Page 10 | To wonder what my GP Surgery is actually doing?

bloodymosquito · 2022-12-29T21:06:01+00:00

Since Covid my surgery has been very evasive about booking appointments, but now they say they will only talk to emergencies. Isn't that what A&E is for? I have a very ill family member with cancer and needs help but apparently it isn't classed as an emergency

Willowswood · 30/12/2022 18:42

@Bluekerfuffle it's never going to happen sadly. People just aren't attracted to a job that doesn't pay the bills. Nobody goes into nursing for the money...

Our ward probably has just as much agency staff as permanent staff now. I dread to think what the wages cost is.

Bluekerfuffle · 30/12/2022 18:49

@Willowswood , but if @Ohnotheydidnt knows people that would like to train as nurses, it sounds like there are people attracted to the job but don’t have the opportunity.

Original poster

bloodymosquito · 30/12/2022 19:00

We had a call back from a nurse who was due to visit just before Christmas but had to cancel as she was unwell, she is hoping to visit soon. I don't blame her at all, so many people are unwell at the moment and it must be even worse as a healthcare worker.

My intention wasn't to GP bash, but I realise that I was all the same. It is so frustrating trying to advocate for unwell family members, but I am very grateful for all the adviceI have been given about how services work.

OP posts:

Aquarius1234 · 30/12/2022 19:39

I thought nurses were paid 37k onwards these days. Must pay the bills.

Aquarius1234 · 30/12/2022 19:41

Do GP s get paid any less for doing part time?

RosesAndHellebores · 30/12/2022 20:14

@Aquarius1234 of course they do. They are paid pro-rata. However the part-time partners sub-contract/delegate to salaries/less experienced GP's and often take on more lucrative and higher paid paid work in the freed time. For examples our partners are excellent and can be accessed for £110 for 20 minutes through our local private hospitals. Their registered NHS patients get to see a locum or newly qualified GP with little local knowledge and afforded negligible continuity.

Willowswood · 30/12/2022 20:35

Bluekerfuffle · 30/12/2022 18:49

@Willowswood , but if @Ohnotheydidnt knows people that would like to train as nurses, it sounds like there are people attracted to the job but don’t have the opportunity.

Of course, but I'm saying that they obviously don't know enough about the role.

Willowswood · 30/12/2022 20:38

Aquarius1234 · 30/12/2022 19:39

I thought nurses were paid 37k onwards these days. Must pay the bills.

Where did you get that information from? It's incorrect.

The current starting salary for a Band 5 Nurse is £27,055.With 2-4 years’ experience, a Band 5 Nurse will earn £29,180, and the very top of this banding pays £32,934.

Original poster

bloodymosquito · 30/12/2022 20:53

@Willowswood I can't fault nurses at all and think that they deserve far more than they are paid

OP posts:

bakebeans · 30/12/2022 22:28

Hi, it's not the GP you need it's the nurses. He should be known to the palliative care team and district nursing team in your area. Contact them and they can escalate matters for you to other teams such as the dietitians and speech and language teams including the Gp of necessary. to prescribe the end of life medications if necessary. Most nurses can now prescribe certain morphine drugs and the palliative care nursing team are more confident with these. They will speed up beds, sitters (if in the area) and can liaise with the Gp if you are not getting anywhere. If you Google community nursing for your area it should give u a number.

MontyDonsBlueScarf · 30/12/2022 23:38

So sorry to hear this.

FWIW I'd say don't dismiss 111. It's unbelievably stressful to get through to a real person but when you finally do, it can kick start some action.

We have had exemplary care from GP and palliative care team throughout DH's cancer journey, but over the last few days we had a perfect storm where a crisis coincided with GP, local pharmacy, and designated Christmas opening pharmacy all being closed, and hospice unable to help because they're not set up to deal with acute care.

I tried 111 a couple of times but gave up with the endless lengthy recorded filters. However when in absolute desperation I persevered, 111 sent an ambulance which arrived within 30 minutes. The crew rang GP on a dedicated line and administered treatment there and then on GP's advice. From then on, everything swung into place.

If your father is known to the hospice team it may be worth asking them whether they can give you a special 111 number to call. Ours did, and it eliminated the endless 111 screening. This isn't available everywhere (as I discovered when I gave them our address and they said that we were out of area for them and I'd have to go back to the standard 111 yet again) but could be worth a try.

