Why do you like your GP ?

[Aquarius1234]

Over the last several months I've read a mixture of positive and negative threads on here about GPs.
I wonder about those that really like their current GP.
Why is your GP Lovely? Do you even know them well enough to say those words?

My GP seems OK but I may not see them again for another 6 months or a year. So I can't exactly give an opinion.

I don't think I've seen the same GP twice in the 15 years we've been with that surgery (not that I go often) as you just get who is free unless you specifically say or they want to see you again. Its a great surgery though

Ha, as above I don't think I've seen the same GP twice since I was child. I don't even know what my GP's name is, I just put the practice down whenever I have to name a GP on a form.

There are a couple of good ones at my surgery.
One was so lovely and, after 3-4 years of suffering and being fobbed off by multiple other Drs at the practice, she actually diagnosed a couple of chronic conditions that were making life unbearable.
Another young male dr is lovely and never makes you feel rushed, really listens and makes you feel heard.

I don’t go often, probably spoken or seen those two Drs around 4 times over the last 3 years.
It’s a great surgery. I can do EConsultations instead of hanging on the phone to book appointments, I can email requests in for my prescriptions that aren’t on repeat because the are monitored, and the HRT nurse sends a text questionnaire so she has all the info needed for when she calls to do my annual checks.

My GP is great.
Always get same day appointment, and I mean always.
On hand if I need anything, if I call the surgery I can ask the receptionist to leave a message for him and he always gets back to me.
The other week I needed a prescription and he went out of his way to deliver it to my house because I couldn't get out.
Cannot fault him or any of the other staff in my GP surgery.

I don't have a specific GP, but the surgery is generally really good. Even throughout lockdowns we could get face to face appointments if needed after a telephone consultation.
If I phone at 8am, I can always get a same day appointment if needed.
They've been really supportive with my husband who is struggling with anxiety at the moment.
They're not perfect, but having read some horror stories I think we're really lucky.

Our surgery is very well managed and the receptionists are fantastic - getting a suitable appointment is easy. The different GPs have different specialities and they are happy to signpost to each other. And they have been pretty fast to embrace technology so you can do e-consult/order stuff online etc but they still answer the phone or allow you to just pop in. They are great.

My practice is very good for getting seen when needed quickly, and have had great care for my kids when needed, but awful if you want to go in and talk about something non urgent. You can't book in advance, have to call in the morning (which will take half an hour of trying, don't bother on a Monday), wait all day for a call back (guarantee they will in the middle of a meeting) and then they expect you to drop what you're doing to come in that day. One of those Covid things that never corrected. It makes me seethe, and really demonstrates to me what a poor state it is in. I hate the rhetoric we are supposed to be grateful for this, it is shite.

I’m totally impressed and hugely rate all 3 of the young GP’s I needed to consult recently.

The main thing is that they really listen without interrupting for as long as it takes and are so respectful.

I am in awe, they are all fairly young, and In my lifetime I will never have the interpersonal skills that they have.
(In contrast to a few years earlier in the same practice where older generation GP’s were mostly just completely dismissive)

I like that we can mail in a well laid out bullet pointed list of symptoms in order of severity/priority, (more than I could describe coherently in a 5 minute face to face consultation) and the GP is able to call you for a telephone consultation, or get you in for an examination.

I hugely appreciate the option of telephone consultations.

I’m also mindful of their workload, that the GP’s are all seeing people, probably in every surgery, with serious, terminal and life-limiting illnesses, but can still give the best of themselves during each appointment with us.

He always seems to have all the time in the world. When he does my acupuncture we chat about everything. And he can touch type, so looks at you while taking notes.

Our GP surgery are excellent. The receptionists are kind and efficient. Never had a problem getting a face to face appointment when we've needed one, even at the height of covid, and every GP and practice nurse we've had dealings with has been great. I live with a longstanding MH condition, most of the time I'm fine but I had quite a serious relapse last year and the Surgery were brilliant. At that time I was having to ring them to be reviewed weekly and the lovely receptionist assured me she would always make sure I got to talk to the same doctor so I didn't have to keep re-telling my story. The GP was just wonderful. Very caring, but never patronising.

I had a fab female GP, who I always trusted with everything , no matter how embarrassing. She’s now retired and my GP is a younger male GP. He’s pleasant and has been helpful.

The practice is making more use of technology and my last two appointments have been e-consult and text message replies, which is fine - I didn’t need an appointment, it was a flare up of a long term condition, so I knew what was needed.

If I need an actual appointment, I can get one, either telephone or face-to-face, but the wait is 3-4 weeks unless urgent. So far, e-consult has worked fine for me.

I have been with my surgery for 12 years, and have seen the same GP twice. The rest have been locums, or just ones allocated to me for that appointment.

Gone are the days of the "family doctor".

They are just AWSOME.
Same day appointments, receptionists are just lovely, so so helpful and friendly.
The surgery itself is clean, open and airy, busy and bustling but has a really friendly vibe.
Very very rarely need them but when I do, can’t fault them.

I love my GP, I don't always get to see her but DP requests her and see her. She's known us as a family for a long time and our ups and downs.
She takes us seriously and wants to help, and is open to our suggestions and thoughts on what is going on too.

That seems very rare. But good service.

I never see the same GP and certainly haven't seen one in at least 5 years so no opinion on people I've maybe met once for 10 minutes.

The nurses at the practice are more consistent and those I've seen are friendly and reassuring.

Mines alright, pretty dismissive but he's under pressure. He doesn't have much in the way of bedside manner, curt says what needs to be said.

I love my GP. He is old and cynical, like me, and really takes the time to listen to you and work out what it might be. I never feel rushed.

He's also very good at listening to what you suggest and prescribing stuff. When I listed my symptoms, suggested I might need HRT and was keen to try it he listened to what I had to say, agreed with me, had a chat and said, 'Let's try it then'.

I am very grateful as an intelligent, educated adult in my late 50s to be treated as one by my GP - who is also an intelligent, educated adult.

I'm not sure I've ever met my GP. We've been here 11 years and I've spoken to her once on the phone. Or it might have been a locum.

I've met the practice nurse, who is ok. She does smears, vaccinations, cleaned up and steristripped ds' knee.

As a practice though, they get my vote. They haven't let us down yet 🙂

I can book appointments for in weeks time, many seem to not be able to do that.
DS has a specific gp, who is absolutely lovely. He always gets squeezed in on the day whether there's appointments available or not.

Yes I wonder if the non urgent appointments will ever get back to normal. Eg phone whenever you feel like.

our GP practice is excellent with same day appointments if necessary, telephone appointments and lots of support. My favourite GP is similar age to me (65) and he is very pragmatic, relying on his experience rather than what 'should' be done or what the algorithms state. I will be very upset when he retires.

My surgery is very good, I have a named GP and she's been brilliant for any problems I have had. Generally, she deals with any problems but I sometimes see another one and they've been good too. The nurses have also been superb, the receptionists clearly know their stuff too. I consider myself very lucky...

I love my GP. Had him for a decade. He always listens and has helped me immensely.

He moved to another practice and I still went to see him.

I think he's left again to focus on cosmetic surgery instead of GP. :(

Mine’s empathetic & intuitive.