To think that people have become completely incapable....

[memorial]

Ok so I'm a GP (yes yes I know I could be anybody) and have been for over 20 years.
But bloody hell our society have become completely and utter incapable of any kind of self care or self responsibility. I have never known anything like the kind of demand we are facing. And I'm sorry most of it is just complete and utter nonsense. Over and over again.
Genuinely ill and needy people are being lost in the deluge. It's absolutely impossible to offer any kind of decent care. And we are losing doctors, nurses and staff rapidly. And we cannot recruit. It's not about pay It's about absolutely ridiculous workload and risk.
Yes the system is broken yes we need more of everything.
But every single thing does not need GP hand holding. It doesn't need 2 page complaints because you didn't get what you wanted when you wanted it.
Some days I just think people won't be happy until I go and wipe their arses for them.
I'm done. And it's not just me.

I totally agree. I work for fire service and yes, we don't get half the stuff that GPs complain of, but just people not taking responsibility. Like a burst pipe in the house - you need a plumber not the fire service. Just so much nonsense where people want someone else to sort it out without even trying themselves.

I often say in jest that personal responsibility was abolished in 1999 by Tony Blair. I am referring to the introduction of 'no fee no win' and ambulance chasing solicitors, but wonder if it was a wider thing and so have some sympathy with the view the OP presents.

What I will not forget though is that every GPs task and indeed all of those in the medical profession is made more difficult because of this Tory government, and specifically because of the burden being greater in 2020 and since given the lack of prompt action over Covid 19. Boris Johnson missing in action in early March 2020, dithering in September 2020, and Matt Hancock 'falling in love'.

I just want to thank you for being a GP. It must be unimaginably wearing and tough and overstretched. People go that don't need to, and people don't go that do need to, and all sorts of combinations in between. But it really must a bloody difficult job and I do want to thank you, sincerely, for doing it.

Wow.

You should quit OP

Please do, for everyone’s sake

If you are actually a GP, why is your whole IT system so ancient? Why does everything have
to be done on paper? Why haven’t you moved on with the rest of the world?

I have to say my GP service is finally decent again after delaying a return to normal. The phone consultation option is still available
which is a great idea because some things do only warrant a quick conversation.

No self care ? People have had to self care since Covid started because GPs pulled up the ladder and were unavailable to people when they needed them. Most people still cant get appointments now becsuse they dont want to see people face to face when the rest of us have been getting on with it. That's self care.

I've had numerous health complaints fairly serious, ct scans sent back to hospitals because the GP can't interpret, no follow up on results etc etc, I've become my own administrator having to chase hospitals for results etc because no one else cares basically

The government has played an absolute blinder haven't they? 12 years of Tory cuts and here we are tearing shreds off those who seek help from HCPs

And the depressing thing is, next general election they'll probably get in again. Don't look up eh?

I wait until I'm very ill before asking for an appointment, it's probably been 4 years since I was last seen face to face. Even then I was forced to go by my mum because apparently me being in pain was distressing for her 🤣
I get upset at how dismissive HPCs can be. If my history is checked, you'll see I rarely present, when I do I've self managed until it's no longer viable etc.
I've left my GP crying before with tonsils about to ulcerate before because a locum thought I was just trying to get antibiotics for the hell of it. The semi retired partner was horrified and sorted things out quickly (including removal! Which was life changing for me)

I keep my head down, I use the pharmacy first, I ask for telephone appointments or nurse practitioner in case they can easily sort me out without bothering the GP.
I arranged my coil check along side a smear to save a precious appointment for someone else etc.

Yet I am STILL treated like an inconvenience. Like a timewaster. "Yeah you can have an appointment in 4 weeks for that psoriasis medication that was under prescribed"

I'm SCARED of going to hospital, absolutely terrified of being at the mercy of the staff there (personal experience of a very cruel nurse. Yippee!!)

I suspect I have high blood pressure right now, but I know I won't get an appointment.

I don't get it, I'm not a time waster, why am I treated so appallingly?
I've developed a noticeable white coat syndrome from years of eye rolling and dismissive HCPs.

THAT is the issue I have.

Too many people in this country and not enough infrastructure to cope with it

Those who are angry about the health service should save their anger for Boris and co who have underfunded the NHS and made conditions so awful that healthcare workers are leaving in droves.

Yes OP I hear you. To have vented on mumsnet you are clearly at the point of burnout and when experienced GPs like you are at the point the house of cards will fall.
once the experienced GPs who are workhorses leave the more junior colleagues will not be able to pick up the slack.

There are not enough GP appointments for people to come in about minor ailments. People need to ask pharmacists, parents friends, NHS website about things first for minor things. I really think there will have to be triage soon and the answer to some things is no you can’t see a GP.

