GPs - will they ever be open as before?

[Toastandjams]

Any ideas about if GPs will ever be opened back as before?
So that you book appointment online or over phone and turn up in person?
Or will it from now on only phone consultation?
I spoke to my Gp receptionist last week on the phone and she said this will be like that forever.
No coming back into GPs room, only if Gp decided on the phone it warrants a physical examination..

Tbh ours has been a lot more efficient since they started phone appointments. Usually have to wait several weeks for an appointment. Since lockdown I’ve had to request an appointment 3 times and I’ve spoken to the gp the same day. The one time I needed a physical examination it’s been the next day. I’m happy for it to stay like this forever.

Probs depend on your GP. My old GP always did a telephone consultation initially. Then you’d go into the surgery if deemed necessary. I’m not entirely sure I like that though, particularly for those with mental health issues. I think talking face to face is important.

And for antibiotic control, really, doctors need to be taking temperatures & vitals. Rather than prescribing them on description of symptoms only!

I hope it doesn't return to the appointment bun-fight that it was. I needed to speak to a GP a couple of weeks ago, called the surgery just after lunch, spoke to the doctor about an hour later, all sorted in less than 10 minutes. That would NEVER have happened before lockdown.

I've never understood why there has been such reluctance to go with video & phone calls at GP surgeries, it's a no brainer for me. They were getting left behind as tech moves everyone on and things become more and more convenient... except a GP appointment!

Mine are only doing essential services only. Cannot get apt with nurse for B12 injection.

I hope some of the positives are kept. Ours has an online form to complete now (you can still call). Both times I’ve had an email or a call back from the doctor within the hour? With the option of a video call, it was almost impossible to speak to a doctor before this.

The efficiencies are mostly to do with people not contacting their GP though for fear of them being overburdened and/or fear of having to go into the surgery and catching covid. Not because of tech. Once people have started contacting the GP in their usual numbers, the long waits for appts will return regardless of tech.

We needed a blood pressure check fronds for his medication. Gp and pharmacy both refusing to do it. We ended up buying a blood pressure.monitor for home. So a but annoying at the vmcost initially, but good long term as we have one now so dont need the trip to gp or pharmacy now each time!
Gp was also doing ohine initially then visit if needed before lockdown and it is a much better system as the appointments are generally same day now. No more hanging on hold for gold dust slots.

I spoke to my Gp receptionist last week on the phone and she said this will be like that forever

"Forever" is an awful long time. Your GP's receptionist couldn't possibly know that consultations are changed 'forever'. There may very well be effective treatments and/or vaccines available by the end of the year, so to say things are changed 'forever' seems a tad melodramatic.

I sont mind it the way is it really. Except having a injection in the middle of the car park as I didnt have a car and everyone was staring

@MissSueFlay

I hope it doesn't return to the appointment bun-fight that it was. I needed to speak to a GP a couple of weeks ago, called the surgery just after lunch, spoke to the doctor about an hour later, all sorted in less than 10 minutes. That would NEVER have happened before lockdown.

I've never understood why there has been such reluctance to go with video & phone calls at GP surgeries, it's a no brainer for me. They were getting left behind as tech moves everyone on and things become more and more convenient... except a GP appointment!

I think a lot of illnesses will slip through the net of it was solely focused on this. Also a GP appointment is sometimes the only private space a women can have if she has an abusive husband and needs to report it

But I do agree that’s its way more proficient

I'd be happy with it being more like it is now. I had to see the GP and it was all done by phone/video. From calling to picking up prescription was about 1.5 hours!

Obviously you'll still need to go in for some things as it's unavoidable but I've spent increasingly spent ages trying to get through and then it's been 1.5hours or more waiting for my overrunning appointment! So I don't want that bit of pre-March back. Definitely not.

"Or will it from now on only phone consultation?"

Yes - going digital/virtual has been one of the goal's for NHS for a few years now. So the changes through the pandemic are the new normal. Hospital outpatients are planning to implement this approach as well.

I urge you to read the NHS long-term plan:

www.longtermplan.nhs.uk/online-version/overview-and-summary/

Here is an extract:

"GP practices and hospital outpatients currently provide around 400 million face-to-face appointments each year. Over the next five years, every patient will have the right to online ‘digital’ GP consultations, and redesigned hospital support will be able to avoid up to a third of outpatient appointments – saving patients 30 million trips to hospital, and saving the NHS over £1 billion"

I don’t mind phone appointments but I do mind being moved onto the pill instead of the depo contraceptive with no discussion or option. It was literally, we aren’t seeing anyone will give you 6 months on the pill.

I think phone consultation as a first step is actually much better. It takes less time and means fewer people in and out. Also you dont have the issue of missed appointments wasting NHS time - if you dont answer the phone they just ring the next person on the list.

However they do need to get routine appointments- smear tests, blood tests, contraceptives - back up and running asap.

The last two times I've been to the doctors before lockdown a phone call with photographs or video call would have been better (children with infectious rashes that needed ABs). The time before that was a rash aswell.

I disagree with the poster saying that people aren't phoning in. I'm a practice manager and there is definitely the same amount of people calling in as there has ever been before and we're happily managing them as telephone triage appointments. This is a good opportunity to re-set the whole system, we'll continue to only see people when it's clinically necessary and we're getting very positive feedback from patients who are being dealt with so much quicker when a 3 minute phone call is what is required rather than a 15 minute in clinic appointment.

No coming back into GPs room, only if Gp decided on the phone it warrants a physical examination..

Like others, our surgery was doing this for a while pre coronavirus anyway and it worked fine for the most part. I don't know how it works for people in jobs where you can't answer the phone at a moments notice, for example my mum is a teacher and would never to speak to a GP during term time under this system unless they happened to ring during break time.

You often get more accurate blood pressure results at home if you have an NHS-approved monitor. Going to a surgery or pharmacy is a hassle if that’s all you need.

God I hope not. I've had an issue for months and need a physical examination but dr refuses to see me. Yet the nurse rang me a few weeks ago to schedule my b12 injection. Kind of weird that I'm no risk to the nurse but I'm a risk to the dr.

*should say I hope so 😅😅

I hope not - I have long term MH problems and haven’t seen a single NHS person other than five six minute phone calls since the end of March . Those phone calls have included prescriptions for diazepam etc, but they’ve told me they don’t need to see me at all - that’s very difficult . I’ve got things I need to say to the GP but she can’t get off the phone fast enough .

I just prefer the old fashioned appointment face to face.
I just noticed some lump on my ankle and a I spent worried about it the whole afternoon.
If I call Gp tomorrow what they gonna do? Ask me send a pic? They won’t be able to touch it.

Of course they can touch it. They just won’t do a physical exam if it is unnecessary and depending on the telephone consultation might just send you directly for further diagnostics. The NHS doesn’t just waste a lot of its time, it waste a lot of our time.

I had a three minute appointment last week. That frees up a lot of gp time to be spent with someone with more complex problems. I’m glad they got rid of a system that made me a time waster. They need to triage A&E in the same way.

The systems needed an overhaul.

Right now it's too far the other way but I'm sure they'll work on finding a balance before reopening fully.

I went this morning for my smear. Only person in there!

The other week I had uti. Managed to ring, dr called me and prescription at pharmacy in space of 3 hours. I rang at midday.

Where as beforehand if I tried ringing bang on 8am I'd be lucky to get through until 8.15. Then it was emergency surgery from 11 if lucky or ring again tomorrow to see if routine appointment.

Obviously I didn't need to be off work for UTI. (WFH anyway but that won't always be case!)

I found the system much better.

I am also impressed. I was phone triaged and seen the same day. Much more efficient.