to wonder what GPs are doing at the moment?

[MaMaLa321]

I couldn't give blood last time, because my iron level was so low, and I was strongly advised to see my GP.
I called my GP to be told that there are no face-to-face consultations and that I had to have a phone consultation (in a month's time) which will be of no use whatsoever because I'll need a blood test from the nurse. And no, I can't book an appointment with the nurse directly, I have to go through the GP.
And yes, I am aware that this is in no way an emergency but it means that serious conditions aren't being picked up.
But no wonder A and E is overwhelmed. And what are GPs doing?

The gp service was probably broken before covid. Maybe It’s now we because of backlogs and all the above mentioned. Doctors are working and in surgery they will be seeing patients face to face and on the phone. They can only do so much in one day. My dads GPS have been great recently.

We seem to forget it was still not great previously either. We have huge health centres that cover thousands of patients. Less doctors choosing GP. More housing estates are built no infrastructure, no more doctors in that area. yes some work part time, they are allowed just like you and I are. Gps have families too. some are off sick or leaving too. Who would want to work like this?

The NHS/Heath service has been underfunded for so long, now it’s apparently more obvious how bad this was and on top we are suffering the effects of the pandemic (delays in diagnosis and treatments/surgeries)

I’m a HCP In hospital and it’s the worst I’ve known it.

They're doing everything over the phone at my GPs. I'm meant to have a blood test every six months to monitor a condition I have. Last one I had was over 18 months ago now...

They are largely making up their own rules as they have always done within a relatively loose set of guidelines because they are private contractors. Some are doing a better job than others.

Of course, any suggestion that not everyone is getting the service they need from GPs in this trying time is met with dismissal and circling the wagons - one thing you can always rely on the medical community to do.

My view is that we need to get rid of this hotch-potch of private contractors at the heart of our public healthcare system and replace it with properly nationalised primary healthcare provision. It was my view before COVID and has only been strengthened by the unequal treatment I see people receive depending on which practices they are registered with.

@tiredanddangerous

They're doing everything over the phone at my GPs. I'm meant to have a blood test every six months to monitor a condition I have. Last one I had was over 18 months ago now...

Ours have resumed blood tests, but went 6 months without doing them last year. A friend of mine has a chronic illness and has to have a blood test every 6 weeks. They refused to do them during the first wave of covid, yet previously they have told her she can't have her meds if she doesn't have her bloods done every 6 weeks. Funny how it was ok for her to go 6 months without a blood test when it suited them.

She was so worried about not having the blood tests, that she contacted her specialist, and he was furious, saying her liver function could change on the spin of a coin, and it was poor care. He told her to report it, but she never did. She has to go to hospital for the blood tests for the 6 months her GP practice refused to do it.

She had to go to hospital for the blood tests for the 6 months her GP practice refused to do it.

The practice are doing it again now.

@tiredanddangerous why are they still not doing yours?

I could never see a doctor within a few days unless it was an emergency appt before covid.

Out of all the people in the world, I would never blame GP's - they work non-stop.

My GP service is running really smoothly. They use an eConsult service. I used the service last week, was called but the dr a few hours later, the dr asked me to come in so he could examine me. Then a referral was made and bloods ordered. Yesterday was called back with blood results and more tests booked.

I actually feel that because appointments are triaged the drs have more time when you are seen.

In the meantime OP, what could you be doing to get your iron levels up. I think that's something you could be focusing on while you wait.

There are more patients wanting appointments and fewer doctors and appointment slots available.

It won't go back to the old normal and nor should it completely in my opinion. At least there are fewer time wasters in the surgeries.

@Tsuro

My GP service is running really smoothly. They use an eConsult service. I used the service last week, was called but the dr a few hours later, the dr asked me to come in so he could examine me. Then a referral was made and bloods ordered. Yesterday was called back with blood results and more tests booked. I actually feel that because appointments are triaged the drs have more time when you are seen.

The question is, why don't all practices have such options to access consultations and treatment? Also, what about people who find it difficult to access their GP through such routes?

Fill out an online form or write to the practice saying that you've been advised by the blood donation place to see your GP but you'd like to have a blood test first so you can discuss the results. They will either send you a form to take to hospital for blood tests (that what they do here) or arrange a nurse appointment.

GP's may be seeing less patients face to face, but they are actually dealing with MORE patients than usual by using the phone appointment system effectively. Patients demanding to see GP's face to face for things are clogging the system up.

Covering multiple practices and so working in one while taking calls from patients in another and then the next day doing the same in an alternative location.

Then dealing with dickhead patients who put them down.

Does your surgery have an e-consult option? If you explain about the issue, they may request a blood test straight away.

My GP is doing telephone consults by same-day appointment and will usually fit in a same-day appointment if the patient needs a F2F consultation. The practice nurses are working normally, too.

When staying with SIL recently, I had to register as a temporary patient to have clips removed following knee surgery, and was able to do that without any problem, too.

