AIBU to just want to see a Doctor face to face?

[Trixiefirecracker]

It has seemingly become nigh impossible to see a Doctor at our clinic. Don’t get me wrong, I hardly go normally anyway but have recently wanted to chat about HRT and get some prescribed. I know it’s probably not life-threatening but it would have been nice to sit down one in one and discuss my options, maybe even had my weight and blood pressure taken ( which they haven’t done in years) and actually talk me through any medication/treatment options. I really would like GP practises to go back to normal but AIBU to think this is it now and they never will be the same again? My options here are full out a form online or text my condition to a phone number before I can be seen.

The current situation with GPs is horribly inefficient. You have to phone the surgery and the GP phones you back to decide if you need to be seen. You then have an appointment made with the GP. So instead of spending 10 of your GPs time it’s now become twice that for those cases needing to be seen. How can that possibly be efficient?

Our NHS surgery is a joke. I've had 2 diabetic reviews cancelled same day, never get reminders for anything, and they're still not doing face to face appointments. Getting in the surgery is like getting into Fort Knox and the waiting room looks like a post apocalypse scene from a film with all the hazmat tape. DON'T SIT HERE. DON'T TOUCH THIS. DON'T TALK TO RECEPTION YOU MUST PHONE THEM. And repeat prescriptions are thrown out of a window, you have to stand outside and wait in all weathers. It's also quite galling that the main GP has now built a flashy cedar wood surgery in their garden and sees private patients there.............. he'll do face to face, funnily enough, when people are paying (he lives over the road from us!)

My options here are full out a form online or text my condition to a phone number before I can be seen.

What about those who don't have internet or a mobile for texts? My elderly uncle has neither so what would happen, no appointment?

I completely agree op, I don't want to talk about private stuff over the phone, I have nowhere private to have such a call

I have no medical qualifications but I do feel able to rub prescribed cream onto a rash!!

Maybe people need to stop blaming GOs, engage brains and have a strong look at the government who’ve done a damn good job at cutting funding.

Same for local authorities as well. Central government have cut funding.

You’re angry at the wrong people.

At mine, we can't get e-consults or book ahead.

Every morning 50 people or so are put into a phone queue. It takes an hour. If you don't get a slot, you have to ring back the next day. Tough luck if you are working.

On that basis, you are lucky to have an e-consult option, but I agree that the situation for many is dangerous. I'm 48, very high blood pressure, ridiculous resting heart rate, possibly menopausal. I really do want to sit down and speak to somebody, even remotely.

@middleager what an absolutely absurd system.

I’ve had two GPS over the last 10 years and both have always operated bookable non-urgent appointments in conjunction with a triage for emergent issues. Plus nurses for a range of things (asthma checks, vaccinations, smears etc).

Is there an alternative surgery you could use? The lack of consistency is absolutely ridiculous.

@Electricbug321

So you can be seen you just need to fill in an econsult first?

YABU because you can see a GP in person and the forms help them triage and prioritise when they are currently under resourced and overwhelmed.

This.

YANBU
We've changed doctors surgeries because of this. My phone screen smashed, doesn't always let me swipe iup to answer, they wouldn't allow me to book in, meaning I couldn't access healthcare.
Doctors in hospitals have been seeing patients face to face since throughout the pandemic, yet GPS are still refusing?
If they were nurses they'd loose their pin.

There are a lot of important signs and things you can miss by not seeing your patients face to face. It's negligent.

Here we ring at 8:30. Everyone is ringing at once so you have to keep re dialling as ‘lines are busy’. If you try later you are told you should have rung at 8:30, try tomorrow.
Once you get through and the receptionist decides you need a call back, you are told the doctor will ring you. No idea of when. I waited four hours for a callback, with the phone in my hand for fear of missing it. Dr decided I needed antibiotics from my description ( no photos). I asked if he could take a look and was told ‘we don’t work like that anymore’. We have the same number of doctors as always. The waiting room is empty. I just don’t get it. I saw my dentist yesterday, business as usual.

Nothing beats a proper clinical exam in my opinion. It’s such a basic thing yet vital for picking up subtle symptoms. Going by patient descriptions means that some things will be missed and at worst people may die or be diagnosed too late.
What is it that GPs are afraid of? I can understand not seeing people if they have covid symptoms but for other things there’s no reason not to see.
We don’t have the option of e consults at our practice currently.

@BoopBooppp

There are a lot of important signs and things you can miss by not seeing your patients face to face. It's negligent.

I agree, but the e-consult is better than having to phone every morning and get told there are no appointments left and you basically have to wait until you are better or dead.

All surgeries should have to offer the e-consult option if they are not going to see people face to face.

I saw my dentist yesterday, business as usual

Not with mine and they are a private dentist. A big faff to make an appointment, doors locked so can't go in, online booking turned off etc.

Last week I had a smear test, turned up at GP, went in, was able to sit in waiting room and no locked doors.

I fully support Gp’s and hate the way they are being portrayed in the press.

But l have mental health issues. Haven’t seen my lovely gp since before lockdown. No reviews. I hate speaking on the telephone and don’t think I’m urgent.

So l just drift on with my issues. No one monitoring or checking. Feel sort of lost….