It costs €60 per visit and also per ailment (in other words you can only discuss one condition per visit) to see the doctor where I live. I can tell you it weeds out the time wasters, hypochondriacs and the armchair diagnosers. You can always get a next day appointment. The surgery that accepts medical cards is a shambles. You ring on Tuesday really ill and they offer you an app 3 weeks away and that’s if you are lucky enough to get through on the phone in the first place.
All the while medical card holders with serious issues and illnesses cannot get proper care because GOBSHITES are taking free appointments with their sniffles or their squirty arse after a bad curry or the pimple on their fucking elbow.

THOSE time wasters should be charged. It is abusing the system.

While I'm very sympathetic to GPs, a lot of this stuff boils down to the NHS expecting us to triage and diagnose ourselves and our DC.

Basically in order to decide how serious a problem is before contacting a medic.

Triage and diagnosis are hard and require education and experience. You've often got in the back of your mind 'what if I'm wrong?'

The newspapers are full of serious cases that were repeatedly missed by the NHS. Trust is low.

Physio, podiatry, dental care, optical care, mental health, menopause, neurodiverse conditions - almost impossible to get help with these unless you can pay.

I empathise with OP. It is a difficult job and there is over demand but I don’t think this is all on the patients. Many of them could and should take more responsibility for their health, however there are not enough GPs.

And the service you get if you are a woman or non white is sometimes lacking. The racism and sexism I’ve experienced first hand is so demoralising.

I agree OP. Whole world is too used to handholds. Make them pay to see you that will stop some of the crap

I hope to god the OP is a shitstirrer and not an actual GP

Except sometimes you do, because the system requires it.

My DS1 had repeated ear infections and in one year it burst about 12 times. I didn't want to bother the doctor every time but because we didn't it meant he didn't qualify for referral to NHS ENT.

My word that it had happened wasn't enough, they needed to see him every time for it to count for referral. And this is the case quite often for referrals- you have to meet the threshold of X number of occurrences in a year so you need an appointment every time.

Luckily we got a private referral and tests showed that DS had glue ear so badly he was severely hearing impaired.

I completely agree OP.

I hope today is a better day for you.

You're absolutely right of course. This is exactly what I thought was the problem with GP services. You can tell on here when someone has a minor problem and posters suggest she sees a pharmacist/osteopath/physio etc for it, within minutes people come on to say that she is entitled to see a doctor and it might be some obscure illness/ condition that the doctor is unlikely to pick up in a one off visit anyway.

I go to the GP roughly every five years if it's something I really can't resolve myself. Otherwise I use other services or sort it out myself. Most people don't need antibiotics. They don't need to see a doctor about a sore throat, let alone go to A&E.

I think it's a combination of learned helplessness and entitlement.

And (just one more thing!) I am aware enough to know it’s not just GPs feeling like this. Talk to anyone working in the public sector (teachers, nurses, midwives, social workers, health visitors etc) and they are all in the same boat.

I see so many in my surgery as they struggle with stress related illness- dedicated experienced professionals who went into their job to help people and are now being pushed beyond their limits by a system which forces them to constantly cut corners and work dangerously- and has changed into a job that they never signed up for. We need to be careful about how we treat our public sector workers. Once we lose that wealth of experience it’s very hard to get back.

A family member saw her GP for something unrelated. He noticed she was looking jaundiced. Ordered blood tests and within days she was seeing a consultant and being prepped for surgery to remove a tumour. He caught her cancer so early she's now fit and well. This was during covid too

That’s it exactly. I see so many people complain about gp receptionists. My local FB group is one of them. They’re also doing a very difficult job and getting abuse from people non stop.

YADNBU

Those genuinely in need get passed over for someone coming in for the most ridiculous things. A chat as well.

My friend who runs his practice is threatened with violence regularly because he won’t give sick notes out Willy nilly.

Nowhere did that OP say this.

Personal responsibility seems to have diminished significantly following two years of infantilisation under Covid regulations.

You see it on here all the time, posters calling for the government to step in for x, y, z when really the individual should be taking responsibility, unfortunately being a GP the OP Is seen as a person of authority who can “sort things out”. That’s not your role op, people who abuse the nhs because they can’t take responsibility for themselves and basic self care drive me bad.

I would agree to a fee to see the GP somewhat akin to the cost of a prescription. If you are issued with a prescription or a referral (ie. There is something actually wrong with you) there would be no further payment for the prescription or follow up appointment. If nothing further is required (ie. You just needed a hand hold) then you’ve paid your money and got your service. Obviously children, pregnant women, ongoing health conditions wouldn’t need to pay each time but for adhoc access to a GP I think we should expect to pay to receive a better standard of care.

So this is why I'm now treated like an inconvenience when I visit the doctors surgery.
Most recently was from a nurse visit to have my cervical screening test!

I have been a couple of times this year ( not just for myself ) and left feeling like I've wasted their time.