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

We can only book an appointment online via a very confusing site, just before Christmas is was down for days as they’d closed the booking system due to having staff shortages and no appointments available.

They shouldn't be, but they are unfortunately.

It's the same for everyone in healthcare. I'm a mental health nurse and I'd say I spend about 75% of my time doing various bits of paperwork and documentation; risk assessments, care plans daily notes, various paper based tools and numerous other bits of utter rubbish which no one ever looks at. I barely get time to spend with my patients. The reality is that the best mitigation of risk for our patients would be us spending time with them, talking to them, finding out what's going on with them, working on recovery etc. But no, we're taken away from spending time with them to fill out bits of bloody paper. Honestly, don't get me started.

Yes, and I think people are just desperate too. It’s hard to be your best self when you’re unwell, scared and stressed.

There’s also this moral expectation of doing the right thing, don’t use health care you don’t need, don’t go to A&E etc etc but then there’s no doctor’s appointments and maybe you find that out after 45 mins of calling at 8am and waiting for a callback that never comes, then hours waiting for 111 and, and… not only is there the illness but then the mental load of just how do you get the help and whether what’s wrong with you warrants it at all, and unfortunately perhaps the people that need it the most are now the most unlikely to receive it, or even believe they warrant / deserve it.

My GP surgery has been beyond shit since covid.

I think they just got used to not having to see people in the pandemic and decided never to go back to normal ever again… 🤷🏼‍♀️

I work in a care home and the GPs don’t ever want to come out for the elderly residents either. One even complained because she couldn’t be arsed to come out to verify a death, she wanted to do it over the phone 🤨… The Senior told her she wasn’t allowed to do that and so the GP arrived looking pissed off to verify the death. She had a horrible attitude with the staff and the residents grieving family. Really unprofessional.

Also the receptionists at the GP surgery always seem to have major attitude on the phone, it’s like you’re bothering them when all you are trying to do is access normal health care.

I'm trying to talk to a GP about tweaking DC's migrainesm medication. They never have any appointments and always say to do an e-consult. So I try to do that but it comes up saying its currently unavailable for this practice, try again tomorrow. I phone them back and tell them and just get told all I can do is try again tomorrow!

MIL tried to get an appointment about what seems to be a severe chest infection (going by past symptoms)that just won't go away - she has various conditions going on which mean her immune system is not good, and now and again she needs a course of antibiotics. She was told the same thing as me but she did manage to do an e-consult and half way through, it said she had to contact the practice for an appointment. They still said they couldn't see her.

@lurkinglittleladybug that's just shocking. A little bit of compassion towards the family and staff wouldn't go amiss - and how on earth did she plan to verify a death over the phone?!

I agree with you. But it appeared the vast majority loved the Covid lifestyle of lockdowns, furlough, masks, PPE spending - someone had to pay for all this and now everyone is moaning because funny enough there isn't any money left.

Our surgery says the same emergencies only even texts me to say ring 111 instead of the surgery where possible. I feel like I've no healthcare in my area as we live out the way.
They shut the surgery on 19th December for Christmas too. The advice on here about complaining is helpful. It hasn't occurred to me I could say anything but recently I fell ill and had to pay to see a private doctor which cost £££ because 111 was too busy and I knew I needed antibiotics. Lucky I can. Not everyone can do this. Are there any rules around never seeing patients face to face this is another thing at our gp since 2019 it's near impossible to see a GP.

Id challenge them they're just being lazy, could you report it to the BMA. X

WTF??? So what are people meant to do if they find a lump in the breast or testicle? Yes the GP may see that as urgent but will all patients? Will the receptionist always see it like that? This is encouraging patients to ignore possible cancer symptoms!

What about the person who has begun to tremor but is in a bit of denial? They'll see this and then ignore their symptoms. Same with the husband who can't understand why his wife can’t remember things. "Oh well it's not urgent so I'd best leave it" 😳😳😳

Some woeful misinformation on this thread about palliative care and GP involvement.

OP if your Dad has been discharged from Oncology as palliative but was not ready for symptom management it is reasonably normal for the palliative care team and Oncology to discharge if they do not not to need to see him at that point. Therefore they have done the right thing by re-referring back to the GP.

