in place.

jacks11 · 13/07/2021 19:24

This simply cannot be correct. It is a breach of their contract, there must be a doctor available every day they are opening.

If it is correct (which I very seriously doubt), then it is either because of an immediate crisis- all having to isolate for instance (and even then there is a fall back process to provide care)- or it is reportable and likely to lead to sanctions. Which is why I doubt they’d put a message advertising the situation- it would then be irrefutable.

MissLucyEyelesbarrow · 13/07/2021 19:25

@MrsPsmalls

My gp was a one man band and has extremely sadly recently passed away by his own hand. This I guess is how stressed our GPS are. So there is no gp at our surgery full stop. The next door gp has taken over in name only and is desperately looking for locum hours as obviously he cant do it himself. Things are dire for gps. Complaining doesn't help - it drives gps to early retirement, other jobs or worse. Campaigning might help.
Well put. I am genuinely worried about who will care for me when I am older. Who in their right mind will become a GP? The job just gets more and more stressful as more doctors leave. Female GPs have 4 times the suicide rate of women in other jobs.