To ask about face to face GP appointments?

[Newyearnewname20]

I’ve had an ongoing problem with my skin for the last 3 months or so. Each time I’ve contacted my local doctors’ surgery (am based in London) about it, they’ve said they’re not doing face to face appointments, and I’ve had a phone appointment instead.

The surgery hasn’t said why they’re just doing phone appointments, but I’m assuming it’s because of Covid restrictions still in place? Not really sure though.

I’ve now had 2 phone appointments, each with a different doctor. The doctors disagreed on what my skin problem could be, they each prescribed me different courses of medication (so I’ve now had 2 separate courses of medication).

My skin problem still hasn’t cleared up, and I’m none the wiser about what could be causing it.

I’m getting really fed up of the problem (it’s making me v self conscious), and I just really would like some continuity of care form the same doctor and to be examined face to face.

I guess I’ve got a couple of AIBUs really! The first is - AIBU to ask if your local doctors surgery is doing face to face appointments, or if you’re having to do phone appointments too? Second AIBU - would I be unreasonable to ask for a face to face appointment?

Thanks all.

I had surgery a month ago; was given antibiotics for a week afterwards. A week after stopping antibiotics I noticed issues and called the surgery who, after a phone consultation, prescribed antibiotics. Finished them 10 days ago.

This week I’ve noticed increased sensitivity/pain around the top of the area operated on, called surgery today as it’s now swollen and appears infected again. Spoke to surgery this morning and told to go in for a ‘sit & wait’ appointment - have been seen, given another course of antibiotics (different one and 10 days not 7) and discussed plan that, if it doesn’t resolve with this course, GP will contact surgeon to see me sooner than planned 3 month follow up appointment.

There’s absolutely no reason for surgeries not to see patients now!!

YANBU, my GP surgery is doing a combination of phone and face to face now. No reason for them not to.

Oh gosh sorry to hear Remember! That sounds so frustrating - hope you get everything sorted out soon!

When you’ve contacted your surgery, have they mentioned anything about why they’re doing phone consultations rather than face to face? I just don’t know if it’s a Covid thing or a capacity issue at the surgery, and they think they’ll get through seeing patients quicker with phone appointments! Guess it depends on the specific surgery.

Mine does do F2F when they are needed but fortunately has decided to take all the positives that have come out of different ways of working and also starts of with phone appointments. Which is great, as far as I am concerned.

My surgery has been offering face to face appointments for over a year now. However I was offered the first possible appointment today for the 22nd August!!

I had a really unpleasant experience with the lack of face to face appointments when I was having issues with my Mirena coil. It was well after lots of GP surgeries had resumed face to face appointments but they just wouldn’t see me. Due to my issue (bleeding), the nature of some of the questions (‘when was your last period? Any issues after sex? Any pain?’ etc was not the sort of thing I wanted to be discussing via telephone on the school run or half way round Asda - but they insisted they could only speak to me via telephone and could never tell me when they’d call. Twice they just didn’t call at all, and once they rang at 8:47 and 8:48 (I was on the school run) and then bumped me off the list.

I complained and got an apology, as it turned out due to all this messing about I’d been passed round various GPs and the resolution had taken much longer to work out than it would have if I’d been able to go in and discuss my issue directly. I have health anxiety and it was a horrible time so I sympathise - I hope you can get seen soon

Mine is doing both, the receptionist may offer a face to face straight away or offer for you to be triaged by a GP with a phone appointment who will ask you to come in if required. This works really well for me as sometimes face to face isn’t needed and saves so much time and effort.
In your case I would absolutely be asking for a face to face appointment. They need to examine you.

I got a face to face for DD recently when she’d had a cough for ages and I thought she’d got a chest infection. I had to have a phone consult first. They couldn’t listen to her chest over the phone and they knew that’s what it was about but them’s the rules.

I had a UTI m and had to go in to give a urine sample. I stayed in the reception while my wee went in to see the GP and had an amazing time discussing my symptoms and answering questions the doctor had, via the receptionist, in front of the other patients waiting.

So at ours it depends.

Yanbu
Sometimes a phone appointment is perfectly fine but when the treatment isn't working just do a bloody examination!

My practice is doing a mix of phone and face to face. I can't understand why some GPs aren't doing any face to face appointments. People will (and have) died as a result of this

We are doing 100% face to face. Much better. My GP surgery is still all phone calls and it's between 2 and 5 or 8.30 and some other time. It's appalling. I'm about to complain as it's totally ridiculous. Fine for the first few months of the pandemic but not now. My practice know I'm a GP and I told them the last time I needed a consultation that their system was awful and 6 months later it's no better.

It's a disgrace that a lot of doctors aren't seeing patients. Whatever the reasons, it's shameful.

TELL your doctor (whichever one you manage to speak to next) that you want to be referred to a Dermatologist for a proper diagnosis and treatment.

You have my sympathies - I've had Rosacea for 30 years (it's manageable but I don't use any medications now) and I was fobbed-off for years until I insisted on being referred to a Dermatologist, when I then got a very effective treatment.

