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

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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.

NHS England data lifted directly from GP computer systems (where type of consultation is automatically recorded) shows that over 50pc of appointments are F2F. I think it was 70-something pre-pandemic.

www.pulsetoday.co.uk/workload/latest-gp-appointment-figures-show-immense-strain-practices-are-under/

NHS Dataset here:

digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/appointments-in-general-practice

@frumpety

I think one of the biggest problems is that things have changed and a lot of people don't understand the changes.

For instance, our GP practice introduced an online consult form that you could fill out, it is basically a triage system, this is great for me as a nurse, because I can speed through one without any bother, I know what is wrong and I know which buttons to press to get the best and most appropriate response. I have used it twice for myself and once for DH ( which resulted in him being admitted to hospital ) and each time got a phone call within an hour and appropriate treatment.

What worries me is all the people who don't understand this system or can't access this system and there will be an awful lot of them. They are left floundering with the old telephone system, where you rang up, told the receptionsit what was wrong and you got an appointment.

Perhaps if they trained and paid a nurse or a HCA ( I work in community and our HCA's are very good at triage ) to take the phone calls and go through the triage process over the phone it would help ?

This is so true. After seeing on here about e-consult - I emailed my medical centre to ask if it was available for booking appts - I already get repeat prescriptions online and pick them up at the chemist.
I got a reply next day - yes they do and here is an attachment showing you how to use it. Now I am sure it is not beyond the whit of the medical centre to contact their patients by email or text message to let them know this is available and how to use it. _ an easy job for an admin bod and it could well make a differance to lots of their patients The other thing I have noted is that many people are quoting the £150 per registered patient per year as if it constitutes a bare subsistence amount. That amount is for every registered patient on their books - WHETHER THEY ARE SEEN OR NOT - GPs can earn up to £90k per annum and many of them choose to work part time. I do not have much sympathy for their tales of woe.

@Samanabanana

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!

Same. I feel very fortunate in this!

I had unexplained bleeding on a Sunday. Spoke to a receptionist on Monday morning and a doctor an hour later. Offered a f to f appointment that afternoon. Referred to hospital and seen within two weeks. Hysteroscopy with positive outcome.

Also had blood tests at a different clinic for another condition and prescribed appropriate medication.

No complaints regarding the treatment my GP has offered. The senior partner has retired though and I don't think he's been replaced.

@Parker231,

I do take your point but I don’t agree.

Many pilots and passengers may also prefer the quick remote inspection, fear of losing their jobs, being delayed etc. But, fortunately, professionals put rigorous standards in place.

In addition, many might ‘prefer’ them as they are manipulated into them-‘quick phone later or f2f in 2 weeks?’.

Don’t we deserve to treat vulnerable human beings at least as well as we treat machines?

Does anyone bashing gps understand there is a shortage of GPS in the U.K.?

Ahh yes let’s bash them some more so they go abroad! That will really help!

My GP surgery has been triaging by phone and offering face to face where necessary but im desperately hoping this phone appt system isn't here to stay. When I book a phone appt, I only get told am or pm. Which is no use without a time as I cannot answer my phone when working. The call gets missed and thats it, appt gone.

I had blood tests and needed to discuss the results with the GP to discuss treatment options. Blood tests in May, first telephone appointment available was at end of July. GP said I needed a BP check and asked me to buy a monitor to check my own BP but I needed to start the drugs ASAP. I said I wouldn’t be able to get my own monitor that quickly so she made an appointment for me to go and see the nurse that day. While I was there the nurse reminded me about my overdue smear test. I told her I’d been offered a telephone appointment fir it but figured that wouldn’t really work. She rolled her eyes and told me she’d been in the surgery ALL DAY ready and willing to see patients but had only seen 4 people. She did my test there and then. It’s NOT the GPs or nurses in my opinion - the issue is with the gatekeepers.

Im finally on the drugs that I should have been given when I first started feeling ill nearly a year ago!

