To think that if I can work..

[ButtonRose]

Surrounded by the British public every day and "be safe", there is simply no reason why I have to have a telephone appointment before I can see a real human being for heath care?

Did they give you an i person appointment after your phone one? Did you ask for one? My GPs have same day in person appointments for those that need them. It works well. If they don't offer this maybe write to your practice manager?

@CorrBlimeyGG

I've been given a face to face appointment if it was needed.

"I'm alright Jack."

Not at all. I'm merely pointing out that initial telephone triaging might filter out those who don't need a face to face appointment. On another occasion the same GP prescribed with a telephone consultation.

The GP cannot help me without a physical examination. I can't stress that enough.

Presumably you can't do your job remotely, but many medical consultations can. What is reasonable and justified in one situation is irrelevant to one that is completely different.

They were talking about this issue on the news this morning. By doing telephone appointments, they could have far more appointments and a significant percentage didn't need face to face - repeat prescriptions etc. Everyone who needs an in person consultation will get one.

Your argument that you have to work 'surrounded by the British public' therefore everyone else should makes as much sense as saying that because roofers face the risk of working at height then we all should. H&S101 - eliminate the hazard where you can and for those situations where you can't, put extra protection measures in place.

[quote ButtonRose]@Lotsofwishes

A telephone consultation is not appropriate for me. I need a physical examination in order to get the help I need.[/quote]
If that’s the case you will get your face to face appointment after the telephone consultation.

This is getting very boring now. Almost identical threads every day. Go and read any of the many other threads on this topic that have been started over recent weeks and months.

If you think a face-to-face appointment isn't safe for you or the professional, don't go. It's that simple :)

@ButtonRose

The GP cannot help me without a physical examination. I can't stress that enough.

Yes I understand, did they agree and give you an appointment to see you face to face?

You cannot see a gp however you can go to a dentist , a beautician, a hairdresser for up close and personal treatment. I don’t understand why we still are struggling to see our doctors . Surely they need to be behind plastic , wearing masks like others 🤷‍♀️

My point is that my safety, my health, my life, is as important as that of any health care practitioner. And, that self same HCP can access my services any day, immediately, while I, while ill, in order to ensure the "safety" of that HCP have to wait for that HCP to decide that I am worthy of the service I need from them. If you can't see the disparity in fairness and care in that situation then the problem is all yours.

They can help more people more safely with phone consultations. As long as they then see the people who need to be seen in person promptly I'm still not getting the problem.

@ButtonRose

The GP cannot help me without a physical examination. I can't stress that enough.

Yes, we know that.

But you need a telephone appointment first. Why is that so hard to understand? Just have the phone conversation if your problem is that urgent.

If you can't wait to have a phone call with the doctor and then be given a face to face appointment the same day or the next day then it might be an emergency?

I have a telephone consultation booked. I have no idea how long after that I will have to wait for a face to face appointment. If it worsens, and it is feeling that way, but not at crisis point at present, then I will have no choice but to go to A and E.

They want to decide for themselves who actually needs a physical examination.

Because if it was left to the patients to decide, what would happen would be that pretty much all of them would say that they need an in person appointment, and when they turned up, a good proportion wouldn't.

@ButtonRose

Because I am in close contact with people all day long who don't keep their distance, wear their masks under their chins, and worse things than that., etc etc

It's not GPs fault that you work there..

@ButtonRose

I have a telephone consultation booked. I have no idea how long after that I will have to wait for a face to face appointment. If it worsens, and it is feeling that way, but not at crisis point at present, then I will have no choice but to go to A and E.

Fingers crossed it will be the same day for you

@ilovesooty

There is much less time wasting if people are triaged by telephone initially. I've been given a face to face appointment if it was needed.

The problem with this is that you are expected to give out confidential symptoms to an unqualified receptionist. Also, if you have to have a telephone consultation and it is then decided you need a face to face appointment, time has been wasted and you effectively end up with two appointments and potentially depriving someone else of a necessary appointment.

The problem is if you have covid, then pass it onto gp, who would then unknowingly pass it onto lots of other people (who on average would be more likely to be sick and vulnerable than the general public - eg they may need to do home visits or go to care homes).

I hope you can get a face to face appointment. But understandably gps need to be careful - as they may be a vector for transmission.

My GP has been so much easier to get to where you need to be. You fill in the econsult and then get a text message saying when the doctor will ring or a phonecall asking if they are ok to refer you elsewhere - I got a same day emergency eye hospital appointment that normally would have been GP and a wait or A&E. If you need an appointment the doctor will invite you in the same day or the next. I’m one of the few people I think that prefers the set up.

It has been different this last week but we got a text message saying there was a GP shortage due to illness…. So maybe things will change after this as they will want to shield them more.

@Violinist64 I didn't have a problem with briefly indicating my symptoms to the receptionist to inform the doctor. The doctor phoned me an hour later and I was offered a same day face to face appointment. I don't see much time wasting there.

@BarbaraofSeville

They want to decide for themselves who actually needs a physical examination.

Because if it was left to the patients to decide, what would happen would be that pretty much all of them would say that they need an in person appointment, and when they turned up, a good proportion wouldn't.

This might be the case but any experienced doctor will tell you that the eye sometimes notices something that is seemingly innocuous. This cannot be detected over the telephone. Even if many people have seemingly minor conditions, sometimes a doctor’s reassurance is what is needed, particularly with older people. It is time for doctors to get back to normal.

Are you sure your GP can help you? Or maybe a quick phonecall could lead directly to a referral on for treatment.

Surely it's not more efficient though.

Previously:
Phone call from OP to surgery- I need a physical examination due to x y z.

Receptionist schedules an appointment, OP turns up, all done.

Now:

Phone call from OP to surgery - I need a physical examination due to x y z.

Receptionist or whoever arranges a telephone appointment to see if they need a f2f appointment. This could be up to ten days away.

GP phones OP - you need a physical examination and need to arrange a f2f appointment.

OP then makes an appointment for a f2f appointment...could be next day, or up to ten days again. In the meantime, OP continues to suffer pain/deteriorates.

GP eventually sees OP.

Surely that middle step is totally unnecessary for cases such as OP? I agree some are better done over phone - medication reviews, repeat prescriptions etc - and some people are happier with phone appointments. But this system is rubbish for some people.

I'm also thinking about people like my mum who go to the GP with a physical problem but through seeing her in person and talking with her, GP saw through her "I'm fine" nonsense and a) sent her to hospital for her eyesight (she's now receiving regular injections in her eye in an attempt to prevent her becoming blind) and b) diagnosed her with depression and prescribed appropriately. She is now doing much better. But she wouldn't listen to us and didn't want to admit there were other problems. The GP seeing her in person was able to look at her holistically and sensitively start difficult conversations. None of that would have taken place over the phone - she'd have been prescribed cocodamol or some such for the physical problem and left to get on with it. Yes, GPs need to see lots of patients and their time is valuable - but we're heading to a factory production line style of treatment where it's about numbers dealt with rather than quality of care.

[quote ilovesooty]@Violinist64 I didn't have a problem with briefly indicating my symptoms to the receptionist to inform the doctor. The doctor phoned me an hour later and I was offered a same day face to face appointment. I don't see much time wasting there.[/quote]
I’m glad it worked out for you but many people don’t like talking about symptoms to unqualified people, especially if said symptoms are potentially embarrassing.

especially if said symptoms are potentially embarrassing

And especially if you have to do that in a work/public environment.