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.

@DrHadenough that's really helpful and kind. I'm going to save your post in case any of my Dr friends disclose that they feel like the OP.

The bottom line sadly is that none of us want to suffer or even die (or our loved ones if they're overly stoic) because we weren't assertive enough.

That worries me more than "timewasters."

Agree with this. Can't seem to watch the TV or access the internet with seeing a headline "man thought he just had eczema, now he's raising awareness about his skin melting disease".

Doesn't help that symptoms almost always include headaches or tiredness or common ailments. We've all heard the jokes, "googled it I've either got a the common cold or lung cancer"

I don't think this is lack of empathy. It's frustration.

OP is overworked and stressed, is very aware that there are people who need help but won't get it in time because of others who are either demanding appointments when they aren't necessary, or whose ailments are self-inflicted, and who can't, or won't, do anything to amend the lifestyles which are causing this.

@DrHadenough
I can't believe how you were just LEFT to deal with all that alone.. especially after being so ill the first time.. it seems that in any job, even medicine, people are just ditched when they should be being supported.
I hope some of your former patients will read your post (without knowing who you are, of course) and realise just how much of yourself you'd invested. OP too of course. What a damn waste.
My own GP's are lovely and I VERY much appreciate them. Thank you so much for what you've done, & I wish all burned out health professionals health, happiness & hugs.. xx

You’re going to get a hard time on here because mumsnet is pretty allergic to the idea of personal responsibility

And those people that are at the doctor all the time for minor things, I’d be questioning whether they had some sort of anxiety because it’s certainly not ‘normal’ behaviour. Maybe they should be treated for that rather than the minor symptoms they’re attending with. Oh but wait...mental health services are virtually non existent no matter how much we’re all told to ‘reach out’ if we’re struggling with them. 🙄 Its all just a bit shit isn’t it.

Hm.
I was fobbed off as a "time waster" in the UK for years because I kept going to the doctor (probably once or twice a year) for what my notes said "growing pains" and then "aches and pains" for years, and was refused proper testing and asked if I hadn't revised for my.Alevels(I could'nt move my right arm at all and was in agony and the suggestion was I was faking it because I was trying to make an excuse about my exams)

Eventually after I moved to Spain and it happened her and I went o a Spanish GP who saw me the day I called, without judgement, order blood tests for 2 days later (as opposed to 2 months), called me with the results and booked me in with the rheumatologist on day 4 who I saw within a week, turns out I wasn't a liar or a time waster but in fact had rheumatoid arthritis. I have since been put on a biologic. This was 5 years ago after a life of almost unbearable pain and being told I was a hypochondriac by British GPs.
Maybe the system is broken, maybe attitudes like yours are ingrained, maybe from stress or culture or Im not sure. But here people go to the doctor if they feel ill and they get seen the same day usually.

But then here my local GP has about 30 doctors. They get paid about half what a British GP does but they work normal hours, do their jobs well and don't end up burnt out.

My current GP and the whole surgery is incredibly good. Appointments when you need them, great care, timely and appropriate referrals. I've been a patient at various places (moved a lot) and have never seen anything so good.

I'm fairly convinced that a big part of their success and ability to give such excellent care is their very effective triage. Some people hate it because a receptionist asks you questions when you call (yes they are trained to do so, and have software to help, and are caring and professional with it) and then they give you appropriate advice/appointments.

If you don't need a GP, you won't see one. You may get a nurse, nurse practitioner, some other clinician, told to speak to a pharmacist, given self care advice, etc. They also handle queries by asking a GP and getting back to you, no app needed. Phone apps where appropriate.

But then when you do need a GP, you're in super quick. Where possible, with the GP who has a special interest in your problem. They offer (without being asked) double apps for big problems.

No idea how they manage it TBH because it must be hard to stay firm with people being all entitled as OP describes. You can imagine the abuse. But I think everywhere is going to have to adopt this model, and folks are going to have to learn what they can take care of themselves and what actually needs a doctor.

I'm the patient of a GP who appears to have become completely incapable of doing his job. Despite government guidance to resume normal services, he has decided not to resume face to face consultations at all, so the only means of access is by telephone appointment, that must be booked 3 to 6 weeks ahead. He offers no facility for emergencies other than signposting to 111 or A&E as he doesn't apparantly have the capacity

As mentioned, I was also the patient of such a surgery (process confirmed by both receptionists and the GP in response to OP's inevitable question) but have since changed and the difference couldn't be more dramatic

Given that the new surgery handles the same area and general demographic, it's interesting that there's been no comment from OP as to why this might be.
Interesting too that there was no comment about that GP touting for patients to pay for private appointments on his NHS time, which has led locals to wonder if the real aim of their system is to force people to pay

YANBU OP, seems like a level of self responsibility or rationality is a thing of the past. There's also a festering level of entitlement which exasperated things. All of those saying well leave if you don't like it- yes that's what people are doing in big numbers! We are headed towards a major crisis and yet people still feel the need to moan about doctors.

Our GP surgery is wonderful. You always get a call back and I always get a dr appt if needed in an emergency. Most of my issues are fairly emergency due to being quite sickly.
I’ve had them roll their eyes at me before and I’ve had them take it seriously. I’ve always been seen in A&E but having been in so many times I fully appreciate the triage of being not actually ill or actually serious.
I have had to push against the system many times but recently (yesterday) was finally diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis.
It’s been a long hard slog to get here and a lot of pain but I can’t blame the GPs, they’ve done all they can with limited information and it was only when I got to see a rheumatologist was I diagnosed.
i thank god for the nhs and my gps every day.