Ours have done face to face all the way through. You get a phone apt first but if they need to see you it's a same day appointment after that. I like the system it's much more efficient.
Have you asked for a face to face appointment and they have refused? Have you sent photos in?
If they won't see you face to face then ask for a dermatology referral.

I've been pleasantly surprised by ours, who are back to offering F2F appointments again. DH phoned yesterday, and has got an appointment for Tuesday. However, that's because the local Agricultural college has shut up for the summer. Come September, it'll be back to minibuses in the car park full of students with coughs/colds/sporting injuries who get same day appointments due to the cover agreement in place

My doctors have been doing face to face since Boris lifted the restrictions last year so it seems very random

My practice currently has 0 GPs so those from another practice are covering and have done for a while. We therefore have very limited face to face appointments but can easily get a telephone appointment from someone elsewhere.

This is the case in many GPs, not sure why it is a surprise to people. It was well publicised that this would happen a few years ago.

No being unreasonable- my surgery ask if you want phone or face to face, your choice. Sometimes I prefer phone if it's just a minor ailment that I can get a prescription over the phone for, sometimes I need to go in.

Ours still does face to face appointments - I was asked what I’d prefer, I said phone because I felt like crap and then didn’t need to leave the house. No physical examination was needed for what I had.
Saying no to face to face appointments full stop makes no sense and is irresponsible. There’s plenty of things that can’t be diagnosed through the phone or with a photo.
I don’t know what some practices are playing at to be honest. It needs investigating pull because it really is taking the piss and I believe putting people’s health and lives at risk.

F2F when needed and phone appointments here. Phone appointments are great -saves sitting around in the waiting room for 40 mins!-I have had a couple of F2F appointments though when necessary over the last 18 months, as has DH.

My surgery is doing a mixture of both, which suits me fine. I really like the initial phone consults. My surgery gives a rough idea of what time to expect a call. I had an issue with vertigo and it made absolutely no sense to traipse into the surgery and sit in the waiting room when I could get on with my day and take a phone call. On the other hand, when I found a breast lump and phoned up, the receptionist booked me in for a F2F that afternoon. I've found that they triage really well.

Ours have always seen patients face to face when necessary - at one point during lockdown DH had symptoms which suggested possible prostate cancer. After speaking to a doctor the day he rang, he was examined the same day (thankfully no cancer). DD has also been seen face to face, about a year ago. So it really depends on the surgery, but ours has long been very good.

Thanks all! Really helpful hearing your experiences - sorry to hear about how difficult and frustrating it’s been at some surgeries though!

Snacksizeraisin when I first contacted the surgery to make an appt, I thought it would be F2F, as I assumed things would have returned to how they were pre-Covid, but the receptionist said I’d have to make a phone appt rather than be seen F2F. I will definitely ask now about a F2F appt. I have sent photos in via a form I had to fill out pre-phone consultation, but the doctors who did my phone consultations each time didn’t seem concerned by the photos.

My GP is still doing phone appointments.

And if they feel you need a face to face they’ll then ask you to come in.

I contacted my GP a few weeks ago and was given a phone appointment. When he called me back he then decided he should see me and wanted me to just get down to the surgery there and then. When I said I wasn’t quite ready yet and would be there in half an hour his response was “Half an Hour??”. Like people can just drop everything and rock up when they say so? Hello I have a job?

Our online booking system has still not been resurrected since it was removed at the start of Covid. In the 2.5 years since Covid hit, I’ve had ONE face to face appointment, which was the aforementioned one I was expected to just drop everything for and attend at a moments notice

I recently had a potentially urgent issue, had a phone consultation with the GP initially, they then asked me to come in the same morning for a face to face appointment so they could feel my stomach and then take appropriate action based on that

I like the phone consultations initially as for many things a face to face wouldn’t be needed and phone calls mean I don’t have to trek to the surgery unnecessarily. But I definitely thing face to face is needed for some things

I'm a GP. I was always seeing f2f if needed with telephone triage as first contact. As the pandemic has progressed though I am having a much lower threshold for seeing f2f and am trying my best to only avoid f2f if I genuinely think it won't make any difference to my management. Our practice will always offer f2f to pts who ask for it too and telephone triage isn't necessarily mandatory.

Part of the problem is the sheer lack of GPs though. There just aren't enough of them. There weren't enough before covid and there definitely aren't enough. I am meant to finish work at 5 most days. I'm regularly there til 9-10pm and still not on top of things and I can't remember the last time I didn't cry because I am so overwhelmed at some point in the day.

It's frustrating for all involved. Please don't think GPs are just being lazy. They're trying to balance a phenomenal amount of work and just doing this the best way they can.

I would personally have bought you in based on what you said though... but maybe that's why I end up at work so late 🤣 xx

My surgery saw patients as necessary through the pandemic and also have always triaged but telephone.

I’ve never had a problem being seen at any point in the last 6/7 years.

I would be very irritated if I were you and I’d be looking for a new surgery.