I can't see a GP is anyone elses like this?

[Wintersgirl]

And it's really frustrating, I've had a chesty cough (green gunk...sorry) for 4 weeks now (i've now developed a high temp in the last day) with no sign of it going away, I filled in the online form to get triaged, you can't speak to anyone at my Drs, the message on the phone just tells me fill in the form and we'll get back to you within 2 days, call cuts dead

So I filled in the form, they got back to me a day later saying phone 111 which I did who promptly told me I need to see a Dr, ok fine so I filled in the form again, the GPs come back and say see a pharmacist because they can give out antibiotics if needed, not true at all the I phoned our local chemist and the Pharmacist say we can't do chests , you need to see a Dr....argh! So I fill in another form online saying what they said isn't true, waited a while longer and they come back and tell me go to A&E if things get worse, I don't need A&E i just want someone to listen to my chest! I feel like death but it really doesn't warrant a trip to hospital, does anyone else have this rigmarole or is it just mine? Thanks in advance

Yes that too. But by being spectacularly unavailable to patients it pushes them into the private sector and solves the problem of too many patients. Win win situation.

It’s interesting, is it frustrating for surgeries like yours that others aren’t seeing patients at all in person? Do you get a sense of why they’re not?

Hope you’re ok OP.

I had very similar (for 9 weeks and not getting better, but thinking I just had to wait it out). Eventually my mum and my husband told me I really should get seen (they told me about lots of cases of pneumonia recently etc.).

Last week tried to get a GO appointment but it was impossible - fully booked for the day almost as soon as the lines open.

Went to the local hospital’s walk-in center (feeling really shit and with a temperature). Got triaged and told to wait. After an hour one of the receptionists came to put up a sign that said « waiting time 4 hours » then a little while later she came back and changed the 4 into a 5.

I checked out and went home.

Next day I tried the GP again and got an appointment. I had (have) severe bronchitis and needed antibiotics and an inhaler to help me breathe. He also sent me for a chest X-ray.

It has felt like such bloody hard work!

Thinking of you OP and good luck! 🤞

I work in a surgery and we use online forms and it’s brilliant. I know it’s not the same everywhere but patients complete forms they’re constantly monitored and actioned by reception staff and patients are contacted within 48 hours usually later that day. You can upload pictures on it, they’re so good. We do also have a phone line for patients who can’t/won’t use this system or need interpreters. The people who don’t use the online forms are the only ones who complain- those that do love it! So so easy.

I've used it and as you can see I've been shoved from pillar to post, utter rubbish.

Ps fill in your online form as per the nhs guideline:

:See a GP if:
You have a chest infection and:

you feel very unwell or your symptoms get worse
you cough up blood or blood-stained mucus
you've had a cough for more than 3 weeks
you're pregnant
you're over 65
your immune system is weak – for example, you have a condition like diabetes or you're having chemotherapy
you have a long-term health condition, such as a heart, lung or kidney condition

So in your case in your form emphasise length of time you have had the cough, emphasise breathing issues and production of thick green mucas and symptoms not improved after following advice from pharmacy - include in form that 111 have recommended GP sees you

It sounds like you need to change GP....

I personally can't see the benefit other than maybe they need fewer receptionists as they'll have less phone calls. I also find it strange as we always prefer patient to come in rather than a phone call because it's much better for doctors to assess them face to face. The doctor surgery I'm registered at does bookings over the phone, so I don't really understand how online triage works. At my surgery monday is the day we have the most doctors in and apps so something might not be urgent enough for a same day app usually but if it looks like we might have empty slots we would book more routine apps in. I wonder if these online triage systems would do that or would all routine app just get offered a routine slot and urgent on the day slots ones get left empty?
I personally think it's better to talk to someone. We have one day a week when for some reason we have less doctors than usual and occasionally then we have to triage, which involves taking the info from the patient and the duty doctor deciding if they can see them at the end of clinic or if we override a pm app or 111 or if they think it's routine and they can be seen another day.

You’re really not. GP funding has been eroded for years. The service you see now is what can be delivered on the funding the government gives GPs. It is absolutely not right but it is fact. Please write to your MP. They have the power to change the situation.

