GP Surgeries are NEGLIGENT if they're not doing face to face appointments

[AmIEmptyOrNumB]

My GP surgery never stopped. They just triaged so 90% by phone and those essential face to face appointments carried on but with masks etc. Why is the government not doing more about this? These Surgeries denying all face to face appointments are failing the hippocratic oath.

GP’s did vaccinations - DH did care home staff and residents, CEV and those who physically couldn’t leave home. He has spent eight weeks working on a hospital Covid ward when they were desperate for doctors.

He has worked more hours per week during the last 18 months than even as a junior hospital doctor.

He is now 50 and leaving the NHS as we are moving to Canada.

@NotMyCat

The problem for me is I can't answer the phone! And they're only doing on the day appointments So say I need antibiotics for a UTI, but I'm well enough to work Rather than ringing at 8am (time off work) and getting an appointment (time off work) it goes Ring at 8am (time off work), wait for call back and answer (time off work), take urine sample in (time off work), get call back (time off work), maybe get appointment (time off work!)

My boss is perfectly happy with me taking time to ring the GP and make an appointment but not to have to mess about ringing, taking samples in, waiting for call backs etc when they can't give a time. I can't answer my phone when I'm working

This is an example of NHS inefficiency. If you are a known sufferer of regular UTIs which require antibiotics, there is no reason why you shouldn't just be able to pass in a sample to reception without any phone appointment first, and ask them to send it off for testing.

There are other examples of this type of thing. In Europe their basic healthcare for things like that seems so much more efficient. Such a waste of everyone's time when it's not a first UTI ,you and the GP have already established at a first appointment years ago that there are no other particular reasons why you have developed them, despite good hygiene practices when wiping etc, other than you are just "prone" to them, you have already tried the sachets and it's STILL not clearing and you know you need antibiotics.

Just ludicrous.

@threecee masses of GPs have retired in the last 20 years

And the lower numbers of medical students coming through? Less going into Primary Care

We are on the brink of an absolute shit show

@Mrs08

My sister was asked for a pic of her tonsils (she gets bad tonsillitis) She said its surprisingly difficult to get a good/well lit photo of body parts

even more difficult if you live on your own and don't have a smart phone who do you get to [photograph that rash in an inaccessible place?

@CurlyhairedAssassin exactly

What is missing is the out of the box thinking

There was a woman in the pharmacy the other day who was rung by their GP who insisted they spoken then or it was recorded as DNA. I felt really sorry for her.
@Becca19962014 I think this is the GP taking advantage of their position of power and violating patient privacy.
Its a shame that the pharmacist didn't challenge the GP.

GP practices have remained open throughout the pandemic and face to face appointments have always been available where clinically necessary.

Nonsense, my DD needed seen for a recurring ear infection - prescribed antibiotics over the phone 5 times, each time with an instruction that she needed an examination after the medication had run it’s course. In the end her audiology consultant recalled her to his clinic to have a look because he and I knew the GP would refuse to see her - she now needs surgery to repair damage in her ear caused by the repeated infections.

GP refused to see my DH who due to an underlying condition is at risk of sepsis when he gets a UTI. He ended up in hospital for over a week with sepsis - had he seen a GP they would have noticed he was very unwell, more than would usually be the case with a UTI and prescribed the right medication avoiding the cost and time of a hospital stay, not to mention the fear that comes with such a life threatening illness.

I don’t mind phone appointments abd I don’t mind a triage process, I do mind when repeated issues aren’t picked up meaning they escalate when a quick appointment and examination would have caught it.

I’m so tired of being told GPS surgeries are working normally, they aren’t.

I wish I knew what the answer was.

I just know that - currently - people are going to suffer and die because the GPs here do not understand that elderly/vulnerable people cannot use the technology they are being told to use and it is not always appropriate to do phone appointments. Sometimes f2f is necessary, especially for people with lots of co morbidities.

It's all a house of cards and it's going to fall down.

@Becca19962014 that isn't true, a 3 - 7 day course of nitrofurantoin is recommended; the length of the course depends on various factors.

