My GP has told me that 80% of their appointments don't need a GP appointment.

[Hiptothisjive]

So I get that there are always people that need reassurance but this number shocked me. Basically a lot of people are visiting their GP for reasons they don't need to and taking up a lot of GP time.

It's great some of the prescriptions that can be given via a pharmacy now, but surely there needs to be a re-addressing of when to visit a doctor?

YABU - to expect people to know better than go to their GP when they don't need to
YANBU - people should go to the doctor whenever they want to no matter what the issue

I know two women who had heart attacks misdiagnosed as indigestion

*initially

You can only do an online form for my doctors they don’t even answer the phone anymore. I’ve been to the pharmacist 3 times over something and they won’t give medication because I’m breastfeeding so need to see the doctor. I’ve done an e consult 3 times and been told to visit a pharmacist instead of the doctor. They can’t be reading my answers because I’ve explained that they have said I need to see the doctor on each form - I actually went to the pharmacy before trying the doctor initially. If they looked they would see I’ve not visited the surgery in at least 6 years other than for midwife appointments.

If people are unable to think for themselves and follow guidance blindly without any critical thinking…well words fail me

You really have very little understanding of or empathy for the patient population. I hope you are nowhere near the health service. It is also rather concerning the about of detail your BIL seems happy to share.

The average reading age of adults in the UK is 9-11 years old. Half of adults find it hard to understand health information.

People with low health literacy:

• Are more likely to die younger
• Are more likely to have long-term conditions
• Miss appointments more often
• Find it hard to take medication correctly
• Feel worried and angry
• Struggle to look after their own health effectively

Very small sample of two people.

Me: Receptionist told me "It can't be that important, the doctor i was asking for you has left". I was having a miscarriage.

DH: Had to beg to get a same day appointment, missed it as he'd been blue lighted to A&E.

Did u read my post ?? I went to chemist I had a uti and they couldn’t treat me because I didn’t fit the criteria. So I had to have Drs appointment!
And u can’t get antibiotics/steroid cream over the counter u need a prescription!

YANBU - I wonder how much requests for ADHD diagnosis are adding to this…

There is also however the occasions where something could be done over the phone, yet the doctors request you attend face to face.
I have a skin condition and having tried several creams (all organised via messaging) I was told the next step would need to be a referral to dermatology and that I needed to go to the surgery for a face to face appointment. I was there less than 5 mins, with a nurse practitioner, who saw on the notes that the referral was the next option, asked if that's what I would like, I said yes so she said she would put it through.
A waste of both their time and mine in being there in person. No examination was given and I doubt much more could be seen in real life than me sending photos of my skin.

Probably this is a click bait op but:-

My GP practice is well run. All the things coming through to a GP have been triage loads. So every GP appointment is about a complex issue and also the patient hasn't seen a gp for a while (as has seen nurse or pharmacist instead) and s9 has a list of 3+ things. Which used to be somewhat manageable but the complex issue has now been somewhat dealt with by 5 people so it takes a lot of time to unravel.

I would say 100% gp appts should be with a gp. And more of the consultations which have been booked with pharmacists or nurses should have gone straight to their regular gp.

This poster quoted NHS advice on which situations it IS suggested people seek help. That's sensible. Your dismissive and insulting post is unhelpful.

I had this in hospital last week with ds. He had been sent to A&E by the nurse on the Friday with tonsillitis.

Back on the Sunday and as he was sucking in under his chest, grunting and not drinking. Also had a petechial rash. The pompous Doctor sarcastically asked why I had felt the need to bring him in after explaining his symptoms and said his chest was fine.

As soon as he put him on the obs machine they were flashing low oxygen and very high heart rate, he had to have oxygen and nebulisers and was admitted. He listened to his chest again about half a hour after the initial check and suddenly he had lots of crackles appear. His response was well he was crying before I couldn’t hear his chest crackling. 😒

It really riles me up when they have that attitude. Like I don’t have anything fucking better to do on a Sunday than to scramble for childcare for older ds and spend £20 on a taxi to go to A&E. I only go when necessary.

Not true, an experienced gp would take a history (which often gives the diagnosis rather than the best photos), examine you (which may include feeling your skin lesions) and treat you whilst you wait 1year for your dermatology appointment. You never know, they might actually treat you and get you better and you can cancel that hospital appointment in 2026

Not convinced considering twice recently I’ve been told the appointment I wanted for my DC wasn’t necessary or an emergency and then each subsequently turned into a week long hospital stay for them and a diagnosis of a long term health condition.

