Any GPs about? Can you help me understand please?

[ChittyChittyBoomBoom]

This is NOT a GP bashing thread. I just want to understand.

My GP practice are still not seeing patients for face to face appointments. Why is this?

Not at all or just not for the things that don't need a face to face?

Both of my adult daughters have needed medical help this week. One didn't need to see a doctor in person and all sorted over the phone. One had an initial phone conversation and then went in for an exam. Different cities, different surgeries, but both worked fine.

I'm not a GP, by the way.

I have found it better. Had to talk to the nurse. Didn’t have to be face to face. Got what I needed. Before this it would have been a week wait for an appointment. I was told if I needed a face to face they would be available.

I think you will find big variations between practices. And this is laregly due to the lack of proper guidance by the government, (as with everything) meaning individual practices / trusts make their own rules and policies.
I was unwell a few weeks ago. I never go to the GP. Last time I contacted my GP was 4 years ago. On this occasion I was very unwell. I had to wait 8 days to even speak to a GP. Then another 4 days for blood tests, then another 4 days to sepak to GP again. Was not seen face to face at any point, even though it would have been very helpful to have been seen. (had to send pictures of widespread rash for example which was difficult) I was so unwell throughout this I even considered going to A&E, but still was not seen face to face by GP

We’ve had two causes to need a GP during Covid.

The first was when my ds had a severely infected finger. We had a phone consultation and he was prescribed antibiotics over the phone. This made me anxious as I felt they didn’t understand how awful it was as it was hard to describe. We weren’t asked to provide a photo. We ended up having to take him to a&e where he had to have it drained.

The second was when I had a nasty ear infection. Again, we had a phone consultation and I was prescribed antibiotics. When my symptoms got worse, I had another phone consultation where my GP asked me to Google a condition she was concerned about and tell her if I thought any of the images looked similar to mine 😳. I was prescribed different antibiotics. After several more days of worsening symptoms, she advised me to go to a&e (again, over the phone).

On arrival at a&e, the dr practically had steam coming out of his ears, furious that 1) the GP hadn’t seen me 2) had misdiagnosed me and therefore given 2 lots of incorrect medication and 3) sending people to a&e.

I just can’t work out why my GPs aren’t seeing their patients!

My sister had a GP check her for sudden hearing loss (wax!) in person but also know of telephone appointments - makes sense to do what you can over voice/video call at the moment? I would prefer it at the moment if face to face not needed.

Nor mine. Or if they are they aren't seeing me or my kids despite pleading. The receptionist told me to go to the local urgent care/ out of hours centre if my symptoms got worse. In the end I did, after a night of agony, and it had closed down. So I had to go to A&E where there were loads of people with chronic non-emergency, non-accident problems who hadn't been able to see a GP in four months.

Don't know if GPs are to be bashed. Probably out of their hands. But I think it's a fucking disgrace that everyone else is back at work except for the doctors who are most people's first port of call! It's not even as if they are at as high risk as teachers or certainly hospital consultants. The message that you can't go with a fever or covid symptoms has been very clear. The problem is not being able to go with skin problems, stomach pain, constant menstrual bleeding after a miscarriage, heart palpitations etc.

Because it's better to let you die or sepsis than covid, obviously.

@ChittyChittyBoomBoom

We’ve had two causes to need a GP during Covid.

The first was when my ds had a severely infected finger. We had a phone consultation and he was prescribed antibiotics over the phone. This made me anxious as I felt they didn’t understand how awful it was as it was hard to describe. We weren’t asked to provide a photo. We ended up having to take him to a&e where he had to have it drained.

The second was when I had a nasty ear infection. Again, we had a phone consultation and I was prescribed antibiotics. When my symptoms got worse, I had another phone consultation where my GP asked me to Google a condition she was concerned about and tell her if I thought any of the images looked similar to mine 😳. I was prescribed different antibiotics. After several more days of worsening symptoms, she advised me to go to a&e (again, over the phone).

On arrival at a&e, the dr practically had steam coming out of his ears, furious that 1) the GP hadn’t seen me 2) had misdiagnosed me and therefore given 2 lots of incorrect medication and 3) sending people to a&e.

I just can’t work out why my GPs aren’t seeing their patients!

That does sound bad. Maybe worth a kindly worded query? I’d like to think you’ve been unlucky with rare occurrences rather than what you experienced is the norm. That must have been very stressful. My littlest had an infected toe nail just before covid and that was stressful enough - although I had to show a photo anyway as she wouldn’t let the doctor near her!

I haven't needed to see one but it is strange how GPs at my local practice aren't seeing patients face to face yet they keep sending me texts to book a smear test with the nurse. Presumably she is dispensable and/or they receive more money for cervical screening.

I think the pandemic will be used to change forever the way GP surgeries operate.

We never stopped face to face appointments but everyone has a telephone appointment first to see the issue can be managed remotely.
I’ve heard of a small not her or surgeries still not offering face to face appointments if their only doctors are very vulnerable, but most have something in place.
Is yours definitely not offering any face to face even after telephone consult? Or were there no appointments of any type available?
We’re noticing a lot more demand now so the wait for even a telephone consultation is creeping back up.

