GP closing at lunchtime

[MolliciousIntent]

I know they're overworked and overstretched and underfunded, I know that. But I can't for the life of me understand why they close for an hour over lunch!? There are 8 doctors, 3 nurses and 3 receptionists at our practice, surely they can just stagger their lunchbreaks so that the phones are covered rather than shutting down completely? Seems like a really bizarre use of time. Is this standard anywhere? Is there a reason for this that I'm missing?

Maybe they're having a staff meeting?

It's valuable catching up time.

I'd say it's last resort so that they are certain to get a break / meet / chat / ask for advice / vent at each other

Otherwise patients over-run for 1 which impacts on others (nurse over runs with her last patient before lunch and needs to speak to the doctor before prescribing then the receptionist to book something and before you know it that's 3 people not getting a break)

Shutting means not squeezing in the person who rocks up late and begs / shouts etc because it's easier to say 'we're closed' than 'no, you were late'

I don't work for or in GPs but I work with adults in education. We close for 30 minutes at lunch and have to be really strict otherwise none of us would eat or pee!

"It's valuable catching up time."

This.

Everything that's over run, all the queries that have come in, all the admin that needs doing that hasn't fit neatly into the morning, will be being caught up on over lunch.

Mine has always closed for 90 mins at lunch time.
They don’t sit around eating sandwiches the whole time, the Drs do admin, have meetings, go for home visits etc and the reception staff do the prescription requests, letters, additional admin tasks that they can’t do with the phone ringing off the hook.

Our practise always does this. Sometimes they use the time for a briefing/invite training or demos from suppliers/eat lunch. I can’t see the issue with it tbh.

Good GP’s need treasuring, I was saddened to learn if high suicide rates in the profession. I don’t begrudge them an hour off at lunchtime

...all that makes perfect sense. I withdraw my whinge.

YABVU - my DD is a GP receptionist - they get 30 mins lunch and the remaining 30 mins is used by the GPs to make referrals, do phone calls to regular vulnerable/very ill patients, also there is usually huge amounts of info to disseminate to staff.
At least it gives them 60 mins respite from the incessant torrent of verbal abuse from the general public.

All the home visits occur over ‘lunch’. I was a GP but recently quit. I have never had a lunch break. My lunch was eaten in my car or at my desk whilst doing paperwork. I was often expected to do 3+ home visits over ‘lunch’ sometimes with 30 mins driving in between destinations (we live/work rurally). Other times it would be to a
nursing home and I was expected to see 5 or so patients. Often with a ‘while you’re here Dr Mrs so and so has just had a fall can you check her over’

i was often late restarting my afternoon clinic at 2.30.

Hmmm. Well not all surgeries are a hive of activity during lunch hour at least the ones I've visited haven't been. Ever see a pharmacy closed for lunch? No, because they don't get paid lunch hours unlike GPs and yet over 95percent of their work is for the NHS. And they are similarly private companies like GPs....

At my practice the GPs do urgent appts and home visits and admin over lunch. Also it provides a buffer when morning surgery over runs. Reception staff cover lunch. The health care assistant is doing her admin, and sorting out all the specimens. It's not like we all piss off to spoons for a couple of hours!

@Bouledeneige gps don’t get paid lunch breaks….not sure where you got that from. People will still be working in either non patient facing admin or it may be that all the Drs are out of the building (on visits- still working!)

It’s time to catch up - referrals, results etc. It’s also time for meetings and (importantly but overlooked) teaching and education activities. How many times do you read on here that GPs don’t know anything about x,y,z? Having time set aside when the phones aren’t ringing etc and everyone is theoretically free means that teaching sessions can be held. It’s also time for the trainees to have supervision with consultant GPs. And it’s an hour off the verbal abuse as well.

I wish our surgery did this. My clinics regularly over run due to complex patients, late attenders, walk ins etc meaning I often don't get all my unpaid 30 minute break in a nine hour day. It's a wonder drug errors aren't made by the end of the day to be honest.
Practice nurse.

It's hardly comparable as they do not have the same large amounts of admin, referrals and home visits to do. GPs do not get paid for their 30 min lunch break which they often don't get to take and the rest of the time they are doing admin essential to their role.

And actually in many smaller pharmacies where there is only one pharmacist on shift at a time, they do turn people away to come back in an hour if they need to speak to the pharmacist. Happens at my local one all the time. The shop part and dispensary remain open but if you actually need pharmacist advice or prescription queries you get turned away and told to come back later.

What's a lunch break???. My surgery closes 12.30 to 1.30 but I usually work until 1.45 doing admin and catching up on the morning or having a meeting. I then grab my lunch in 10 minutes before I start again.

Every single pharmacy round here closes for an hour over lunch and the staff can all be seen buying lunch at the local bakery so they do actually get a lunchbreak.
My GP closes to patients between 12.30 and 2 and whenever ive been in the building in those hours (for SALT and OT appointments) i can see them still working. The reception staff are usually eating a sandwich at their desks, GP's rushing about doing admin/house calls.

Retired GP
When I was working as a GP we closed the surgery from 1pm - 2pm the main reasons being.
GPs were out on home visits mainly to house bound elderly, terminally ill or nursing home residents. Receptionists and Secretaries catching up on filing, prescription requests & multiple other duties as well as lunch which for employees is protected time.
The other reason is there may or may not have been a doctor onsite, reception staff are not medically qualified & it was better any potential emergencies were waiting in A&E where there was always medical & nursing cover rather than in a non-doctored health centre. For me lunch was usually a sandwich eaten in the car.

it's so nice when people just say that. Sadly, it's rare!

Well that doesn't happen very often:

OP: AIBU??
Everyone: Yes
OP: Ok then - sorry!

Well done OP!

I think it’s fine, it means there can be standard appointment times and also rather than 3 hours where they’re one receptionist down so super busy they just have an hour closed.

Ours is open 8.30 - 11 30 then 4-6pm officially. But clinics run over. House calls take time
Lots of write ups. Completing forms. Consultants have medical secretary help. I reckon it would help GPs. One practice manager in our rural area covers six practices

Yes, I've been asked to return when the pharmacist comes back fro lunch if I need otc medicines many times before, in fact our local pharmacy closes its shutters for 30 mins at the same time every day for lunch.
I feel very sorry for staff working in primary care at the moment. They should definitely get a proper break at lunch time. I 100 percent blame the government for the current situation.