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Original poster

NHS directive to close all GP surgeries to non emergencies!

134 replies

CherieBabySpliffUp · 09/03/2020 09:01

After spending 40 minutes on hold waiting to make an appointment with my GP the receptionist told me that NHS over the weekend has sent a directive out to all GP surgeries to only hold phone consultations unless it's an emergency.
Also that they have to screen anyone wanting to enter the building (if they wanted to avoid the queue on the phone and book in person.)
Surely this would be all over the news?!?
AIBU to think this is a load of bollocks and not the case?
Can I ask if anyone else has had the same experience this morning?

OP posts:
AnxietyQueen101 · 09/03/2020 11:22

If that's the case there will be a lot more UK deaths that are totally unrelated to the CV, including suicides.

NeckPainChairSearch · 09/03/2020 11:28

I've just received a GP text message saying that online appointment booking has been suspended due to coronavirus.

Melioration · 09/03/2020 11:30

I had a look at my gp’s online bookings and there are none shown up to the 23rd which is very unusual as there are always sessions available with the doctor no one wants to see, and there are only 2 sessions after that with the other doctor.

It could be that billy-no-mates doctor is on holiday as that must happen sometimes.

GabsAlot · 09/03/2020 11:30

got bloods on friday so far they havent been cancelled

EdHelpPls · 09/03/2020 11:33

My GP has been doing phone triage for 2 weeks now and it’s FABULOUS. I hope they keep it long term.
I have an appointment tomorrow and my daughter is supposed to be get vaccines. Obv the latter needs us to go, but mine could def be done over the phone.

joystir59 · 09/03/2020 11:39

We can never get a GP appt anyway.

Zilla1 · 09/03/2020 11:39

In England, there are issues with online booking precluding the ability to triage out likely corona cases leading to infection risk in-surgery. In response to requests to close this functionality, NHSE up to Friday were saying this would be a breach of contract. There are also issues with NHSE insisting on giving open appointments to 111 to book, leading to the same issue.

Orangeblossom78 · 09/03/2020 11:42

Mental health issues could be helped with more other support than GPs anyway they are mean to be starting to resource that more. People with care in MH team could contact their care co-ordinator or crisis team as well. (suicides). To be honest GPs are not trained to deal with suicidal patients anyway

Wombat79 · 09/03/2020 11:53

Clymene, I definitely did not mean that. I am not crazy. I work in ED and have to put up with many inappropriate uses of NHS services. I will never be part of that society that worries about a paper cut or runny nose or COVID-19 come to that. I do appreciate that some people have health anxiety and need lots of reassurance but I wouldn’t be a front line clinician myself if that was at all the case.

GrolliffetheDragon · 09/03/2020 12:14

To be honest GPs are not trained to deal with suicidal patients anyway

They should be able to refer them to somebody who can help though. That is one of their jobs, to refer people to the appropriate service.

Why are we so shit with mental health?

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 09/03/2020 12:27

My GP has suspended online bookings and you can no longer see what appointments you have coming up so I had to phone to make sure that my next one hadn't been cancelled. We didn't get text messages, I only know as it was on FB which not everyone has.

Those whose GPS are now using a triage system, is that with someone medically qualified?

Clymene · 09/03/2020 12:30

I am so sorry for misinterpreting you @Wombat79 - would you like me to delete my post?

AndAllOurYesterdays · 09/03/2020 12:32

I've just taken my toddler to an non emergency GP appt booked this morning. So seems to be BAU here

fascinated · 09/03/2020 12:32

I’ve had a few good pieces of advice and help over the phone recently - a win win in my view. I save time and don’t risk catching something by going in, and GP deals efficiently. Should be extended anyway, quite apart from corona virus concerns.

okiedokieme · 09/03/2020 12:36

My gp has stopped allowing online bookings that's all.

Wonkybanana · 09/03/2020 12:55

I had a GP appointment this morning, booked online a couple of weeks ago. The GP rang me early today to check that I hadn't been anywhere where I was more likely to be at risk, and that I wasn't showing any symptoms. But that was all, the appointment went ahead. I assume though that if you book in person or on the phone, the screening takes place then, and they have suspended new online bookings.

Baaaahhhhh · 09/03/2020 12:57

GP on Friday was like a desert. Most people had cancelled their appointments! GP came out and had a chat with DH who was there for a physio appointment. The only difference being he was questioned before entering, have you been to x,y,z..... The lowdown was all the old's were opting to stay at home, rather than come in and have their weekly chat with the GP Hmm. Rural GP's, very elderly demographic.

As an aside, we generally just do telephone consults anyway, and our GP just issues required prescripts to collect later in the day. Rarely need a face to face these days.

PeskyRooks · 09/03/2020 13:01

I booked an appointment this morning over the phone for next week no problems. There was a long recorded message about coronavirus first though.

JemimaPuddleCat · 09/03/2020 13:06

Just checked our online booking system (scotland) and no appointments listed available this month or next, which is not the norm here at all.

CherryPavlova · 09/03/2020 13:12

I know in my daughters area they were planning to shut all surgeries and do phone consultations only. That was as much about protecting the team from repeated exposure as anything else. Several younger doctors have died globally as risk increases with more exposures.

SchadenfreudePersonified · 09/03/2020 13:13

Heard nothing from my GP - I have a non-urgent appointment for next week, and I would have thought they'd ring round and cancel them if this was a blanket instruction.

notanotherjigsawpiece · 09/03/2020 13:14

One thing is for sure though - the 111 service is absolutely shit. We don’t usually have it in NI but it is now available for Covid-19 queries. They are giving out wrong advice, and telling asymptomatic people who don’t meet the testing criteria to “ring your GP for testing.”

Yesterday this resulted in a massive amount of calls to one of the Out of hours services in NI. It meant that patients who were actually ill were faced with delays of 10 hours to get a ring back from a GP Angry

MidnightBlue28 · 09/03/2020 13:19

I was at mine just over an hour ago. The nurse said that they are considering removing the ability to book online (some practices already have)... she also said people were not turning up or cancelling... I could have been seen over an hour earlier due to all the no-shows... the doctor was free too

Wombat79 · 09/03/2020 13:21

@Clymene thank you 😊 no all ok here, I wrote it on the bike at the gym so probably very easy to misinterpret😉

VenusTiger · 09/03/2020 13:24

I called this morning @CherieBabySpliffUp to try and get an appointment for my son - normally I'd be able to get one, especially for a child - but after being asked what the appointment was for, I was told there was nothing till the end of the month, but that he needs to see a doctor !! So, I'll have to try again tomorrow. Nothing about surgeries being closed though - also, they stopped doing walk-in appointments several years ago.