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?

Well after not seeing patients for over a year, not answering the phone, and never making any house calls, GPs need a holiday.

And since they rarely talk to anyone, it's not a surprise their holidays are all at the same time.

But the government state "Remember the NHS is open". Except that in many cases it is not.

I hope you get what you need from another source, and are not in pain.

Sounds completely abnormal to have all GPs off on annual leave at the same time

Presumably they cannot just decide to shut the practice to do this

I suppose it depends if what looks like a deliberate strategy of making a service delivered by independent practices fail then marketising the service by large corporates with offshore remote doctors and HCPs to change the economics and enable a revenue stream to corporates.

Some people might be surprised at the number of MPs and Ministers receiving donations by large corporate and offshore healthcare firms.

Still, as Lord Bethell said/implied about English HCPs, lucky to have a job.

PCN vaccination hub sabotaged now by government but now planning for September 'flu and CVOID booster to large cohort and business as usual.

Many colleagues look exhausted and some dusted off and actively pursuing emigration and early retirement.

Just to add, being 'away on leave' can have several meanings

First conclusion to jump to is off on holidays

Sick leave

Study leave

Maternity leave

Paternity leave

I don't think they're all off sunning themselves on an exotic beach

They won’t all be on annual leave. Why have you left it to the last minute to obtain a regular medication?

Well after not seeing patients for over a year, not answering the phone, and never making any house calls, GPs need a holiday. Nice.

We've never had a day in 2020 or 2021 when we've not seen patients face to face nor not answered the phones in a timely fashion. I know the latter as our telephone system gives real time information. Also, we can't transfer calls when we close to out of hours or for practice communications and training sessions with any waiting calls. I understand it's not the same everywhere though it is in my practice and the separate practices where I and my DC are patients.

@Daphnise

Well after not seeing patients for over a year, not answering the phone, and never making any house calls, GPs need a holiday.

And since they rarely talk to anyone, it's not a surprise their holidays are all at the same time.

But the government state "Remember the NHS is open". Except that in many cases it is not.

I hope you get what you need from another source, and are not in pain.

It's people like you who are spreading lies. NHS England (no friend of GPs) has confirmed that GPs are busier than pre-Covid. GPs provided 31.4 million appointments in April alone, 34% of which were face to face. GP teams have given 65 million Covid vaccines since January.

It's people like you who are pushing GPs into early retirement.

It's people like you who are ensuring that young doctors won't choose general practice.

It's people like you who are driving GPs to suicide.

@Daphnise

Well after not seeing patients for over a year, not answering the phone, and never making any house calls, GPs need a holiday.

And since they rarely talk to anyone, it's not a surprise their holidays are all at the same time.

But the government state "Remember the NHS is open". Except that in many cases it is not.

I hope you get what you need from another source, and are not in pain.

Oh wheeesht! Actually read the thread and you'll see op has asked someone and it's been an emergency for today only! Am so sorry for how disappointed all the posters hoping for a story in the news and complaints being made to professional bodies!

In the surgery I work in we have 2 full time GPs. One is on holiday this week and we've had locums in. However on Friday we've been unable to secure locum cover so will only have one GP. If that GP is ill and cannot come into work we will be a bit stuffed.

Well said @MissLucyEyelesbarrow
Even when self-isolating our GPs have been working from home. Our GPs have seen patients face-to-face every single day since COVID began and provided thousands of phone consultations, mostly same day appointments whilst also running vaccine clinics 7 days a week. They are a bloody amazing bunch and I honestly don't know how they do it.