It's just so depressing

The GP'S that are too lazy to do face to face should be DEEPLY ASHAMED

It's odd.

I've had several eye clinic hospital appointments, scans, seen the optician, the dentist and can have massages fgs but I can't see a Dr f2f?

I just don't understand it.

I was told by a phlebotomist at my surgery earlier in the year that the phone consultations are staying, i felt she was expressing what she had overheard which was that a lot of patients are time wasters, who should count themselves lucky to be on the books of their practice ! its all happened across the country so seamlessly it can only have been a plan already in the pipeline, also plenty of DR's seem keen to be GP's in my experience as its not as demanding as Hospital work.

"also plenty of DR's seem keen to be GP's in my experience as its not as demanding as Hospital work."

That must be why there is such a surplus of GPs....

Our GP surgery has been fab throughout the pandemic. Telephone calls when appropriate, face to face apts when needed. Can't fault them at all!

@threecee

Why are G P's still not routinely seeing all patients face to face as before Covid ? surely there are still the same numbers of GP's employed, it strikes me that they are using covid to bring phone consultations in without discussion with the patients, government etc.

Has it ever occurred to you that plenty of patients actually prefer a phone appointment? Clearly not.

At our practice we ended up having to convert most of our face to face slots for the day to telephone calls on Friday because that's what people were requesting.

We, like the vast majority of practices have never stopped seeing patients if need be.

A GP can handle more patients remotely. At DH’s they offer both remote and f2f. If you want a remote appointment it is usually the same day or next. There is anything up to a three week wait for f2f. His surgery are also doing home visits when required as well as care home visits.

Fact is those who can advocate for themselves/quote NICE guidelines etc will get seen.

Those who won't/can't will suffer.

@CurlyhairedAssassin have you seen the antibiotic resistance levels in some European countries? Everyone wants a magic pill but actually half the time what people should do is go to bed and rest (I’m not referring to UTI in particular). If you think covid is bad wait until we have no effective antibiotics in a few years time. Sending samples off for everyone is not best practice, nor is ‘dipping’ urine in the GP practice. A lot can change in a few years of course people need to be reassessed and treatment would generally be given according to symptoms. It’s not unreasonable to expect someone so acutely unwell they need antibiotics to be off work. It’s a different story for routine appointments and I would agree there needs to be some ability to schedule around work
If you’re not happy with your GP complain and let someone who is medically trained judge whether the treatment is appropriate or not. People don’t spend years training for nothing.

@Parker231,

It depends what you mean by ‘handle’.

Next time you fly on holiday, try a plane that has been checked over remotely. Pilots complained of some yawing and a strange noise. They sent some pictures to the engineers and had a phone chat. The engineers suggested probably not too serious and oil it well.

Happy flight!

I like the new setup of our GPs. You call on the day to get a telephone appointment and are then booked in within 2 days to see someone. I have had issues with bleeding between periods and they have been excellent and quick with turn around. Bloods and pelvic exam results were back within 48 hours. Everything is more fluid this way.

My mum has Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia and has needed extra care and they have been amazing from start to finish. I think some practices are taking the mick but I can only praise the new structure as it's worked out so well for our family.

Sorry you are having problems though OP. I would be frustrated if my health needs aren't being met. Any other surgery you could go to instead?

@TheReluctantPhoenix - many people now prefer remote appointments and f2f is offered to those who don’t want it or need to be seen in person.

[quote Parker231]@TheReluctantPhoenix - many people now prefer remote appointments and f2f is offered to those who don’t want it or need to be seen in person.[/quote]
With all due respect, there is post after post on this thread alone stating the exact opposite.

Not all people can get seen f2f - even if they are terminally ill.

I've had no problems with my gp, I need face to face appointments as I'm deaf. Granted my dh has to phone for me but they've always given me same day appointments when I was struggling and regular appointments .I'm in the North east
90% are vaccinated and 80 double vaxxed in my area. They've been brilliant running vaccination hub etc.