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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To wonder if doctors surgery's will go back to normal.

81 replies

Ciaram55 · 10/02/2022 15:51

In light of the latest news that covid restrictions are ending and things supposedly getting back to normal, I wonder if doctors surgery's will go back to how they were, as in get to be seen more easily.

OP posts:
mummykel16 · 10/02/2022 21:50

@Ciaram55

In light of the latest news that covid restrictions are ending and things supposedly getting back to normal, I wonder if doctors surgery's will go back to how they were, as in get to be seen more easily.
They won't
Abraxan · 10/02/2022 21:51

DD's university gp has an e-consult thing online. Seems so much better.

Pre covid we often felt our surgery was behind the times. The pandemic has made it even worse on that score.

Frazzled2207 · 10/02/2022 21:51

Had a great experience today. Called at 8 told a doc would call and she did at 10. She wanted a photo of my complaint - sent me a text and I uploaded pic to a portal. 11 I clock she calls me and explains I need ABs. Sends the prescription electronically to pharmacy where I pick it up at 12.
Incredible and I don’t pay a penny

Proudboomer · 10/02/2022 22:02

@BoodleBug51

I've given up with ours.

2 years without a diabetic review (I'm on medication) and I'm nearly a year overdue having a smear (had cervical cancer in my early 30s).

I made 2 appointments late last year and had them both cancelled while sat in the car waiting to go in. 30 mile round trip from work to attend both....... I was absolutely fuming.

Rural practice so I'm stuck there too........

It took from October to January to get the results of my blood test and then all I got was a phone call from the diabetic nurse. Still waiting for my appointment for my liver and kidney function tests and no sign of a face to face appointment for feet check and blood pressure. Tied to order repeat meds via the nhs appt as requested only to find my meds were not listed there so I had to go to the surgery to reorder and be told off by the receptionist for not using the appt. But at least I have my eye review appointment for next month so I must be somewhere in the system.
mummykel16 · 10/02/2022 22:02

@Mogs43

I hope it does improve. I've had a nightmare trying to speak to or see a GP. I phoned six times today - each time I was told there were more than 30 people in front of me in the queue. Twice I was cut off after waiting over an hour- I finally got through after another 50 minute wait . I was told they won't take repeat prescription orders over the phone, you can't book to see a GP and the earliest telephone appointment for a GP is 16 March. I am diabetic and running out of medication - unfortunately despite ordering my prescription online and receiving an acknowledgement it still hasn't been processed a week later .

I will phone 111 in the morning but I cant keep doing this every month - its exhausting! I am sure there are some great GP surgeries but there are others that are rubbish.

Sounds like my gp
sofakingcool · 10/02/2022 22:10

Ours is a pain at the moment, not possible to make appointments- all are a phone consultation and an invite in after the call if deemed needed

You have to call at 8.30 though and be prepared for a call before 12pm. Great if you aren't at work, but I work in early years, no phones are allowed in areas with children in and difficult to hear from the rooms. So I can only ring if I'm off sick

I don't really understand why it isn't possible to just make appointments yet

mummykel16 · 10/02/2022 22:10

@bringmelaughter

The issue isn’t that GPs are reluctant to get back to normal. It’s that the demand on them isn’t normal. This is a good place to start to see the imbalance between GPs available and the amount of appointments needed: www.bma.org.uk/advice-and-support/nhs-delivery-and-workforce/pressures/pressures-in-general-practice-data-analysis

If we want a GP service that meets our needs we need to ensure our government has the will to invest in it and nurture it and we need to stop blaming GPs.

It's going to take time to recruit and train more GPs, but I can't see them wanting to go back tbh. And, in spite of this egregious govt, never forget that it was the BMA that capped GP recruitment to protect wages.
mummykel16 · 10/02/2022 22:14

This is the aim
I was in the chemist the other day picking up my prescription and there was a big poster advertising a service where you pay £15 a month and get access to GP advice by video call within the hour. I'd pay that. Because the "service" from my GP at the moment is absolutely shocking.

Kite22 · 10/02/2022 22:32

@bringmelaughter

The issue isn’t that GPs are reluctant to get back to normal. It’s that the demand on them isn’t normal. This is a good place to start to see the imbalance between GPs available and the amount of appointments needed: www.bma.org.uk/advice-and-support/nhs-delivery-and-workforce/pressures/pressures-in-general-practice-data-analysis

If we want a GP service that meets our needs we need to ensure our government has the will to invest in it and nurture it and we need to stop blaming GPs.

I do think different posters are answering two different questions on this thread.

One point is whether GPs will continue to triage by phone (or, it seems e consult which my surgery doesn't seem to have adopted).

Separate from that is the fact that GPs are so overwhelmed that it is difficult to get an appointment. That was the case for millions of people long before COVID, which has been made worse by COVID but by no means was caused by it.

I totally agree that we need a combination of "being able to speak to a Dr in the next few hours" for emergency / current illness / pain but also there needs to be a system of being able to make appointments for the next week (or even 3 weeks away) for those that need an appointment, preferably with notice so they can arrange to be available, for things that can wait. This side not having come back to many surgeries is to do with capacity as touched on by some pps.

