GP sheltering since covid running London marathon

[justasking111]

OH raging that our GP working from home since March last year is running the London marathon today is he being unreasonable. He's spitting feathers here. This is the senior partner owner of the building practice

"The gps were FTF yesterday for the first time en masse to administer the flu jab. The covid jabs were all done by nurses. He clocked that as well hence his ire"

Why would his ire be raised by only nurses delivering COVID vaccinations but nurses and GPs delivering 'flu vaccs? Either way, let's hope he doesn't run out of ire.

FWIW, our PCN administered COVID jabs using a mixture of nurses and GPs. Our 'flu vaccs were delivered by our practice over the last couple of weeks (c1800 successfully delivered by working weekends) were also administered by a mixture of GPs and nurses. GPs volunteered to show willing and leadership even though they could have earned more elsewhere.

[quote Zilla1]@privateandnhsgp That sounds a less stressful operation. Presumably you live in a geographic area with the demographics to support a viable private service? If so, I'd expect you'll find recruitment easier in the future than for a NHS practice in England.[/quote]
Yes we're in a nice leafy area but you'd be surprised (we certainly were) at how many people are willing to spend over £100 to have a tonsillitis checked "today" at a convenient time - and I mean "average" people rather then CEOs and millionaires.

Also there are lots of people doing very well - one guy we saw last week was a chip shop owner who wasn't shy in telling us that he had £1000s in undeclared cash every week from his three chippies and he'd be using is regularly in the future. Paid in £50 notes!

Interesting question. I doubt the medical profession has had time to form a coherent view at all. This model was introduced by the government overnight, obviously without any risk assessment, and it was probably the right thing at the time for at least a while.

Unfortunately in the interim demand has rocketed out of all proportion, there isn't the staffing and infrastructure to go back to how it was and the service is stuck in the middle trying to keep it's head above water right now - no-one is thinking about next year. GP goodwill has also been used up and I've never seen a time when so many colleagues are leaving our thinking of leaving.

I have a law degree (long story) in addition to my medical degree and it's indisputable that a hybrid system is riskier then the 'gold standard' of F2F. I suspect a fair amount of liability is being built up and some doctors are in for a shock when suddenly the NHS doesn't 'have their back". The excuse of "everyone else was doing it" was fine when Bolam was the standard for clinical negligence but those days are long gone

Personally I have a low threshold for inviting to F2F (and in general I'm better than patients at knowing what NEEDS to be seen or when examination will benefit me in making a diagnosis) but then you lose any efficiencies of remote consulting.

Regardless, this will come to a head due to lack of GPs at some point and something will have to change.

@Dfhugdhvdnjrs

Sorry that was to you

@Sweettruelies

Doesn’t ‘spitting feathers’ mean he’s thirsty? Genuine question

I had to look this up as like you I thought it only meant thirsty. Apparently this is what people over 50 understand it to mean, and those younger know it also as to be angry.

The thirsty def has been around longer than the angry one, the latter only coming into usage in the 70s.

So now we know.

Just seeing people making. Rhe argument for low chances of catching covid outdoors.
My 12 yes rold has lunch outdoors with a group of friends none of whom are in her classes.
She got covid as did 5 out of the 6. All on the same weekend

@privateandnhsgp good for you. Good luck though I doubt you'll need it.

[quote Zilla1]@privateandnhsgp good for you. Good luck though I doubt you'll need it.[/quote]
Thanks - I should say that I still spend around 50h per week as an NHS GP Partner so (at the moment) I'm still more NHS than PP.

I've just decided that going forwards I won't sacrifice my family life and frankly my sanity propping up the NHS (especially so when an increasing minority of patients don't appreciate it).

It feels like it's time to redesign the system and find something better for everyone. Regardless, I hope you have an easy Monday (if there is such a thing!)

It’s two separate issues really. Your DP wants to be upset about the GP not doing in person appointments, and I think that’s fair enough. I say this as someone working with a few different classes in a primary school and therefore am in regular contact with quite a lot of different people. I’m not being hypocritical.

However, this idea that he can’t do a run, outdoors, because he’s refusing to be in an enclosed space with people is a false equivalency. These aren’t comparable situations. Forget about the marathon and complain to the surgery about the lack of in person appointments, full stop.

