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

When you were growing up you would have got.a same day appointment. Now if you make your appointment on the first day of your illness you would be lucky to be seen in three weeks time..

That was just an example. What I’m trying to say is that sometimes something that seems like a minor issue can actually be a sign of something more serious. People are much more health-conscious these days for instance, persistent heartburn could be an early sign of oesophageal cancer. It shouldn’t be up to the reception staff to turn people away. By all means, triage patients to ensure they see the most appropriate person, but don’t dismiss them or tell them to “just Google it” (like I was once told). It’s not their role to decide who gets seen and who doesn’t.
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I voted YABU and actually quite dangerous.

The people who are so self absorbed that they go for every little thing won't take this to heart and will still go.

The carry on regardless type people who put off going when they need to because they don't want to bother the Doctor or be a burden or aren't sure if it's something or nothing, but actually are seriously in need of a Dr who might have cancer or other malady for which early treatment improves survival rates are even less likely to go after reading posts like this. I'm sure we all know at least one person who died needlessly because they didn't go to the GP in time or their GP was dismissive.

Most GPs are good, some are excellent, some as pointed out on this thread are crap and miss things prompting repeat visits. All are human and can miss things the first time.

Confirmation bias could be at play prompting your GP friend to subconsciously inflate figures. He could be counting people who rightly attended with suspicious symptoms that then turned out to be a false alarm.

I don't think it's very clear who you should see for what, at the GP-and-Pharmacy end of healthcare.

My GP practice has a form you can fill in online where you tell them what the problem is, and they direct you to the help you need. They respond by text, offering a call from a nurse or GP if appropriate, or a face to face with the right one if not. That call or appointment could be same day, or next day, or in two weeks, depending on the urgency. Sometimes you can get a prompt to go to the linked pharmacist and they'll help me.

It's amazing. I don't sit in the call of doom at 8am, and I know I will be seen at exactly the right time by exactly the right service. The form allows me to structure my thoughts, you can attach photos... It's ace.

My practice also makes really good use of its nurses.

When you want a GP appointment in Spain you can phone the health centre, but you can also log in to the health system website (with your digital ID) and click on "I want an appointment to see a medical professional". Then it says "Will a nurse do? Nurses are awfully good for minor stuff. Please consider coming in to see the nurse". But you can click "No, actually, I really do want a doctor" and it will let you book a GP appointment.

I assume that a lot of people probably let themselves get nudged into seeing the nurse, who of course can escalate you to a doctor if your condition is beyond her training. Depending a bit on where you live you can often get a doctor's appointment on Tuesday morning if you ask on Monday - perhaps because lots of people are just seeing the nurse and not taking up the doctor's time.

My Dad had acid reflux and was directed over and over to pharmasist who gave him antacids. Collapsed. Stage 3 oesophageal cancer

mum sent to pharmacist for sore throat over and over. Stage 4 throat cancer

best friend sent to pharmasist for mouth thrust. Stage 4 oral cancer. Live changing treatment - can no longer talk, tube fed for rest of her life

me - sent for otc pain relief. 10 days in hospital with pancreatitis.

sorry but I strongly think you need to see a gp not these phone calls

That is what I mean. The statistic for not needing to see a GP includes those who have conditions that are not being identified by the GP. It is not ‘80% don’t need a GP appointment’ it is ‘80% of appointments do not result in treatment or a referral’ - which is something quite different.

Except the home blood pressure monitor won't be calibrated and could easily be giving inaccurate results

We now have that option as an email, with a 48hr response time.

It's one of many symptoms. The vast majority of people with heartburn just have heartburn and need a spoonful of Gaviscon. A doctor can't see every person with heartburn, unless that person is happy to go private and pay £150 for an appointment. Someone needs to filter out the people with actual problems from people who should probably just lay off the red wine and chips.

Exactly! Just because they answer the phone does not mean they cannot also follow instructions on who needs to be seen today. Chest pain and breathless? A&E, vague on and off arm pain for a few weeks? Come in next Tuesday. Sudden redness, temp and inflammation? Come in today.

Anyone with the most basic of knowledge could triage the many ailments folk ring GPs about.