Ritasueandbobtoo9 · 07/01/2023 11:07

They say social care is the problem but the NHS constantly refer patients with stage 4 cancers who are clearly not going to live long and could be “fast tracked” for social care. Basically if you are old and have cancer, ring social services. When I started 30 years ago, these patients would have been cared for in hospital or at home by the NHS.

BradfordGirl · 07/01/2023 17:25

Because stage 4 cancers can still be treated so people live a few years. A friend who died at 42 lived 2 years extra because of her treatment.
And even terminally ill patients need palliative care set up. Social care do not do this. The NHS set this up.

bakebeans · 07/01/2023 18:32

Aquarius1234 · 30/12/2022 19:39

I thought nurses were paid 37k onwards these days. Must pay the bills.

Nope! Look at The agenda for change pay scale

KimberleyClark · 07/01/2023 19:10

My GP surgery (Wales) is also on emergencies only no routine appointments.

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 07/01/2023 20:50

My GP surgery (Wales) is also on emergencies only no routine appointments.

Have they explicitly publicised that, or is it just the clear tone they're giving off?

If they're doing emergencies only, does that mean they're available 24/7 - or do they want the best of both worlds whereby they can refuse anything that isn't what they deem to be an emergency, but can then pick and choose what they fancy from the remaining emergencies?

Is there not something in the NHS contract with GP surgeries that stipulates some kind of minimum level service? That is, a GP service; considering that A&E is still always there for actual emergencies?

KimberleyClark · 07/01/2023 21:00

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 07/01/2023 20:50

My GP surgery (Wales) is also on emergencies only no routine appointments.

Have they explicitly publicised that, or is it just the clear tone they're giving off?

If they're doing emergencies only, does that mean they're available 24/7 - or do they want the best of both worlds whereby they can refuse anything that isn't what they deem to be an emergency, but can then pick and choose what they fancy from the remaining emergencies?

Is there not something in the NHS contract with GP surgeries that stipulates some kind of minimum level service? That is, a GP service; considering that A&E is still always there for actual emergencies?

Yes they have publicised it on their website.

Nursejackie1 · 07/01/2023 21:13

Definitely get back in touch with the palliative care nurses and let them know he now has uncontrolled symptoms and things are changing. As this is basically their job they should assign a specialist nurse to visit.

Nursejackie1 · 07/01/2023 21:17

@Aquarius1234 where on earth did you get 37k from?! I actually laughed out loud. Is this really what people think, if so no wonder there’s not more public support for nurses.

Aquarius1234 · 07/01/2023 21:26

Nursejackie1 · 07/01/2023 21:17

@Aquarius1234 where on earth did you get 37k from?! I actually laughed out loud. Is this really what people think, if so no wonder there’s not more public support for nurses.

I meant 34k not 37 but still.

What Is The Average Salary For A Nurse? The Royal College of Nursing estimated in 2021 that the average annual salary of an NHS nurse is £33,384.13 Dec 2022

Aquarius1234 · 07/01/2023 21:27

And I guess I thought that was Nurse's who had 5/ 10 years experience.

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 07/01/2023 21:50

Yes they have publicised it on their website.

That's outrageous. So they're instantly turning away all the people they should be seeing and then accepting (and potentially slowing down) people who should be going straight to A&E?

Is there anybody they can be reported to, so that the NHS can find a replacement that they can pay to provide NHS GP services, instead of them?

harrassedmumto3 · 07/01/2023 23:41

What a very, very difficult situation for your poor dad ... and family

Original poster

bloodymosquito · 08/01/2023 21:41

Thank you for the kind words. I can't remember if I said (tbh I am bloody exhausted) but he has been referred back to palliative care. He was waiting over a week for essential medication and it was wrong when it was delivered. When we spoke to the surgery, they said it was a similar name and these things happen!

OP posts:

bakebeans · 11/01/2023 21:40

bloodymosquito · 08/01/2023 21:41

Thank you for the kind words. I can't remember if I said (tbh I am bloody exhausted) but he has been referred back to palliative care. He was waiting over a week for essential medication and it was wrong when it was delivered. When we spoke to the surgery, they said it was a similar name and these things happen!

Get in touch with the community district nurses. Unlikely will have been discharged so no need to be re-referred. The district nurses can liaise with palliative care and will probably be quicker. They can also prescribe drugs and set up anti sickness medications, stringe drivers whilst waiting this. Sort out a cushion, mattress, check for sores etc. not that I'm tak ing anything away from the Gp but They do a lo t more than the GP