To wonder what my GP Surgery is actually doing?

[bloodymosquito]

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

OP I am sorry for what you’re living through at the moment. Unfortunately I have learned through the same experience that sometimes you have to assert yourself. My mum was only diagnosed with cancer when I intervened, took her to the GP myself and insisted on hospital admission and scans. I would contact the surgery tomorrow and tell them how desperate you’re feeling. Things were bad enough 15 years who when I was going through this, I can’t begin to imagine how hard it is now.

@startingitallagain he was under specialist consultant care and then palliative care but he was discharged and told to go back to the GP. But the GP won't see him unless it is an emergency

and I was told leave around 6pm and start at 8 30 am. And have 40 days holiday. Plus bank Holidays.

@bloodymosquito Why has he been discharged if he is dying of cancer? I don't understand that at all.
People in remission would be discharged and to go to GP if concerned. And even then they have scheduled follow ups with oncology.

Just so I am clear, he was discharged by the local oncology hospital despite still having terminal cancer as they said that they couldn't do any treatment following chemo, radio and immunotherapy. He was then discharged from palliative care for not, in their words 'dying quickly enough' so they couldn't help him. We have been advised that all we can do is go back to the GP

@BradfordGirl we cant understand that either. At times there have been questions about the cancer spreading but then he was discharged with no follow up. He is so confused and I can't blame him, none of it makes sense

Our GP does same day phone appointments or prescription renewal, same day in-person for kids if needed, and most adults can get in within a day or two after phone appointment if needed. Whatever is wrong, it is not all GPs. Change GP, complain to the CCG and practice manager, use his consultant's admin team, whatever else you need to do, but don't accept this as inevitable.

I'm so sorry your dad is unwell and hope he gets the help he needs soon.

This is what the health service falling apart looks like: you can’t get treatment when you need it. This situation should scare everyone, frankly.

Sorry to hear that. Palliative care is usually for people expected to die within the next twelve months. But people can live with terminal cancer for much longer.
Can you contact MacMillan or Maggies Centre for help?
A GP appointment will not be an emergency if you want to talk about the support the GP can provide but don't have particular health issues you need help with at the moment.
Why not ask for an appointment with the nurse to discuss any issues in the first instance?
Depending on the prognosis what you need help with is for now managing any symptoms, hopefully he already has any medication prescribed. And then planning for the future, and hear Maggies are excellent if you have one near you. You can just turn up.

Contact your local community specialist palliative care team or hospice- there will be someone on duty to help you x

In that case I would contact Pals at the hospital. They tend to be excellent. You need clarity about your DHs situation.
You need to know if he still does have cancer.
And if he does, what the prognosis is and future treatments.
Some cancers spread so slowly that it is more like a chronic illness. I know someone who get chemo once every couple of years, and in between lives without any treatment. He has been told the cancer is very unlikely to kill him.
Your GP can not resolve this for you quickly, Pals at the hospital have the power to get answers for you quickly. Look up their contact details. You can phone them or just drop in for their opening hours.

Whilst there's recent national guidance and encouragement to reduce routine work in primary care, focusing on those at risk of hospital admission/same day urgent care. I very much doubt any surgeries are only seeing 'emergencies'. Today in my clinic (Paramedic who works in primary care) I've seen several minor illnesses requiring no treatment, only 2 patients all day that needed prescribing to.

@Hourbyehours Hospice is not relevant here.

Just wanted to add my support OP. Ignore the nuisance posts accusing you of bashing. You have legitimate concerns about your dad’s welfare.

You are entitled to a better service. Today my dh had a home visit from GP this morning and a 3 person home visit from the Admission Avoidance service. You can always access a gp by phone and can get a face to face appointment on request. I can’t fault them.

Does he have a registered nurse, McMillan nurse, get in touch with the unit he gets his cancer treatment at, and phone the manager of the gp unit tomorrow and complain. Go or covid or not, they have a duty of care. They cannot just say they are not dealing with this. They don't deal with it, u go to A&E.

Just wondering why a GP isn't allowed to work part time? Surely, they have the same right to a work/life balance as anyone.

@Trees6 thank you. It has been a pretty grim Christmas

Raging at this post, there is someeone dying. He deserves support and care. So do his family. Op u need to document every single thing, every time u have tried to get help, who u spoke to and what they said. And don't back down when they say they can't help. Complain and complain and if docs cant help get the nurses. They all have a duty of care if ur dad is on their caseload.

When you rang the GP did you specify what the symptoms were (ie not keeping food down)? Sorry to ask the obvious, but I can't see why that then wouldn't get him on the list to be seen that day or at least advice given over the phone as to how to manage short term and when It would become an emergency.

Sorry to ask, but is his cancer a slow one and therefore the Surgery think he has a stomach bug and it's not related?

Beacuse if too many of them go part time there won't be enough to go round. Then we'll get the medical schools only recruiting those (ie men) who are less likely to work part time but obviously fudging the issue in some way. we pay for NHS med school training and if there aren't enough to go round we need to be increasing the numbers being trained. But oh whoops the doctors voted against that a few years ago....

If he's keeping liquids down and it's solids that are an issue, maybe some Ensure from the chemist would help in the short term (we've had to resort to these occasionally).

OP it is an emergency to you so mention this when trying to make an appointment.

@Aquarius1234 not seeing many patients? Do you want to give us the number that you’re so clearly aware of? And don’t seem ‘stressed out of their brain’- yes sorry you’re not seeing GPs crying/hyperventilating in public as you’d imagine to see.

This isn't normal op. My gp is excellent and I can get an appointment immediately, if I can't the Dr will call me as soon as his consultation is over and do a phone consultation. My mothers GP though, you have a higher chance of winning the Euromillions than getting an appointment.

He hasn't been able to keep any solid food down for the last 8 weeks. I didn't realise how bad it was until I went him for Christmas. He was diagnosed with terminal cancel 3 years ago but then discharged as none of the treatments worked