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.

@Blue4YOU no I’m not a surgeon, did you read my post properly? I’m a shit NHS manager who has to deal with complaints day in day out.

Like “my surgeon was busy saving someone’s life and now my appointment is cancelled”. Annoying yes, waste of time yes - but some perspective is needed here

I'm sorry to hear that I think we are all feeling a bit like that currently.
It's the amazon prime effect. Instantaneous gratification for almost zero input. And with healthcare you don't even need to pay up front.

I am truly sorry to hear that. My one and only childhood cancer diagnosis and death is the most awful experience of a very long career. The mother is now one of my closest most cherished friends.
But that's not my or every other GPs fault.

To be honest I agree OP. I am often taken aback by the things people on MN go to the GP with or even A and E.
Most minor illnesses are self-limiting. Headaches, a sore throat, sore stomach, nothing to be concerned about.

I didn’t understand the pressure GP’s were under until my DH worked in a GP practice. My bug bear is the hassle at getting to actually speak to a GP at our practice but I assume it’s due to understaffing

Again missing my point entirely. Its exactly people like your friend I am concerned about. Because its people like her in need who don't want to bother us/can't navigate the system/can't get through/end up at patient 40 of the day when the GP is burnt out.
It's exactly that that is being lost in the deluge of nonsense.

Do you want us to say we're devastated at losing you?

Nasty.

You will be when you can't find a GP.

OP, I feel for you.

Burn out is awful.

Ah honestly op you are wasting your time expecting any sympathy on here.
The moaning and whining I have seen, because nhs staff dare to get paid shift allowance, nurses stood talking at desks (probably doing a handover), whinging and moaning at any suggestion they lose weight/take up exercise. A health visitor calls in to weigh their baby and provides some advice. Dear lord the rath and the fury “I’m not a child abuser/experiencing domestic violence or struggling with my mental health, how dare my health visitor/gp/a and e nurse make an enquiry, they should READ MY MIND and automatically know, incompetent fool that they are”…. Whilst wilfully ignoring the fact that their pointless moaning and whinging takes up time to investigate their pointless complaints and drags down morale further. And what can that contribute too. Oh yes, a genuinely vulnerable/mentally ill/disabled person or child missing out on some care or intervention. Because we are all busy running round after the moaners. And before anyone jumps on the bandwagon and starts I don’t mean people with real genuine complaints. I mean people who are sitting about all day not working and moaning because their harrasser doctor or nurse appointment is ten minutes late. I mean the people twisting about their healthcare worker making a routine enquiry “they were just SO judgy”.

The moaning and bitching and Constantly finger pointing at professionals. And don’t even get me started on the dramatics and exaggerated health problems so people can claim for the PIP assessments. It’s all an absolute waste of time.
the majority won’t be happy until every nhs worker in this country has resigned. And even then they will still think they are right, and somehow there will be tons more applicants because they whole heartedly believe it’s such a cushy number.

If this is recent OP, maybe loads of lonely isolated people who developed mental health issues during the pandemic is partly behind it? You sound burnt out I understand, but we should have empathy for people. You may think it's easy for me to say and maybe it is - but there is surely a middle ground between 'useless patient' and a cry for help.

I recently had 2 hospital appointments cancelled short notice due to the doctor being in surgery. How did I feel? Disappointed. Honestly a bit upset. I was finally getting somewhere with an endometriosis diagnosis when the pandemic happened and it makes me feel like an afterthought. Did I complain? No. But I can understand people's frustration.

You said it yourself. The system is broken. We've just had a pandemic and people are not the same. It's all deeper rooted.

my post sounded harsh.
most are lovely and genuine.
but it is these insistent individuals that want to pick at everything, claim nhs staff have such a wonderful deal, and don’t seem to have any insight into the impact on the vulnerable and those really in need missing out.
that is who I’m getting at. Not people who need healthcare.

OP I feel for you, I also feel for patients or parents who feel guilty about going to the GP for fear of time wasting and those who get drowned out in all the noise

The NHS has run education campaigns encouraging people to increase self care, visit pharmacies etc.

A successful scheme ran in schools using puppets- pester power works as kids educate their parents

But the reason this is happening is clear:

• apps like deliveroo and Uber and quick delivery (Amazon, supermarkets) are increasing consumers - people have become less patient


• self diagnosis on the internet


• lifestyle diseases on the increase- estimates suggest 2/3 of GP appointments are needed due to poor lifestyle decisions

Ultimately the government should be playing a much bigger role in educating the public around self care and healthy lifestyles, and legislation so that the food environment is healthier. A radical obesity strategy would be a start!!