Abraxan · 10/02/2022 22:37

@Frazzled2207

Had a great experience today. Called at 8 told a doc would call and she did at 10. She wanted a photo of my complaint - sent me a text and I uploaded pic to a portal. 11 I clock she calls me and explains I need ABs. Sends the prescription electronically to pharmacy where I pick it up at 12. Incredible and I don’t pay a penny
But would that experience have worked so well if you were at work and unable to have a phone on you, and be able to answer it at all times?
BestKnitterInScotland · 10/02/2022 22:53

On the occasions I have needed an appointment over the last 2 years, it has been great to be able to stay at home and wait for the phone call,

Last time my doctor phoned me it was "any time between 9am and 1pm. Not everyone wants to be discussing their vaginal dryness and perhaps upping their HRT prescription in an open plan office or walking round Tesco. Not everyone can just stay at home waiting for the call.

Kite22 · 10/02/2022 23:24

@BestKnitterInScotland

On the occasions I have needed an appointment over the last 2 years, it has been great to be able to stay at home and wait for the phone call,

Last time my doctor phoned me it was "any time between 9am and 1pm. Not everyone wants to be discussing their vaginal dryness and perhaps upping their HRT prescription in an open plan office or walking round Tesco. Not everyone can just stay at home waiting for the call.

But if you read my next sentence, it carries on with I do, of course understand that just because it is better for me, doesn't mean it is better for everyone. Plus, with the thing I had to phone up about, there is no way I could have worked outside the home nor wandered around Tesco. Of course, if you were having to sit and wait in the Dr's surgery, you couldn't be in an open plan office or at Tesco either.
Awalkintime · 10/02/2022 23:31

A lot won't as they do not have a Dr on site to be able to offer face to face. This is why telephone was offered in many instances to allow them to cover more than 1 practice. Drs can't be at 2 places at once.

It would mean maybe half a week on each site + telephone alongside so which is how they are working anyway so probably no change for most.

We can't act surprised, we were warned it would be like this 5 years ago but we ignored it.

mummykel16 · 10/02/2022 23:35

Yet it seems they are less busy if you can afford £15 a month, priorities

Awalkintime · 11/02/2022 00:12

@mummykel16

Yet it seems they are less busy if you can afford £15 a month, priorities
They are a private business.
AnnaSW1 · 11/02/2022 00:19

Mine has been back to normal service for the last year

Original poster
Ciaram55 · 11/02/2022 13:25

They are a private business

I thought it was NHS? Confused

OP posts:
mummykel16 · 11/02/2022 16:34

@Ciaram55

They are a private business

I thought it was NHS? Confused

That depends if pleading poverty or not
JuergenSchwarzwald · 11/02/2022 16:37

@mummykel16

This is the aim I was in the chemist the other day picking up my prescription and there was a big poster advertising a service where you pay £15 a month and get access to GP advice by video call within the hour. I'd pay that. Because the "service" from my GP at the moment is absolutely shocking.
I wouldn't want to pay a £15/month subscription but I would like a service where I could pay for a same day video or telephone appointment for say £25.

The e-consult thing is quite good though my surgery switch it off at weekends.

JuergenSchwarzwald · 11/02/2022 16:38

there needs to be a system of being able to make appointments for the next week (or even 3 weeks away) for those that need an appointment, preferably with notice so they can arrange to be available, for things that can wait

I agree.

Squidgames4U · 11/02/2022 16:48

I hope not. Doctors are actually managing to get through a lot more patients with phone triage - so more patients are receiving treatment.

Tarne · 11/02/2022 17:00

It will never go back to how it was because people often didn't need to see a doctor when they booked an appointment.

They have brought in Social Prescribers for those who actually needed signposting for other services that are health related but not necessarily medically related. So many people went to their GP because of loneliness, or because their parents or partner has dementia, or because of trauma due to bereavement or loss, or because of weight related problems and so on that might be indirectly related to medical problems. Now they might be signposted to getting gym membership or a walking group or volunteer group such a dementia buddies.

Moving away from a medical model of health which is basically this is wrong, can you fix me? To a social model of health which is basically giving people or communities the tools and support to help them to help themselves or others in a more preventative, empowering way.

The question in the new model is now what can we do to help you make the choices for better health?

People currently do not associate eating too much with joint pain, heart disease or diabetes down the line.

The NHS has had to turn the tide on the hapless victim mentality and pill popping as the only solution that many people have as the level of need is unsustainable in the long run.

It's interesting to think that if fresh air and exercise was a pill, a lot of people without disability would rather take it than get out and exercise!

Also, the current system of Gp surgeries are not so great with dealing with mental health issues which is very poorly serviced at present.

bigdecisionstomake · 11/02/2022 17:03

I much prefer how ours runs now - call on the morning for a telephone appointment and then asked to attend in person if it is required. A few things like joint/back problems etc... are the exception and go straight to in person consultation.

Much easier not to have to go to the surgery for most things.

Soundwave · 11/02/2022 17:05

@gemloving

I actually prefer what happens now at ours. We call them at 8 or 02:30, they then give you a morning phone appointment or afternoon if you call them at 02:30.

The doctor will have a phone call with you and then assess whether or not you need to be seen.

You always get an appointment (I never called and not got one). I remember before it was so hard to get same day appointments.

This is what ours is like now. Actually better.

It's a pain in the arse to drop anything off or collect anything, but at least I can actually speak to or see a doctor.

Kite22 · 11/02/2022 17:16

Great post @Tarne

Completely agree @bigdecisionstomake

Doctors are actually managing to get through a lot more patients with phone triage - so more patients are receiving treatment.
and this ^ makes so much sense.

It is just a case of getting the balance of keeping the best parts of both systems. Hats off to Practice Managers' who have worked tirelessly throughout this whole situation. Let's hope the surgeries that aren't so good take on board some learning from those that are.