Where I work it would absolutely be GPs responsibility to start symptom management, and not managing to keep food down/nausea/vomiting are sadly all very normal parts of the progression of cancer. It sounds like your Dad will need to commence some anti-emetics and a GP review as it sounds like things have changed with his condition. In the area I work in the GP prescribes all the medications needed - with advice from the palliative care team/hospice if needed. I agree this absolutely should not be necessary, but when phoning the GP either yourself, mum or dad need to be completely clear with the receptionist that he is a palliative patient in need of urgent symptom management. If they can't manage that appropriately by seeing your dad then try the practice manager and explain your disappointment.

If your Dad is deteriorating it also sounds like it may be time for a District Nurse referral. They can help monitor palliative patients at home and sometimes act as a liaison between GP/hospice services and the patients. They can also look into care and and getting additional equipment in and a care package if the patient wishes to die at home. Usually where I work the DNs will manage most things and will only involve Macmillan/Hospice for patients who are extremely symptomatic and require specialist input.

So in summary, it doesn't sound like anyone has done anything wrong in discharging him however it sounds like it could have been explained better to yourselves, and GP input is absolutely vital and appropriate. Some posters make it sound like you can self refer to every Tom, Dick and Harry however it's not like that in every area. Where I am all services such as hospices, palliative care and Macmillan all require a GP or DN referral. The GP should be your gateway to any of that if needed and there is where the system fails as these jobs are deemed "not urgent" but they so clearly are.

Only qualified doctors can both read and appropriately action any correspondence from hospitals etc. I recently had a hospital appointment that picked up an infection, the notes to my GP contained this, so a GP would need to action this by prescribing an appropriate antibiotic for me to collect, an admin assistant or a receptionish rightly cannot do this.

My cousins wife is a GP (not in the UK), however like GPs in the UK she sees patients three days a week and spends the forth day on referrals, reading letters from hospitals, actioning blood results, approving prescriptions etc. Just imagine how many repeat prescriptions doctors are having to approve each week.

Haha, no one's realised the posts are from teachers and police......... but it's working.

The GP wanted the senior to feel for a pulse… Something the senior isn’t actually trained to do… And she had no compassion, I wouldn’t be surprised if the family put in a complaint

👏 👏

If they are open, I wonder if your turning up at the GPs surgery and refusing to move until they agree to your family member is seen would achieve some results.

Drastic measures I know but perhaps could work.

Never seeing patients again face to face seems very weird.

I don't agree with having to insist and demand for appointments. But obv that's the only way. Seems too stressful.

I don't agree with having to insist and demand for appointments. But obv that's the only way. Seems too stressful.

It's outrageous. It shouldn't need to be pointed out that many people in urgent need of healthcare are very vulnerable; what do they do if they don't have anybody to advocate for them and battle the surgery on their behalf?

It's so sad that so many GP surgeries have now almost become an enemy to be fought and overcome rather than a service that wants to help you. A cynical person might suggest that Covid was the best thing that ever happened for them.

Could you contact McMillan cancer team directly, sorry about the spelling.

I phoned mine at dead on 8am. which is when the phone lines open.No. 24 in the queue, appointments all taken when I got to no.1. Im going to go private Im fed up

Please don’t regret posting.
I would contact Macmillan, I’d also contact the G.P again and make a formal complaint if needs be. Involve your MP. That will get a fire cracker up their backside. The way your father has been treated is shocking. There is a total lack of support or treatment. How anyone can’t grasp that is beyond me, but then it is MN.

Has he claimed all the benefits to which he is entitled? Macmillan can help. You may be able to use this money to pay for a private appointment.

To all those of you who have completely derailed this thread and turned it around so you can call it NHS /Doctor bashing and have a go at the OP - shame on you. How callous.
The NHS isn’t that great. Care isn’t that great. Money talks every time. We are lucky to have a free service but good lord - degenerating very quickly because there are too many service users and not enough cash, isn’t it. Doctors and nurses want more money- don’t we all.

We’ll all have to pay privately soon. It’s already starting with paid telephone consults.

@RosesAndHellebores
An interesting query as it depends on who requested the biopsy. The test requestor is directly responsible for delivering the results and actioning the treatment pathway.

If your GP requested the biopsy they should give results. Even if your results are clear, if you still have symptoms an appointment to discuss would be appropriate.

We do receive a high volume of patient requests to contact their specialist for them as they are too busy and no-one is answering - we do not have time for this and it's not our job - contact the hospital PALS team.

It does seem that everyone expects GPs to pick up the slack for everything in the NHS when they are neither an emergency service or urgent care service or secondary care specialist - read their contract - what is being asked of them is not their remit - they are a convenient dumping ground.