To be concerned about GPs new online booking services

[autienotnaughty]

So my GP and others that I’m aware of have adopted an online booking system instead of ringing at 8am.
So I have a chronic pain condition, I went online to book an appointment to discuss an element of it except you can’t actually book an appointment. You send a message and the GP gets back to you within 3 days.
I got a reply 2 days later ignoring my request for a face to face appointment it said “you have a telephone appointment with the NP for a medicine review discuss this issue then”
Now fine I can do that, except my doctors have a one issue at a time rule so there’s every chsnce she will refuse to discuss it. It’s also a telephone appointment and I wanted to be examined and I asked for doctor not NP.
This feels like an easier way of fobbing people off and making it harder to get an appointment.
Aibu to be concerned at this change of direction for GPs. It’s also happening at my dad’s doctors and he’s not online which means I need to request his appointments for him. I

I went to the nhs website not some random site. Unless the gp can see through houses they don’t know unless they examine me. Or at least speak to me

Not at my surgery - they only accept a certain number of online forms per day and you have to be up at 6.30am to get the form in, because by 7am they are all full.

And you’re going to get a phone call?

So you need to submit another triage form saying you are querying if you could possibly have X. State your symptoms and why you think you may have it. Request a f2f appointment and stipulate it is a different appointment required to eat you alkready have. Sounds like maybe you haven't been very specific. Our online system works great and I can usually submit throughout the day. I often get offered a same day appointment too.

Seeing as you haven’t had your phone call yet I’m not sure you can judge whether the system works or not.

On the phone all I would mention all youve thought ie

Tell him your symptoms. When appropriate add in “I wonder if ive got some condition, perhaps xyz or something, as my pain is uncontrolled and I need more meds, and would be happy to come down for an examination if it’s difficult to diagnose what’s causing this level of pain and I want to get it sorted”

unless your doctor is a bit “know-it-all dont-tell-me-how-to diagnose-you're-only-the-patient-and-im-the-clever-doctor-how-very-dare-you-try-and-do-my-job-you- ignoramus” type. I have to be careful to make him think he’s the smartest guy in the world otherwise he doesn’t respond well. Likes to mansplane about menopause symptoms, you know the type

My telephone meds review is today so I will see after that.

No I already had a p/call booked to discuss pain meds. I requested a f2f about a separate issue as it requires a physical exam.

I think the system can be hit and miss. When it works it's brilliant although you have to be very specific with what you want the outcome of the e-consult to be. However my surgery has merged with 3 others with a combined total of 50,000 patients. I was told by the receptionist that when the system gets full up it doesn't accept any more, so you can submit your form but it doesn't go anywhere, so you can be waiting for a call which is never going to happen.

I am another one who is a fan of the online booking system. It works well in my local surgery. I blooming love the repeat prescription on-line.

I wonder though OP if you were specific that you wanted to discuss 2 things? If it was not clear you were needing 1 a medical review and 2 a f2f regarding possible diagnosis of X. Then they make have simply seen medical review.

Good luck for telephone appointment today.

Ours has big issues. They shut the form filling frequently when overwhelmed so as somebody who can’t access their phone during the working day and is travelling to work when it opens it’s a problem. Receptionist doesn’t take any appointments now. It was much better when you could ring. Shutting down the form filling is no better than in a call queue. Actually it’s worse.

Also the form is very specific and doesn’t cater for conditions that don’t fit into the boxes eg dizziness and loss of balance which my elderly mother had. We had to tick ears even though it wasn’t and she wasn’t seen for ages.

Many elderly in our town are struggling with it as are my autistic young adults. You have to be very careful how you word things or you won’t be seen for far too long if it all.

Gynae has extra hoops to jump though now ie it’s only specific GPs that will do it and there is a waiting list .

As a family ( old and young)we’re seeing issues punted down the line with delays to getting things sorted.

