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 can vouch for OP, their name is Dr T Roll, works at home from their cave since covid.

Oh yes I gave up on that nonsense ages ago. There's some interesting discussion on the thread though, betwixt the trollerons, sock puppets and spads.

One problem at our GP is that we are no longer allowed to book appointments in advance, which means that everyone has to join in the 8 am scramble for appointments, whether it is urgent or not. A few months ago, I had to do just this for a doctor’s note. By the nature of the note, I needed to see a doctor but certainly not on the day l rang - I would have much preferred to have arranged a non-urgent appointment for two or three weeks later. On the other hand, I had a problem with my kidneys one weekend a few months ago and rang the surgery on the Monday morning. I got through at 8.01 am to be told I was number 64 in the queue. Even in the waiting room, I was wondering if I should really be there, if I was ill enough or would l be wasting the doctor’s time - after all, if it was a kidney stone there was nothing much a doctor could do. In the event, it was a really bad kidney infection and I was told l should have rung the out of hours service on the Saturday and if it got worse l would have to go to hospital. Thankfully, strong antibiotics cured it.

Again just report it if you think the op is fake rather than make someone feel bad if they are legit

Many other posters have said the same if you look, so report them too if it’s not adding up for you

At the end of the day, all you people who are saying things like "my GP is crap, GPs are overpaid, I'm not listened to etc etc" - you can choose to believe OP or not. You can think she's an insensitive person if you like. You can tell her she's not working hard enough. You can tell her she should be grateful for her salary and pension. You can all tell your horror stories of seemingly negligent doctors, and how you can't get through on the phone. You can say all these things as much and as loudly as you like.

But the fact remains, OP says it like it is. She is a GP, I'm a GP, my colleagues are GPs, some of my friends are GPs, some posters on MN are GPs - and we all say the same. The work is unmanageable.
Would you consider that there's a teeny tiny possibility we might be right? Considering that we are the ones who are actually doing the job? Or do you just want to shout that black is white?

I’m not sure why pp keeps posting it’s fake

there are a fair few posts saying the same

I’m not sure why pp keeps posting it’s fake

How do you know? How do I know that you aren't fake?

I think it's impossible… five years ago, I saw my kind, helpful, no-bullshit GP ageing from appointment to appointment, practically in front of my eyes (I have several chronic conditions and have to go to the GP more often than most, and yes, I feel bad about it). She mentioned in passing once that it was annoying how her computer system automatically logged her off every day while she was working, because it was set to shut down after twelve hours. I brushed one of her hairs off the prescription form she gave me once, and she apologised that her hair was falling out so much. That was five years ago, before I moved. I think she's senior partner there now. I hope she's okay.

Either GPs are somehow all incredibly delicate, low-resilience individuals, or their job is unsustainably hard.

Well I’m pretty sure I’m real although you can think that about all of mn if you like if that’s your bag

But the right way to go about it is to report than suggest op is fake

I think all posts from people claiming to be GPs should be moved to the Health board(s) where you at least get the MNHQ warning that MN can't vouch for anybody posting and 'no-one on here is qualified' etc etc. I might suggest that on Site Stuff.

Ironically I think the MNHQ warning includes, 'see your GP if you're worried'.

Ok then.

I don't like the way @Moaningturtle1 was treated.

Which of the thread police are the real thread police, it’s hard to tell? 😏

OP should we see our GP if we’re worried??

Why can’t GPs talk on here

Odd posts about don’t post, fake, etc

What is it that people are reacting to? Even if you doubt the op do you think all those saying yes here are lying too

Is it that it doesn’t add up to your personal experience of using a GP

Especially agree with this bit
Now patients are treated more as equal decision-makers.

I rarely go to the doctor.
Last time I was in there, I was diagnosed with it being, poss a. b. or c. and we decided together it was more likely to be a.
Most bizarre.

Whether or not the OP is a troll, it’s interesting that most agree with the OP’s sweeping hyperbole implying the majority of people are reckless with their health and GP time wasters.

This fits in nicely with the Daily Mail attitude and Tories looking to shift blame for systemic problems on to the individual. Never mind what’s happening on a wider scale.