Mine certainly is still doing face to face appointments. They're just doing the initial conversation by phone and then you come in if needed after that.

To be honest I've found it very convenient to have those phone appointments! Saved me coming in, in one case, and got to the point of what I needed.

I'm glad I haven't had to escalate anything to my CCG though. I've had dealings with them regarding a charity I was involved with that they fund, and they are utterly appalling.

@FabianK

Does anyone bashing gps understand there is a shortage of GPS in the U.K.?

Ahh yes let’s bash them some more so they go abroad! That will really help!

OK. I'll try and be happy my elderly frail mother spent 5 days in hospital for an infection that could have and should have been treated by her gp. She has now lost even more weight and is exhausted from no sleep and inedible food for 4 days/nights. But..OK. let's not point out that some gps are not providing good care and that vulnerable people are suffering.

@FabianK

Does anyone bashing gps understand there is a shortage of GPS in the U.K.?

Ahh yes let’s bash them some more so they go abroad! That will really help!

It's only family that kept me in the UK (elderly parents and parents-in-law).

Soon after getting married I had a long chat with my partner and made it really clear that we'd have a much better life abroad (Canada/NZ/Australia) but in the end we couldn't bear to miss out on what is limited time with our folks and them being able to see the grandchildren etc.

I'll certainly be cutting my NHS commitments over the future years. Actually, I kind of wish the service would completely fail faster. It will take fewer people with it in the meanwhile (Doctors and patients).

Can I just ask that if anyone is poorly before 8am and after 6.30 pm or at the weekend, please call 111 where you will have access to GP services.
Please don't wait until Monday morning because "you don't want to bother anyone else". They are funded to be bothered by everyone - please don't leave it, as it could get worse.

Until more people come forward and point out how bad it is in some places then nothing will change.

Primary care is no longer fit for purpose. Time to put it - and us - out of our misery.

When did I say not to point out some gps aren’t providing good care?

In my opinion, a lot of the complaints are being aimed at doctors rather than the system as a whole. Many of the issues being brought up are related to Gp shortages and lack of funding!

Yes, it’s very sad. My DD is attending medical school now and I’m encouraging her to move and work abroad for not just a better quality of life but also a better system to work in.

@FabianK

When did I say not to point out some gps aren’t providing good care?

In my opinion, a lot of the complaints are being aimed at doctors rather than the system as a whole. Many of the issues being brought up are related to Gp shortages and lack of funding!

I'm sure you'd feel the same if it was your loved one suffering needlessly of course....

@FabianK

Make sure she gets full registration first (ie complete FY2) but then definitely encourage her to leave the UK.

I wonder how much it costs uk taxpayers to train Dr's?......

My DS was "diagnosed" with folliculitis over the phone. He ended up in hospital with kidney damage as he had HSP. Couldn't quite believe they wouldn't see a child at the surgery with a non-blanching rash but they insisted on a telephone appointment and psychic powers.

@ohfourfoxache

When are people going to realise that what appears to be “negligent GPs” is actually wide spread, inherent system failure. On a massive scale.

But many posters are reporting positive experiences - so how is that inherent system failure?

Postcode lottery I guess.

@Username916

I think people confuse the initial telephone appointment as a refusal for face to face consultations.

It took me 7 telephone consultations before I was able to see a face to face GP regarding a rapidly growing endometrioma that was potentially cancerous.

How many people would be happy to speak to a trained HCP who isn't a Doctor about their health issue as part of a triage process, much like when you call 111 ? Thinking about people who might struggle with the online consult process. So you ring the GP and you get options like routine appointment , prescriptions or medication queries and initial telephone consult, which would involve a over the phone triage assessment much like an online consult.

You can have both together.

If 500 people are competing for 200 appointments you end up with 200 people who felt they got great service and 300 people who got the worst service ever etc. An oversimplification of course, but true.

I don't know any GP who doesn't think there is system failure (although there are different views about possible solutions or whether it is recoverable).

Personally I think it's past the point of no return and the golden goose is peri-arrest