I have a couple of GP friends who told me the same thing. I am not sure what the answer is. A fee may put the poorest patients off so it would have to be means tested.

On another note, you mentioned people asking if they can run a marathon to be a waste of time. This is recommended in some other countries, and some marathon events request such a letter.

Blue sky thinking.
Maybe every appointment with any HCP the patient should be presented with a bill detailing the cost of every single part of the treatment. From consultation to treatment to medication to follow up.

The total should be clear £££

With a balance cleared by the NHS to £0

A huge public information campaign in conjunction.

I wouldn't be wholly against a charge for failing to turn up at an appointment but I don't agree with charges to see a hcp

Ha ha I was thinking the same.
How dare you say my personal choices shouldn’t be paid for by everyone else.

OP thank you for what you and all your colleagues do.
I have a number of chronic conditions and have had two life threatening illnesses in recent years. There have been odd mistakes and delays but I am grateful and embarrassed at how much I've used the NHS (and I do hold back on trivial concerns).

I know several young people going into medicine and I despair for them. I also know others, recently qualified at great expense who have tasted life in the NHS and are leaving for abroad or highly paid med tech jobs.
We need doctors and GPs in particular and the whole profession should not be disparaged because of a few bad apples.

We had such a shift during the pandemic it’s hard to switch it off in the public

It’s probably been the case for many years anyway but the demands that other people change and share in this ay embedded over the two years. You can see it in all the threads on here

Half the problem is other organisations saying "see your GP" for every little thing. Some examples:
-school refusing to administer paracetamol to 5 year old child in pain with obvious broken limb in a cast unless it has been "prescribed by GP/ letter from GP".
-Online exercise guides saying "see your GP" before you embark on a new exercise regime.
-Vitamin suppliers saying "see your GP" before you decide to take new vitamins/supplements.
-Diet guides saying "see your GP" before you start a new diet.
-Some workplaces insisting on a private letter from GP to cover a week's sickness even though the first 7 days is legally covered by self certification. Or asking them to "see GP" for proof of issues that could have been covered by the workplace's Occupational health department.

I also think there needs to be a nationwide effort to educate the public about preventative care, maybe a booklet with basic illnesses, symptoms and what to do to manage them (yes I know there is the NHS website but a book to hand is more accessible. Maybe an updated one given out annually?). With the chickenpox outbreak, I was amazed at the amount of parents who had no idea about the chickenpox jab/ shingles jabs available privately and I myself had no idea that you're not supposed to give Ibuprofen to a chickenpox sufferer.

Only when I worked in a pharmacy decades ago and did NVQ training did I learn about what to do to ease constipation, diarrhoea, minor eye ailments etc. I remember thinking at the time, everyone should know this information. Especially those of us in care of vulnerable people. It would lessen the anxiety massively.

This is what private GPS are for. It's selfish to think that the NHS should be funding this type of thing.

My GP surgery make patients jump through hoops to even register online as detailed below:

"Appointments may be made personally, by telephone or by using our online system - known as SystmOnline.

This online service is called SystmOnline.

How to sign up for SYSTMONLINE.

Come to the Surgery in person with 2 forms of ID, one being a photo-ID, either a current passport or photo driving licence. We will also accept a current bank statement, utility bill or council tax bill as the other form of ID. The receptionist will deal with your registration for SystmOnline and will give you your registration details.
We will then supply you with a username and first password".

Does it really need to be like this?.

Absolutely amen to this @memorial .

I’ve just had absolutely the most infuriating two days at work because of people’s ridiculous bloody demands and expectations and I am just so done with it. I would share but I don’t want the woman involved to see and realise it’s her, but FFS. It’s never enough. And the women I bend over backwards for the most are the ones who want more and l more and more and get more and more indignant when it’s not forthcoming.

I need to get to January for personal reasons and then it’s goodby to midwifery and the NHS from me and I just cannot wait.

Changednamesorry I think the whole point is that people like you get missed because of the other 30 who come and don't have anything wrong with them. That GP's are so burnt out they have compassion fatigue because they have to deal with a multitude of shite everyday.

I completely agree OP but I think we need to look beyond personal responsibility and see this as a manifestation of the society we have created.

Like someone said upthread, the media catastrophises everything making us more anxious and a quick Google will tell us we all have cancer. We make it so hard in this country to look after ourselves properly - our community leisure facilities are shite; walk into any supermarket and the first thing you see are offers on multipacks of nutrient poor/highly processed food, the quality of our fresh veg and fruit is pretty flavourless unless you can afford M and S and Waitrose. We've been conditioned to think the answer to everything should be ours at the push of a button and that the lives of influencers on SM are normal. It's all bollocks. We need to increase personal and collective responsibility but unless we ditch the neo- liberal agenda then this won't change.

This just seems like an inevitable consequence of GP visits being free. I come from a country where most adults have to pay a part charge and people mostly don't go to the GP for these sorts of trivial complaints.

I swear this place is overrun with either incels or Tory spads trying out Truss's and Sunak's ideas at the moment.

You think the op is lying?

just report it rather than imply she’s not a GP

I think the whole point is that people like you get missed because of the other 30 who come and don't have anything wrong with them.

But how are they being given appointments, getting past the doctors receptionists in the first place? Are they exaggerating symptoms, making things up? What?