I am also a Dr and I recognise what OP says. I’m not an GP, but I do know from my own experience and from friends who are GP’s and HCP’s in many other specialty’s that there is a huge amount of what we call “acopia”- there must be a pill or quick fix for almost every illness or symptom- even self-limiting, short-lived illness. Someone else must reassure or make the decision (“I’m not taking ANY chances” is not always a reasonable stance) as I don’t want to have any responsibility for myself/my child and if things don’t go to plan, then I’m not to blame/it’s your fault. Of course it is not everyone or even a majority but it is a creeping minority.
My GP friends report frustration that emergency appointments are being demanded for things like a sore throat that started that morning “just in case it’s tonsillitis”, a mild cough for a few days in an otherwise well child, minor injuries such as grazes “just in case” (or in one memorable case because the child cried when mum tried to clean the graze and mum didn’t like upsetting him), for warts/verrucas/blisters (yes, blisters), diarrhoea of a few hours duration in fit, healthy people… the list is endless. Others attend for things that are social problems (I’m not happy with mum’s package of care- you need to get them to do x/the council says you need to sign this form to say I need x/y/z or that I need to be given a/b or because I want to be moved etc) or educational (e.g. many parents tell their GP that the school has told them their child will be seen quicker for their adhd/add/sen assessments if the GP does the referral- which simply isn’t true. I don;t know if this is genuinely something schools are telling parents or it’s just desperate parents trying to get help ASAP). Around exam time they are inundated with requests for extra time due to “anxiety” when the young person in question is indeed anxious about the upcoming examination (which is fairly normal) but does not have an anxiety disorder. They don’t need a medical review, they need to be given parental support, possibly some help or training from school, as to how to manage their justified feelings of worry without pathologising normal feelings into an illness. All of this means that the people who do need emergency appointments but aren’t as pushy don’t get seen, or wait longer.
I have never come across so much anger, anxiety and belligerence in all my working life. I know the waiting times are longer than any of us think is ok, I know there is frustration- but equally, we see this in people who actually haven’t waited that long or are being actively treated. I can’t fix the problems in the system, nor can the admin team or the nurses though and just shouting and berating us and complaining usually won’t get you anywhere (unless a legitimate complaint) because our hands are tied, not because we are uncaring or incompetent. And yes, I do know not all NHS staff are angels, the NHS is far, far from perfect. I am aware some staff are lazy or incompetent or rude or arrogant. Or a combination of all of the above. And yes, even the best of us make mistakes because we are human and therefore not infallible.
One of the most frustrating things is that for an increasing number of patients, if the suggested treatment/course of action requires effort on their part (and it can be as basic as bringing in recordings for a few weeks before and then after treatment- so many people turn up without the most basic of things asked of them) or does not work instantly, they either don’t do what is suggested or don’t persist long enough to know if there is treatment failure or just needs longer/trial of higher dose. And then demand you do something to fix it NOW. Or have done their own research and decided what they need and that is the only thing they will accept. I’m more than happy to listen to any thoughts they have, but it would be nice if more would listen to my explanation of why that is not the best of treatment, or understand that if it is not available in this country/liscenced for that use/not available on the NHS then I can’t unilaterally decide to give it to them in the basis than Dave next door read in The Sun /my mum’s friend Janice said/Laura on MN told me/Dr Google said Dr Dodgy in USA has done a trial of 1 patient with x “revolutionary treatment” and it was “amazing”. It is so hugely frustrating and whilst it isn’t the majority, it is a growing number.
on a personal note, I have never in many years in practice been verbally abused and threatened by patients and their families, shouted at, blamed for things out of my control, told I am “choosing to kill” their relatives. Complaints that patients aren’t getting the treatment they want- even in many cases when it really isn’t appropriate or clinically necessary. All of these things used to happen occasionally- we all know sometimes shock and grief can make people react in ways they normally wouldn’t and is an accepted part of the job- but now it’s more frequent and not always in cases which involve grief stricken families, for instance.
Covid and the subsequent fall out, on a background of chronic neglect, political over-promising to garner votes without providing the requisite resources (financial, physical, technical/IT and staffing), poor workforce planning, constant meddling/changing of systems/procedures/organisation have all knocked the service and much of it’s staff sideways. We are increasingly demoralised, tired and utterly fed up. So many are looking to find ways out and we are struggling to keep staff. From all levels and in all professions. I have reduced my NHS hours and now doing private work- patients can still be demanding but I have a lot more say in who I do and do not see and there are much stricter rules about managing mistreatment of staff. Pay is better, conditions of service are better. I’m not the only one, some colleagues are planning to retire very early, some leaving NHS altogether. Two of my very colleagues have taken jobs abroad. One of the junior dr’s (we are already several short) and a few nurses in our team have applied for work abroad. I’m sad, in some ways, as the principle of the NHS is a great one but I think the system has been creaking for some time but is now steadily crumbling and very soon will simply fail.