Must be the world's most boring job for someone who has gone to all the trouble of going to medical school. All those years fo stress and study for a day of sick notes, rashes and aches and pains.

I have a long term neurological condition one of the most common symptoms is migraine. There are certain medications for migraine that I can't take because I have asthma. I remember a GP arguing that because my scan was "normal" (normal for me) I'm imagining the pain and do I want counselling.

I was also told that my vertigo was anxiety. I was fine vertigo wise until I injured my head

I agree. Pharmacists do not have medical training. They can be brilliant with managing medication etc but they have no idea about differential diagnosis.

I went to the GP back in June. He thought I shouldn’t be there. I would be one of those 80% but I was having panic attacks, constantly fearful, severe low mood. My GP just didn’t give a shit. So I think your GP is talking shite.

saying things like this put people off going to the doctors. The amount of people dismiss symptoms as they don’t want to be seen as making a fuss and then when they go it’s too late.

i am sure most people who go in don’t need a doctor but until they go in how would they know that?

It depends on where you live. We lived in Lincolnshire and had to request repeats every 28 days (in late 60’s and on BP meds) but moved to Greater Manchester last year and now have the luxury of 3 month repeats.
I agree that monthly is an utter waste of GP time.

Another example is I’ve had knee pain for four months after an injury while running. Why should I bother going when they’ll just tell me to lose weight (I am) and that’s it? What good is a health system that doesn’t help its patients.

How would a person know though if they need some Gaviscon or have something more sinister?

Yeah I think it’s easy to look at this statistic and be flabbergasted about time wasting, of which there probably is some, and that needs ironing out. But eg I have had three GP appts this year - I can’t remember the reason for the first, but my last two would be classified as “unnecessary” - the first was a suspected UTI in my toddler (frequent urination, cried on the potty) and a dip test showed nothing. The second was an alarming bump in an intimate area. Turns out it was a graze that had become inflamed, but I wouldn’t have loved to have such an intimate inspection by a pharmacist (and probably not even possible) and even that GP needed a second opinion when I was there, and I was prescribed an antibiotic cream.

This. My local pharmacist is excellent but the rules are very tight on what he can do. Sadly the GP surgeries and 111 seem to say "ask your pharmacist" without understanding what is possible

I don't care what my GP thinks. If I think I need treatment or a referral, I'm coming in.
If it turns out to be nothing, then fantastic, but if I'm worried, I'm getting an appointment.

My mother was continually fobbed off with "it's just anxiety" until we had to rush her to A&S and it turned out to be a fatal brain tumour.

My son was fobbed off that it was just a bad virus, again we ended up in A&E where he was instantly admitted for emergency treatment.

I'm sure most people have examples like this, si as far as I'm concerned I will never hesitate to " bother" my doctor. It may well be trivial. Then again, it may not.

So you would cancel mammograms? Afterall the vast majority of women who have them don’t have breast cancer…

I think sometimes it can be hard to access relevant treatment and people can be told blood results are normal when they’re not etc.

Sometimes a GP could say, you don’t meet the threshold for NHS treatment, but you might want to consider x or y. Instead, people are led to think things are a “normal” range, whether that’s a child needing to access a SALT or a person who needs an iron infusion.

People are often sent round the houses too - they see a pharmacist who tells them to see a GP, who then says the pharmacist should have treated them - with patient acting as the go-between. Others see a GP who doesn’t help, patients try again, eventually end up in a walk-in centre who say GP should have acted, then tell patient to go to A and E, who then treat them.
There doesn’t seem anywhere where misdiagnoses are noted either, which is dangerous.

I have found the nurses at my GP surgery in general a lot better than the GPs. One GP recently tried telling me my ds petechial non blanching rash was eczema!

I was diagnosed with an autoimmune condition after being told "you're not ill, you've managed to put makeup on".

I was also told to look after my partner after a miscarriage because "he'll be upset too, it isn't just about you" seconds after being told the news.

I get they're busy but surely if you have no compassion left, do something else. I work in care, we're busy too but the second I don't feel compassion towards the people I care for, I'll do something else. I wouldn't abuse or mistreat them because "I'm busy".