Is the GP clinically vulnerable? Was he running it to raise money for charity - in which case maybe he feels like it's a way to give a bit more back? Was he doing it in London or virtually? All info that's relevant.

Right so let’s see if this was another client/patient facing profession. And the person providing you the service refused to see you face to face even though that’s what you wanted. But then you see them on a night out on Facebook. No different. GPs are not special, they are employed by the public to provide a public service. Many are giving a shit service right now and absolutely should be held to account by their clients/patients.

@JulesRimetStillGleaming

Is the GP clinically vulnerable? Was he running it to raise money for charity - in which case maybe he feels like it's a way to give a bit more back? Was he doing it in London or virtually? All info that's relevant.

How about he does his job before he starts doing extra curricular stuff. If that really was the case. In reality, it was probably just a fun activity.

If the service at the surgery isn't good, that should be addressed separately by the appropriate route (IE contacting the practice manager and raising it).

What the GP does in his spare time is not anybody's business.

If you really think it is (and surely you can't be that stupid) please contact your own GPs and tell them that they can't watch TV/ take their kids to the park etc until the wait for appointments comes down and see what response you get.

They're probably working very hard right now and need all the laughs they can get.

“How about he does his job before he starts doing extra curricular stuff. If that really was the case. In reality, it was probably just a fun activity.”

Yes! Let’s start applying this to all jobs and activities ASAP!

Unfinished work but in the pub on a Friday? Home you go!

Want to play weekend football but also haven’t processed all those cases? No sport for you sunshine!

Need to go to the hairdressers but didn’t submit that report to Mary in accounts on time? No blow dry for you…

It’s the only way these people will learn!

We should get t-shirts printed
“how about you do your job before extra curricular activities
It’s the slogan for our times!

I quite agree that the NHS is broken but much of that is due to the general public being grateful for so long for what in fact are all too often sub-optimal services.

All the partners at our practice do private GP work via the local private hospitals. The code seems to be that I can't see my NHS Dr via that system but one from another NHS practice.

Personally I think my GP service has been vastly improved since Covid. Why they couldn't have gone on line years ago baffles me. It is far more convenient for me to put a request through the portal and get a call back. I have had two f2f appointments doing that: one for an war infection and one for a back issue. I have also had a referral on the two week pathway for a basal skin carcinoma via photographs. Much more efficient than calling the practice and listening to the phone ring for 30 to 40 minutes and then going through a dance called obstruction with a receptionist who is incapable of understanding that if I am at work an hour away an appointment at 11am or 3pm is as much use to me as a chocolate teapot. They are congenital incapable of understanding the words "I need a 9am or 6pm apt please and I can wait a couple of weeks for it."

Personally I think some payment at source will have two principle effects: firstly on the attitude of those in the NHS who will no longer work under the impression they are doing me a huge favour because the "NHS is free" - it isn't; and secondly it might make time wasters think twice before using it to get a prescription for something over the counter.

There is a huge issue though around the freedoms GPS have to run their practices as self employed and I suspect a lack of respect znd training for support staff who probably aren't treated with parity vis a vi's NHS employees which undoubtedly explains the levels of unhelpfulness all too often encountered.

Re the London Marathon, it was possible to minimise your covid risk...I wore a well fitted N95 mask to go and pick up my number etc (didn't take it off all indoors) and also wore one at the beginning and end of the race. During the race itself you really aren't in close contact with anyone else for an extended period, it naturally ebbs and flows. Maybe the GP also took similar precautions? Plus, running is generally good for your health and would reduce covid risk, although marathoning itself is not good for your immune system.

Other PP have already posted around the possible reasons for extended virtual appointments so won't get into that but just wanted to add that just because it looked like a lot of people all together does not mean that the risk was unusually high for the runners. I would imagine the risk was higher in busy public transport without a proper protective mask, and for spectators standing in close contact for an extended period in a way that doesn't happen to the runners.

@Lightswitch123

This is no different to anyone of the other millions of people who are still insisting on working from home yet running the marathon today/ going to the pub / weddings / out for dinner / holidays etc etc

WFH has created a population of work shy hypocrites

There are many reasons for working from home. Our workplace has reassessed office usage and encouraged people to work from home if it suits them (and obviously if they're doing a job that can be done from home). So yes, I'm still working from home and yes, shock horror, going out after work.

Where's the hypocrisy? Oh and I am not at all workshy - I work just as hard from home as from the office.