When do you think appointments will go back to being face to face

[Takemebackto]

I know most gp appointments and secondary care appointments are now telephone ones. How long is this likely to continue? I’m thinking June.

Probably September when the schools go back, all being well - restricted though you’d hope.

I'm in the NHS doing ward work and outpatients appointments and all the outpatient works has been wrapped up now indefinitely. All staff redeployed for 6-9 months.

Honestly, GPs might be different but hospital outpatient work won't start again until covid is gone from the hospitals as the risk is too high - that's what management is telling us. We need to focus all the resources on the covid cases coming into hospital in waves until it's over. I can't begin to imagine the long term health effects of this.

If you are talking doctor's appointments, they will never go back to normal. There will still be total triage and phone appointments with a few patients being asked to come in after speaking to a doctor.

Our GP surgery has always had a phone triage system where you call up and request a call back, the GP calls you back and asks symptoms etc. then decides whether you need to be seen or advises otherwise.

GP? Never. They were highly reluctant to give you an appointment as it was. They will keep the telephone triage system and you'll need a letter from the Queen to get a face to face appointment.

Other appointments will return to normal as soon as people feel safe to work eg physio, sports massage etc.

I think July for hospital appointments tbh

Hospital work will be one of the last to return. All resources in hospital have diverted to covid patients on wards. That's the government plan - long term covid resourcing just below what hospitals can cope with. Until that is over (when a vaccine has been found) it isn't safe to bring people into hospital or risk using unnecessary resources. Many procedures can't even be done until covid is gone as well. It's a bloody mess.

Local hospital and GPs not doing anything except corona care and other immediately life threatening . Some cancer care too .

All other stuff they’ve said to self manage or google . Phoned when actively suicidal and hallucinating a couple of weeks ago after starting new anti depressants - and receptionist said, tell the Samaritans instead, we haven’t the time . Can’t imagine that’s improved .

I was impressed with our GPs when I rang them the other day (non corona related DS clearly had an infection and his eye was swollen and he couldn't open it) - ice and antihistamines hadn't helped

I rang them, they rang back about an hour later, she asked if she could send a text which would have a link to a video chat - she took one look at it via camera, agreed it needed antibiotics. Arranged for prescription to be at the chemist and told me to ring back if not improved within 24-48 hours

Never. I think this will be the new normal, and face-to-face will become the exception. GPs were already moving in this direction.

I really need physio after a recent car accident. Worst timing ever, I don’t want to inadvertently risk making my ankle/foot injuries worse but I have no other option

I’m very concerned about this. I have a serious health condition that needs face to face monitoring. People like me cannot wait months.

There are many conditions which have a high chance of hospitalisation if not appropriately managed. Mine has the potential to go downhill and fast, often requiring ICU admissions. I’ll end up being more of a burden on the health care system!
It is not very well thought out at all and I’m scared.

GP? Never. They were highly reluctant to give you an appointment as it was. They will keep the telephone triage system and you'll need a letter from the Queen to get a face to face appointment

You make it sound like they don’t want to see you. It is actually that the government has cut funding and numbers to the point they CAN’T see everyone they need or want to see

I'm really scared about this. OH is currently on the verge of blindness. Was having a bunch of ongoing specialist treatment for this. It's now been cancelled indefinitely. I really think he might lose his sight over this.

I have severe ongoing MH issues. I've been sectioned before. Good and reliable help from my CMHT has meant I could go back to work and stay stable. That has now been removed.

We're fucked.

It's very worrying. Ideally we'd set aside a few of the smaller hospitals for non Covid work. The local non A&E cottage ones perhaps. Long-term it could save lives and money. Is it too late to do that? In the meantime a lot of blood tests can be done at home. Blood pressure can be taken at home. Urine and stool samples at home. Video and phone contact for mental health. It's not going to solve a lot of the problem but it all helps mitigate things. Costly upfront but does it matter to those who value lives. In any event, early diagnosis and prompt treatment is usually cheaper to treat than further down the line.

There are 5 hospitals in my county. I has been designated the clean cancer hospital and all resources shipped there and other 4 are all covid hospitals. All OP clinics shut down and shipped out during the move. There is very little about this that doesn't feel like this is us for a very long time (in the NHS I mean). I very much feel like we're being asked to pick whose life is more important.

It’s worrying and i feel at the moment only care for the virus patients is being provided. Which is worrying for people with other health conditions especially with no end date in sight. I understand why it has to happen it’s just such a worrying time.

I phoned my GP a week ago as I usually see them regularly for mental health problems. My GP phoned back about an hour later and we had a chat. She’s said she’ll phone again next week and pencilled me in, so they are ‘seeing’ people for non-corona things.

I am very worried, I have wrote In childrens health.
But my 4 year old has been poorly for 4 weeks now.
On of temperature,at the beginning we were told to go to urgent care who then referred to hospital as sats were low and fast heart rate, seemed to improve then temp came back up.
Then a week later saw a gp as 111 advised as over 7 days (they were in ppe and we were the only ones in the waiting room).
Was given antibiotics as he said chest sounded a bit chesty, temp went down and then came back a few days later and chest was a bit worse.
Phoned gp again and was given different antibiotics and again temp went down.
But 4 days later temp back up to nearly 39 today and I dont know what to do.
I would normally if I really had to take her to urgent care but that's not the best thing to do atm.
You have to phone 111 which take hours (I get there very busy) and no matter what it is if you have a temp/cough or both then that's it its coronavirus and stay home unless it gets really bad.
I had to literally beg the second time with the doctor receptionist to let me speak to a doctor.