My GP surgery is ok, you can generally get a phone appointment if you try for a few days.
What I particularly think is just crap is the insistence on a phone appointment that could be anytime. This is fine for me, I wfh half the week and can generally pick up the phone whenever. My DM is a teacher, she can’t pick up the phone whenever (and there are plenty of other jobs where you can’t either). Even when she has specifically asked to be put at the back of the queue, so they call after school finishes, they won’t. It’s just “they’ll call when they call.” So if she has something that requires a GP but doesn’t require her calling in sick to work, she has to wait for school holidays, or call and take up an appointment there’s every chance she won’t make because they’ll call when she can’t pick up. But at least she gets school holidays, plenty of people are in jobs where they can’t pick up the phone whenever and they don’t have half terms etc where they can.

Totally with you OP, I really don't understand why GPs are not making themselves accessible to their patients any more. Before Covid it was tricky to get an appt but not impossible. My husband has had serious health issues for months and our GP simply wont see him.

My Mum, in her 80s, was due to have a check up to review blood pressure medication and she has given up even trying now. That's at two different practices in two different counties. Same story.

Its not GP bashing. to ask why this is happening Its frustrating and worrying and there seems to be no end to it.

@Awalkintime

Covering multiple practices and so working in one while taking calls from patients in another and then the next day doing the same in an alternative location.

Then dealing with dickhead patients who put them down.

I'd suggest that GPs who think that patients with concerns about the quality of their care and/or their ability to access care are "dickheads" are probably part of the problem, not the solution.

Because thousands of desperate patients waiting for planned care need additional gp support while they wait. My friend is a gp (and I work in the acute hospital) and her practise of 3 gps are processing on average 1000 additional prescription requests per month. Each of those need to be reviewed, checked against patient history and other medications before signing off the request. That’s just one example. The number of patients wanting appointments have shot op including huge demand for time consuming mental health support.
I love a phone appointment so I only have to attend once the gp has spoken to me. 9 times out of 10, what I’ve said on the phone would be the same as what I would have said sat in front of him. I was able to request a blood test over the phone with reception and then they let me know I could collect the referral and have the blood taken at the hospital (where I work) as that’s much more convenient for me personally.

@BiggerBoat1

Totally with you OP, I really don't understand why GPs are not making themselves accessible to their patients any more. Before Covid it was tricky to get an appt but not impossible. My husband has had serious health issues for months and our GP simply wont see him.

My Mum, in her 80s, was due to have a check up to review blood pressure medication and she has given up even trying now. That's at two different practices in two different counties. Same story.

Its not GP bashing. to ask why this is happening Its frustrating and worrying and there seems to be no end to it.

It is also creating more pressure elsewhere in the NHS and overall by converting manageable chronic conditions into acute ones.

I'm really sorry hear all of these stories. My local GP has improved access massively since COVID. It has a triage system with a phone appointment before face to face (fair enough as it helps that a Dr is deciding who they need to see not putting that burden on a receptionist) with a face to face offered same or next day. I've never had to wait more than 24hrs to get even a non urgent appointment - pre covid it could take weeks.

It's a surgery in a very urban part of London (so not like they don't have issues with capacity etc) I know the staff have worked really really hard to provide excellent care and it really shows. Everything feels geared towards helping provide care and I feel so grateful to be on thier books.

My parents and in-laws however live in a small town and can't see a Dr face to face at all - thier (NHS) surgery is managed by a large medical group and everything seems to be run for the convenience of the organisation, with no consideration for the needs of the patient.

I wouldn't be surprised if GP catchment areas overtake schools in terms of house prices...

@Awalkintime

Covering multiple practices and so working in one while taking calls from patients in another and then the next day doing the same in an alternative location.

Then dealing with dickhead patients who put them down.

Nice. Calling people dickheads when they are at the end of their tether and worried about their own or someone else's health . Helpful.

Mine is seeing me face to face tomorrow, for the 3rd time in about 5 weeks for a recurring infection. I use the messaging function on their website, they call or send me time for an appointment.

I find messaging them with enough info for them to be able to triage me (rather than just phoning and asking for an appointment) has worked brilliantly.

But our local surgery is very very good.

In the meantime OP, what could you be doing to get your iron levels up. I think that's something you could be focusing on while you wait.
Yes, thanks, I'm doing that. In fact, I wouldn't have contacted the GP if the blood transfusion service hadn't strongly advised me to.
And, as I said in my OP, I'm fully aware of being non-urgent.
But I am amazed that questioning the level of service results in such a high level of hostility from some posters.

EConsults should have a response within 48 hrs so if you are clear that you want a blood test on the online form this may be a quicker way of accessing one

The question is, why don't all practices have such options to access consultations and treatment? Also, what about people who find it difficult to access their GP through such routes?.

GP surgeries are private businesses who can run however they want as long as they meet the requirements of the contract they are under to supply services to the NHS. They don't have to have a messaging system or e-consult or whatever. Most do, but some are websites are rubbish and some surgeries don't do it at all or only during 'office' hours.

If your surgery is rubbish tell NHS England, your local Healthwatch and your local Commissioning Group, because otherwise nobody knows and nothing can be done.

If everyone who can use the internet services does use them then there is more bandwidth for those who can't to use the phone.