Really? The majority of your patients @memorial ? Forgive me, but I’m sceptical. If the original post was a little more circumspect, I’d be more sympathetic.

For every story of an unreasonable time wasting patient there’s probably a story about a patient being told to STFU (politely of course) and go away with negative consequences. I can add a few.

Friend’s father "complaining" of stomach pain to GP and repeatedly told it was just constipation to eventually end in A&E diagnosed with terminal stomach cancer. A dear friend who was told by his GP that it’s "only a cyst" and refused to refer him to dermatology to be dead one year later from melanoma leaving behind his wife and 4 year old daughter. My sister told by her GP that the reddish skin on her face was "unequivocally not skin cancer" turned out to be squamous cell skin cancer (she insisted on a referral). My dear FiL was told he had "indigestion" and told off by the consultant for wasting A&E time was dead from mesothelioma less than 6 months later.

Not sure what the answer is, but getting frustrated that people don’t do as they’re told is only going to lead to bad outcomes for all.

I feel your pain. Too many people abusing themselves by eating massive amounts of complete crap, drinking themselves to excess, smoking, doing zero exercise and then when health problems arise from their shitty lifestyles, the good old NHS is supposed to run to their rescue. No wonder you're completely scunnered.

Seems like it!

Amazed at this thread.

This issue the OP was trying to get across is that yes, mistakes are made, diagnoses are missed, and ill people can't get an appointment so they get more ill. The main reason for this is insufficient staff and resources. But a contributory factor is that amount of time spent dealing with issues that didn't need a GP in the first place.

If I'm not seeing the person with a verruca (who could have tried treatment from the chemist), the person with a sore throat for 2 hours (who could have taken paracetamol and seen how it felt after a couple of days), the person with hay fever (who doesn't want to buy antihistamines because it's cheaper on prescription), the person who wants a letter for work to say they can wear a coat because they're cold in the warehouse - then I could be seeing the people with chest pain, abdo pain, gynae problems, headaches etc.

If I'm not seeing the person with a verruca (who could have tried treatment from the chemist), the person with a sore throat for 2 hours (who could have taken paracetamol and seen how it felt after a couple of days), the person with hay fever (who doesn't want to buy antihistamines because it's cheaper on prescription), the person who wants a letter for work to say they can wear a coat because they're cold in the warehouse - then I could be seeing the people with chest pain, abdo pain, gynae problems, headaches etc.

How does, for example, the person with a verruca that hasn’t tried anything from the chemist get through the receptionists? Do they lie and tell the receptionists that they have tried everything, then tell you they’ve tried nothing? Or do they lie to you too?

They get a junior receptionist. Or they get a receptionist who's too stressed to argue. Or they lie. Often the story given to the receptionist is wildly different from what is said to the doctor.

One of the GP’s at our surgery had a mental breakdown, one had to retire early due to stress and the other went to school with my sister and now looks 10 years older than dsis. I do feel for them but also for so many patients especially with chronic chronic and mental health conditions.

I recently couldn't get a GP appointment for my 5YO (nearly 6) because the receptionist deemed it unnecessary.

I needed the appointment as the school nurse was filling a referral for the incontinence service (NHS) and part of that was a requirement to be seen by a GP for a full medical check for anything related. The service won't allow his referral without the GP paperwork.

I had to ring the school nurse, wait two weeks for a call back, to explain. She then had to contact the GP, we waited 3 weeks for the GP himself to authorise an appointment. I then had to call the practice to book the appointment. Got spoken to like an utter idiot by the receptionist who tried to tell me I was wrong that the GP would not possibly have agreed he needs an appointment and they don't fill in forms.

Finally saw the GP after a 3.5 week wait for the appointment. Locum GP who couldn't find the paperwork I know 100% was on the system. Told that I was essentially lying as a child being in nappies at nearly 6 isn't a worry or impacting their life. Left that appointment no further forward.

Had to re-ring the school nurse who only took a week this time to call back. She went straight to the practice manager and I got a very sheepish phone call acknowledging they had the paperwork and could we come in tomorrow.

The whole service is not fit for purpose.

And yes this x 1000!

But you know, personal choice 🙄