Of course sometimes people see a GP unnecessarily but actually it can be difficult to know when to see a GP because people aren’t trained doctors and that’s why we tend to see the doctor for a diagnosis (I’m not talking about people who see the doctor with a mild cold which of course is unnecessary£.

Fortunately a friend was not told she was wasting GP time when she took her son who had started wetting the bed overnight. I am sure lots of posters here would have told her she was and just buy pull-ups. (Or see an optician…)

Health anxiety has exploded over the last few years for some reason. I know loads of people who visit the doctor every other week with new or suspected symptoms.

I had already done all that though! It has been on going for a couple of years, hence trying different creams and medications. It seemed odd that this was the last point before referral where I literally said I agreed to a referral and nothing else was done during the appointment. Throughout it all I am sure this was only the second face to face appointment I have had, the rest being messaging and sending photos.

I’m really confused about this? Why isn’t it on repeat with a 6 monthly review? My relative and myself are on repeats for (different) long term health conditions one of which is blood pressure and that’s the basis we get them. Why would you have to go every 28 days? Genuine question!

That’s not an NHS protocol - it’s common to be on repeats for 6 months at my surgery.

The thing is, though, you don’t always know when to see a doctor. My baby was unwell (5 months old) and in the end, we called 111 and was advised to take him to A&E. It was a good thing we did, as he had a kidney infection and ended up being in hospital for 3 nights having IV antibiotics. I would rather someone go to the doctor for nothing than them having a serious illness and not seeing anyone about it

I still find it bizarre that this figure is even bandied about. The only time I ever speak with a receptionist is to book a smear test. Everything else is done over E consult. If its something you need prescribing then they just tell you where the prescription has been sent. If you need an appointment then it's categorised as urgent you get see with 48 hours or none urgent and within a couple of weeks. You can't really get past the filter and then waste an appointment at our surgery. I find it a good system in that urgent cases do get seen. I was fobbed off by OOH at the hospital with muscle strain when it was actually kidney stones. I held on a for a few days and then did an econsult. They had me in within the hour, took one look at me and diagnosed me without even touching me. I was out within ten minutes with a variety of tests booked and some strong AF pain relief.

Maybe they don’t realise they did not need a doctor.

I went to the doctor for crippling pain and cramps in one side. To the point I would struggle to get out of bed as my leg was dead.

I was worried I had some kind of blood clot. Went to see the dr and there was nothing for them to do.

Does not mean I was wrong to go.

In Ireland, the NHS equivalents now have a contract that forbids working in the private system. However, they have been well compensated for the lack of private income in their public only contracts. Public only consultant salaries range between €230k and 280K with other allowances on top.

@anamo that’s not strictly correct. Consultants who signed up to the public only contracts can still practice privately in their own time and many do. They’re just not allowed practice privately in a public hospital so publicly you’d see a nuero surgeon in Beaumont but privately you’ll see them in the beacon or hermitage hospitals

This thread alone shows the reason for the problem. So many false information and misunderstanding of when antibiotics should be prescribed. Sadly, even clinicians don't fully understand it and many doctors still singinificantly over prescribe then.

I don't understand at all this phenomenon of thinking that only antibiotics can cure their infection and the only reason they start to feel better is the antibiotics rather than the fact that symptoms would naturally start to ease each day after the first 3 or 4, although sometimes it can be 7 or more.

Antibiotics create bacteria resistant treatment that can do much more damage than a chest or sinus infection.

It's as if people can't stand anymore to just accept they are ill and that it's going to take days and sometimes weeks to get better.

A friend of mine thought her baby had meningitis and took him straight to GP which was just down the road. Asked receptionist if she could see doctor, receptionist said you need to book an appointment. My friend said she thought her baby had meningitis. Receptionist disappeared round back then reappeared sending friend straight though to see doctor. Sure enough baby did have meningitis. He's a fully grown adult now though with no ill affects thankfully. I think the NHS worked much better then though.

But my chest infection, which I gave plenty of time to right itself, did almost kill me. How are we supposed to know the difference between one which will get better with time, and one like mine which very much did require antibiotics if we don’t see a doctor?