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Original poster

Why can we still not see GP's?

128 replies

ssd · 27/07/2020 10:27

I had to send pictures on WhatsApp to my gp this morning after a telephone call appointment. Why are GPs still not seeing patients? How on earth do old folk manage?

OP posts:
OverTheRainbow88 · 27/07/2020 18:11

@ssd
But why is the risk to GPS greater than say nurses, doctors, dentists? They could do the appointment at a social distance in the gp room, then only come up close to see the actual problem. Full ppe on and all patients wearing masks. They could even have plastic screens whilst social distancing in their gp rooms. My Dr's practice won't accept anyone with covid symptoms.
I'm sure teachers will be at greater risk come August and September.

Totally agree

FuzzyPuffling · 27/07/2020 18:16

I have a telephone appointment tomorrow to discuss a new lump. Only God in his heaven knows how the GP is going to make an assessment of that without seeing/feeling it.

My husband needed a telephone appointment to discuss follow up of tests. Earliest one? SIX WEEKS away.

What the hell are GPs doing these days?

JayAlfredPrufrock · 27/07/2020 18:17

It’s a bag of shite.

I’ve had a letter telling me to make an appointment for the end of July. Yeah right.

OverTheRainbow88 · 27/07/2020 18:19

What the hell are GPs doing these days?

2/4 I know are currently on holiday abroad!

MintyCedric · 27/07/2020 18:22

I've had a face to face appt during the course of lockdown (knee injury) but today had to spend 3.5 hours in A & E car park as they sent mum.there rather than seeing her at the surgery for what turned out to be an ear infection.

I could do with seeing a GP myself at the moment but just don't see much point in attempting it.

Bit of a pain in the arse tbh,

kimlo · 27/07/2020 18:23

I rang this morning, had a video call and then I'm in tomorrow for blood tests and she'll ring me back the day after if the results are back.

I prefer it. I always get called back eithin a couple of hours. We have had the system for a while where they ring same day for an emergency or a booked appointment for something that can wait then get triarged to either whoevers best to see or given advice over the phone. So this is similar but it's actually quicker now and less going in to the doctors.

2bazookas · 27/07/2020 18:25

@okeypoke

Friend is a nurse at a GP surgery and told me most of the GPS are refusing to come in for face to face as too risky.

But it's fine for the nurses to take the same - and probably worse - risks.

I doubt your friend knows the health status or family circumstances of Dr colleagues.
unicornparty · 27/07/2020 18:45

I've been seen by a GP this week. I waited in my car until the dr came to get me for my appointment. They took me straight through to their room. They held all the doors open for me so I didn't touch anything. I had a mask on and they had a mask and gloves.

Powerof4 · 27/07/2020 18:56

It’s not only the GP that’s being protected. It’s the patients that have to be seen face to face and the capacity of the system as a whole. GPs being off sick, potentially long term with covid, in a pandemic will put more people at risk - we have to avoid a shortage of doctors. No one with covid symptoms is being seen but the risk is that asymptomatic patients spread it to doctors and clinically vulnerable people they are treating. Minimising contact throughout the system is really important to maintain capacity.

Aridane · 27/07/2020 19:02

@okeypoke

Same here - nurses appointments are available face to face, just not those of GPs

PrayingandHoping · 27/07/2020 20:09

Nurses are doing face to face here either

My baby is under hospital and other than blood test ALL her appointments have been over phone! Even hearing with ENT!!

To the poster with the lump (firstly I hope all is well), my mum has this, photo sent to gp and she was then given a face to face. She then got a consultant appointment within 2 weeks etc.

Face 2 face happens when it's needed.

I trust the system

Catspaw123 · 27/07/2020 21:59

ours has had shutters up since March. The bit that links through to the pharmacy is shut and barricaded (you can access the pharmacy off the street luckily)
It used to take about 1.5 days between submitting a repeat prescription request from submitting to it being marked Approved on the computer. Now you put it through hit refresh and its done. I don't think they can be busy, if it wasn't for the prescription activity I'd be questioning if they were open at all.

Littlemissdaredevil · 27/07/2020 22:39

My ds has his 8-week check with the GP face to face last week and then had his immunisations.

Mummypig2020 · 27/07/2020 22:47

It’s not just gps, our dentist isn’t even seeing people! Just telephone only..

TheOriginalNutty · 27/07/2020 23:23

GP's (where I live) are still regularly using video call to see/speak to palliative patients who are in the final days of life.

They have also stopped going out to verify deaths and district nurses have now had to take that on.