But we have a useless government, so don’t bank on them sorting it out.

Finland had a huge obesity crisis decades ago and the government strategy slimmed the whole nation down. It can be done!

Sorry that should say apps are increasing consumer expectations

OMG so much menopause. So much. Davina davina davina. I am menopausal. We also have a doctor who specialises in woman's health. And does a dedicated clinic every other week.
But boy us menopausal women are a rude demanding entitled seriously nasty group of people. But sure it must take priority over every other illness including cancer, mental health, chronic diseases. Davina says so after all right.

Yeah but for that one person that has run of the mill IBS, someone else might have bowel cancer. I had a relative die from it after putting off going to the doctor for so long. I came from a family that only saw the doctor as last resort and it certainly isn't always a good thing.

I'd be worried about taking it too far and people not being seen about seemingly minor ailments which are actually more serious?

I hardly ever visit the GP. However, the worst care I’ve received is from a GP. She missed something so basic, which could’ve had a massive impact on my child’s life forever. It affects DC but not to the extent it could’ve, had I not sought a second opinion from a nurse practitioner.

Thank God for the nurse practitioners. They seem so much more understanding and helpful. We’ve a paramedic at our GP practice. She’s heaven-sent.

If I have to go to the GP, I prefer choosing an appointment with the nurse practitioner tbh.

it’s really sad ‘seeing’ you talk about your patients with such disdain. People not seeking help early is a major problem. I just hope some people reading this, who have been putting off seeing the GP about a long-standing issue are not going to put it back even further now after reading your post.

I hear you OP!

My cousin is a GP, qualified during Covid, her experiences sound similar

I know where you're coming from, coming to that conclusion about people!

I value a GP. The academics have to be very strong and the training is tough. It would be a huge loss to society if OP quit her job.

Not sure I would say the same about someone who does an interchangeable job at Aldis or an office.

This.. I suffer with health-anxiety and your attitude has actually made me nervous

I have just retired out of the NHS in a backroom role and I am utterly amazed how GPs keep going, doing ridiculous hours, seeing ever increasing numbers of patients, and dealing with an increasingly complex and bureaucratic system. Plus delivering 75% of the covid vaccs in their spare time. The NHS has been run into the ground plus there just aren't enough people to do the jobs. Its not helped by a culture of entitlement I agree, and the press whipping up hysteria. I hope you and your colleagues know you are appreciated by most people.

I understand it too. People forget we are patients too with our own medical problems and families with them too.
My OP was clearly not ranting about people who need healthcare. That's kind of the point. It's the deluge that's preventing timely access and decent care.
As for hospital waiting lists. I genuinely don't even know what to say any more. Shambolic. That's on the government.

Leave before you burn out. Nothing is worth that.

I’m amazed and disturbed by this post.

Pretty much everyone I know waits until they are very, very unwell before seeing their GP - the male members of my family in particular will have an arm hanging off before they’ll actually make an appointment (they are lucky if they ever get one, of course). I’ve seen two loved ones die from illnesses which began with pretty trivial symptoms which they didn’t feel they should get investigated as they didn’t want to be seen as a nuisance.

I’ve ignored symptoms of illness because I thought I should take paracetamol, get on with it and not disturb those very busy GPs, only to collapse when walking home from work in the dark and waking up in an ambulance, being rushed to hospital. I was asked repeatedly when there why I didn’t seek medical attention (via my GP) beforehand and was rebuked for thinking I would be wasting time.

I don’t doubt at all that there are time wasters, malingerers and those who really could use common sense but I don’t believe they are the majority. I don’t even believe they make up a considerable chunk of a GP’s workload. I find this to be a heartless post from an alleged doctor that’s probably suffering burnout due to the demand at the moment and the crisis in the NHS caused by greedy governments and cuts. Don’t blame your patients that trust you and come
to you in dire need.

I would not be surprised if many, many people on the back of this post now avoid going to see their GP, to their own serious cost. Get help, OP and if you can’t then yes, be done.

OP do you know Dr Rangan Chatterjee? His podcast is great and he has a lot of the answers I think but it’s very difficult to have those conversations with patients

When a patient who is eating unhealthy UPF presents with IBS , do you have a Frank conversation about how bad processed food is, how are bodies are not good at coping with it and they need to work on gut biome and eat 30 veg/fruits/seeds/beans etc a week? These are the sorts of convos that need to be happening, but most GPs are scared to have them because it’s stepping over a clinical line into preaching about lifestyle. But we do need to educate people

It's the Amazon Prime mentality I think that has shifted people in this direction over the years, it's the I want it all/everything and I want it now...or else there will be trouble!