I don't understand this either. Our surgery makes you go through hoops and loops before you even get a call back. How much is being missed? How many people are not bothering as its too much effort? What health crisis are we storing up now? Why would Drs not want to actuallly see patients?

I've found it easier to see my GP since covid started.
For everything you speak to a GP on the phone first, to see if it can be dealt with by phone call, video or in-person.
Twice we've been asked to come in person, once video and twice the issue has been managed by phone, I've been happy with the outcome each time.
I've found it much better than the previous normal arrangements.
I think it will depend a lot on the individual practices, but ours have had great availability, and have been seeing patients that need to be assessed in person throughout.

As PinkDaffodil said. GPs were instructed that everyone had to be triaged remotely first so a telephone or online consultation. We’ve been seeing patients throughout but 80-90% of things can be sorted over the phone. The main reason isn’t trying to protect ourselves but we can’t go back to dozens of people crammed into the waiting room. Plus PPE and cleaning down the room/equipment after every contact does mean we can see less than we did.

@Itsabeautifuldayheyhey

I haven't needed to see one but it is strange how GPs at my local practice aren't seeing patients face to face yet they keep sending me texts to book a smear test with the nurse. Presumably she is dispensable and/or they receive more money for cervical screening.

I think the pandemic will be used to change forever the way GP surgeries operate.

Yep, I had my smear test a few weeks ago...at the surgery!

It feels like primary care has simply been withdrawn from my elderly parents (a couple of hundred miles away from me).

No they can't go online. No they don't have WhatsApp. The phone is hard for them. One in particular has complex conditions.

They don't understand why their family doctor won't see them.

It's a fucking disgrace.

I'm a practice nurse. I need to see you face to face obviously to do a smear. GP's don't need to see people face to face a lot of the time. The money they receive for me doing smears indirectly pays my wages and enables me to be there to take more smears, vaccinate your children, etc.
If our GP's feel they need to see you they'll bring you in. They've seen hundreds.
I've tested positive for antibodies, so it really is important to minimise unnecessary consultations in person. Not all health professionals are as healthy as each other.

My GP practice are still not seeing patients for face to face appointments. Why is this?

GP’s are limiting people into our surgery because the people they do need to see face to face are generally pretty vulnerable so they don’t want loads of people -who possibly aren’t vulnerable or been shielding or being as careful as people who are vulnerable-to be entering the surgery.

1. making the practice unsafe for the vulnerable who need to be seen.
2. risking staff getting Covid from a patient which would effectively shut the practice, as staff isolate, causing huge problems.

Our practice does phone/video Consultations & requests photos but does get patients in to be seen when necessary for further examination.

@PinkDaffodil2

We never stopped face to face appointments but everyone has a telephone appointment first to see the issue can be managed remotely. I’ve heard of a small not her or surgeries still not offering face to face appointments if their only doctors are very vulnerable, but most have something in place. Is yours definitely not offering any face to face even after telephone consult? Or were there no appointments of any type available? We’re noticing a lot more demand now so the wait for even a telephone consultation is creeping back up.

I think an initial phone appointment is a GREAT idea, I really do. It must save so much time for both GP and patient.

We can’t book appointment online any longer so we have to ring the surgery who book you in for a phone appointment. The GP never invited us for a face to face appointment or to be physically examined.

I just can’t understand why my ds and I weren’t invited for an examination. I was getting so distressed trying to accurately describe my symptoms and which parts of my ear were the problem.

My GP is a huge surgery.

Thank you cptartapp and Pinkshrimp.

This is why I said that I just wanted to understand. I obviously don’t work in a surgery so don’t understand the complicated reasons why certain decisions are made.

I’m a teacher and have felt so frustrated at the criticism that teachers have come under during this crisis.

A video call would’ve been super helpful in my situation.

I have an appt with my GP for blood tests next week (hba1c - no idea why they want the GP not the practice nurse to take them).

I think it’s an absolute disgrace. I work at Accident and Emergency and we are constantly seeing patients that should be dealt with at GP level . First and foremost, it’s unfair to send patients to a hospital where they are worried about contracting covid . I know that some GP surgeries are overwhelmed but the majority of GP’s appear to be doing nothing .. I don’t understand why they can not do face to face appointments

I'm in a difficult home situation with mental health problems. I've had one conversation with my GP since lockdown because I cannot talk openly if I am at home with anyone else. The closed door is actually an important part of the consultation.

I'm desperately trying to figure out how to keep me and DS safe and manage on light medication. It has been grim.

@Livy178

I think it’s an absolute disgrace. I work at Accident and Emergency and we are constantly seeing patients that should be dealt with at GP level . First and foremost, it’s unfair to send patients to a hospital where they are worried about contracting covid . I know that some GP surgeries are overwhelmed but the majority of GP’s appear to be doing nothing .. I don’t understand why they can not do face to face appointments

Livy178 the doctor I saw today was absolutely furious and I can absolutely understand why. He said he’d written to everyone he could think of, including Matt Hancock, to vent his frustrations,