They are doing as little as they can get away with believe me.

99victoria · 28/07/2020 00:30

My daughter rang the GP the other day because she felt dizzy and like she 'had something stuck in her ear'. The GP rang back and asked a few questions then said that normally he would look in her ear but as he couldn't do that on the phone, he thought it was probably an ear infection and he prescribed some antibiotics for her! She didn't have a temperature or any significant pain.

So, after years of telling us not to expect antibiotics for everything, now doctors will have to start prescribing them 'just in case'. It's ridiculous

FrustratedMess · 28/07/2020 00:32

Iv seen my gp afew times

Had afew blood tests

You had to talk to the dr first over the telephone and if the dr deemed it serious enough, You would be given an appointment

Happyheartlovelife · 28/07/2020 02:39

My dentist isn’t seeing people either!

It’s a triage system. If you need to be seen. Which I was. Then you got an app. But during lockdown I had a tooth infection that got really bad. The dentist couldn’t even see me. It’s sad. But it might be the way it’s done now.

Pixxie7 · 28/07/2020 03:29

Why would you want to talk to a gp if your a different person?
They probably aren’t seeing patients face to face as they can wheedle out time wasters, problem is what are they missing?

Mumof1I · 28/07/2020 05:56

Government remobiliststion plans are very explicit where remote consulting (phone or vc!) Is possible use it.
However if clinical assessment requires face to face assessment it should be available.

TooGood2BeTrue · 28/07/2020 06:00

I think the NHS is following a very short-sighted approach at the moment. There is likely to be a huge increase in missed diagnoses and law suits and it's all going to backfire massively.

ravensoaponarope · 28/07/2020 07:59

@RuthW what does your practice do to help people like me who are autistic and find speaking on the phone very anxiety-provoking?Waiting all day for a phone call that could happen at any time can cause meltdown.

cansu · 28/07/2020 08:05

I think that there is going to be an avalanche of serious illness next year when we realise that many people with cancer did not get an appointment for niggly symptoms as they have been put off going by this. A friend of a friend who is a doctor is seeing no cases where they normally see around 50 surgical cases a month in their particular specialty. People are not being referred as they are not presenting at their GP. The system might seem desirable but it is putting off patients from seeking advice.

cassgate · 28/07/2020 08:58

I went for a smear test recently and the nurse said that the GPs at the surgery were doing telephone appointments only unless absolutely necessary. As it happened I had cause to ring about a week later as DD has had a number of dizzy /fainting episodes which I was concerned about. I was given a date ( a week away) for a telephone appt. I was told no time would be given it would be between 8.30 and 5.30. This was ok as I am at home for the time being so could hang about for a phone call but come September I will be back at work (school) and DD will be back at a different school so going forward that system is not going to work. Once we had the phone call it was efficient and I picked up blood test form same day and she had the blood test the next day. As a separate issue DD also spoke to the dr about her irregular periods and acne and asked if she could go on the pill to see if it helped. It was on record that we had discussed this before on a previous occasion and the dr said no problem but would need to come in and see the nurse for initial assessment. Trying to get an appt to see the nurse for this was a nightmare. Conversation went something like this

Me: can I make appointment for my daughter to see the nurse please

Receptionist: can I have her name and dob and reason for the appointment

Me: (gave name and dob) initial appointment to go on the contraceptive pill for irregular periods and acne.

Receptionist: that will be a telephone appointment. I can offer you next Friday.

Me: we have had a telephone appointment with dr this morning and they said we needed to make appointment to see nurse.

Receptionist: all appointments are by phone for the pill.

Me: This is an initial appointment. Do they not need to see her to do weight, height, blood pressure etc. They can’t do that on the phone and we will end up coming in anyway.

Receptionist: The nurse will decide if she needs you to come in.

Me: Can you check please. It should be on file that the dr recommended an appointment with nurse when we spoke this morning.

Receptionist: Sigh. Ok. I will ask and call you back.

Needless to say she called me back and gave us an appointment for a face to face meeting.

daisypond · 28/07/2020 09:12

I had a phone appointment for triage, then dr decided I needed to be seen, got a slot for an in person appointment, had to fill in a health questionnaire and was told my appointment would be reviewed after they’d looked at the questionnaire. Then a few days later I got a text saying that my appointment was by phone and not to come into the practice. Oh, I thought. Waited for phone to ring. No phone call. Phoned the practice to ask. No, I was meant to have gone in and I should have ignored the text message telling me not to go in.