Yes thank you I will do that...

I had a similar situation last week.
I had actually made an appointment 2 weeks ago for 9 am Monday.
It took me 17 phonecalls at 8 am to get through.
At 8 .50 on the appointment day the receptionist phoned me to tell me that the practice nurse(WTF!) could not help me as she was a new trainee- oh and all the appointments had gone for the doctor and there were no spaces left.
I, too was furious ( especially as I had specified a Drs appointment or practice nurse to help with my specific ( cancer) related problem.
I suggest you go down to the surgery as I did and ask to speak to the Practice Manager face to face.
I wasn't rude but I was firm and polite ( though I was seething inside!) and miraculously an appointment was found for later that day.
I have no gripe with the doctors and nurses but I do think that some receptionists are less than helpful on the phone.

That's ridiculous OP. I've got the same as you. Last week I filled in an online form for an appt at my GP. The next morning I was emailed a list of times to choose from for the same day. GP said it was a virus and didn't give me anything but at least I got to see mine really quickly.

I know this isn't the point of this thread but my son was given antibiotics at our local pharmacy.
I was shocked .
They do have a ' consulting ' room which is manned by ... not sure of qualification but handles flu jabs etc and approved a prescription while I was there.

Thought pharmacists couldn't do this for a child? They are trained in medicines not diagnosis.

Mine is really really good
If you can't ring and get an appointment in the day you can ring at 6pm and get an evening one, or a weekend one sat and sun morning
It might be at a different surgery but you can get seen
So you don't have a weekend with a UTI or tonsillitis or something

Some pharmacists are trained as independent prescribers. Trained to diagnose and treat acute infections and skin conditions among other things. In the future you will more than likely see a pharmacist for these type of things. They can see and treat children. (More common in Wales than England currently).

My own GP is great. While it's mainly for dc I can always get an appointment. In the last few months I've been offered an appointment on the day with a choice of three different GP's. Two appointments in extended hours on a Friday evening, not at my own GP surgery but near by. As well as just regular ringing up on the day with whoever is available. It really is a shame it's such a lottery.

I'd have been more than happy to see a Pharmacist but they told me they can't listen to chests, only Drs do that

That's good you got seen quickly

We've had 111 book GP appointments for us a couple of times recently. It seemed to bypass holding on the phone at 8.30 only for all of the appointments to be gone. Admittedly it needs to be something urgent for that to work.

Don't even talk to me about GPs. Mine are a shower of shit. I have been driven to despair.

Yes we had to go to a&e with my adult child in January with fever and terrible cough, wheezing. No GP available, 111 said go to a&e.
We were triaged at A&E and sent to urgent care and seen within 1hour. Given antibiotics, inhaler and steroids.

Some can the GP surgery should know which pharmacists in the area can do so. The pharmacist at your nearest pharmacy may not be able to. It's fairly recent (in the last two to three years), and some health authority areas have promoted it and invested in training - giving grants to pharmacists etc.

A pharmacy local to me has two or three different pharmacists who can prescribe, they look in ears and throats and listen to chests.

My GP surgery is fine. There's an online form but the dr calls you back fast and im often offered an appointment within a couple of hours. If its something less serious the appointment might be with the nurse or paramedic which is fine, but you can also still get GP appointments, when I've really needed one I haven't had an issue getting one.

I do wonder, in these parts of the country where an appointment is impossible, is it that:

• you can get an appt if you call at 8am
• there are appointments.... 3 weeks away
• you can get appointments but its an area with a lot of people with chronic/severe poor health and so an otherwise working age adult with a chest infection etc won't make the cut at triage?
• there literally are no doctors at the practice or very few for the number of patients

Would love to hear from some GPs what sorts of patients they do tend to see most/what sort of thing is prioritised in the triage etc

I work in a GP surgery we answer phone calls, no online triage. A few local surgeries only do online apps now and we have had so many patients move to us because of it.

But mine does the online form and its great, it doesn't stop me getting an appointment to see a doctor? It takes me way less time than waiting in a phone queue and i usually get contacted & offered an appointment within minutes of sending in the form.

They said they can treat ear infections, and lots of other ailments with antibiotics but chests were off limits for some reason