I'm also very concerned by this new system, unfortunately there are two GP surgeries in our ever growing town and both are appalling. We already have do many issues trying to get an appointment that I feel this will be yet another excuse to fail patients and only prioritise those the desk witches get on with.
They're currently trying to decline medications for the second year in a row to my DS, medications that are vital and have been given by two top experts in his conditions. I've reminded them that last year the experts wrote to them and told them not to interfere or decline his prescriptions as they don't have the jurisdiction to do so. They've said tough tits basically and either he comes in to discuss or they won't release prescriptions. I've tried to facilitate an appointment for this which they've declined as they've none available as non-urgent for this month, won't book for next month yet and won't let him be seen as urgent. I've now had to go back to his experts and ask them to contact again. They're wasting their time and our experts time for what?
I've been in severe pain for two weeks now, and for the majority of that time unable to eat and keep food down. I ran for an appointment to be told use the online system. I was declined an appointment 4 times in a row as not a priority. I firmly believe it's because I've complained about issues before and now this is what people who do raise issues will get in response.
The NHS is broken at this point.

Ours doesn’t even let you fill in the form when overwhelmed. It opens when I’m commuting and I can only fill one in around 4 when it’s then closed due to overwhelm.

Closing form filling is no better than a call queue. It’s actually worse.

I’m a little confused by your post OP. You have stated you need to speak to a GP regarding your chronic pain condition but that the GP will only discuss one thing? What other thing would you need to discuss as you haven’t mentioned.
Also, if it’s related to a medication review for your chronic pain condition why would you need to be examined unless it’s a different pain related condition caused by possible injury?

I don’t think it’s unreasonable to request a physical examination for an increase in pain. Just dolling out more meds without examination sounds concerning. And yes the 1 issue thing ( which they stick to)is a pain. You may have something else which could be related.

Op you could fill in two forms and request a double appointment. Yes I don’t get how this is better either. The risk of conditions deteriorating or not being diagnosed properly is huge. I guess it will take a couple of years for this to show on data .

The wide window is an issue, I feel. Why, just because you aren't there in person, do you not get an appointment? Fair enough if it's a window; you don't always get seen at your exact appointment time. But some idea is needed so you can be looking out for the call.

Well summed up - your gp practice would also rather it was spent in gos.
the most cost effective and efficient part of the nhs.

So I had a T/call appointment booked in already to review my meds with the nurse practitioner (who will request any med changes with the gp) I have reviews every couple months.
I wanted a face to face appointment with a doctor as I wanted to be examined for a condition that causes some of my symptoms. I requested this on line . I named the condition, my symptoms and specified I wanted face to face with a doctor.
I got a text two days later saying to discuss with nurse practitioner at my med review appointment.

obviously I will discuss but firstly that’s not the purpose of that appointment and secondly she can’t do anything at best she will request a doctor sees me. Which is what I did already.

Blame Wes Streeting - he mandated that this online system has to be the new priority.

He ignored the GP committee who said it wouldn’t work and to have some phone lines etc.

The money fairies are paying for it. Or more likely the IT company running it is a pal.

If it’s a triage system as frustrating as it is, they will have given you the next available appointment for your query. When you’ve spoken to them on the phone, they might then decide to get you in face to face. Most drs work on telephone appointments first, then bring you in if needing examining.

This happened to me when I went to them with a chest complaint. Filled the form in at 8am, call at 10am, told to come in at 11:40 for face to face.

Don’t write it off until you’ve spoken to them.

my gp has this I actually prefer it to ringing at 8am I find the online but far more efficient and way easier

Very few NPs or even GPs are trained in advanced pain management for chronic pain.

If the OP is at the type of surgery where you see random HCPs with no continuity then she has a better chance of getting what she needs via Google and telling the NP what to add to the prescription. Some practices simply manage continuity of care a lot better than others.

Conditions causing chronic pain quite often used to result in a referral to NHS pain management units which were mostly excellent. These days most of the PMUs are shut down and even those that remain have been denuded to the point that you may well get nothing more than a couple of sessions on mindfulness with a non medically qualified counsellor.

It sounds to me as if whoever picked up the form simply didn’t read it and assumed the OP was asking for the medication review she had already booked. I would ring them up and ask if they have possibly confused the two separate issues.

I suppose Brexit/Reform supporters are getting what they want, now, though. They don't want to pay any more tax, they don't want any more pesky foreign medical staff, and are happy to punish people with disabling conditions.

Our GP surgery has online booking which is then triaged. I asked for some painkillers. Got a call just after I pressed send telling me the GP would call me between 10.20 and 11.20. He did and he prescribed what I’d asked for. I was gobsmacked. So much better then the 8am rush.

The NHS has been in decline for years not just since Brexit. Not sure what Reform have got to do with the NHS either, they have never been in power.