GP's please why are you not back to seeing us face to face

[whenwillthemadnessend]

Just that really ?

Please can any GP's explain the reasoning

If dentists physios and accident and emergency doctors can see people why can't GP doctors?

Errrr...they are.

Lots are - though we are dealing with what we can over the phone with some video consultations, photos sent in of rashes etc.
Is your practice not seeing anyone at all face to face? That’s quite poor.

They’re not around my way. Any GPs here able to shed any light?

Mine are. I am loving the telephone consults though. I'd rather avoid going. They have seen me for urgent things.

They are still offering telephone appointments only to most in my village.

Well, I suppose technically you can see one, but at our place it's like getting into Fort Knox.
I've always wondered how come it's supposed to be so risky for a GP to see one person at a time, yet teachers are rammed into small rooms with around 30 with zero safety mitigations and if they object, are ridiculed and told they're being lazy shysters and to just get on with it.

Even more weirdly why are podiatrists not back working face to face?!?

I dealt with 16 patients today half of them face to face. Internal exams, baby checks, breast worries, bloods and mental health assessments. Seeing loads face to face but telephone is useful for some things.
We have been seeing patients face to face throughout the pandemic although people didn't want to come out to us earlier on.

If needed, they do and have been here. Phone call, then video or face to face if needed. Really well organised here.

I can understand people wanting to see a GP face to face for certain things, but I hope some telephone consults will continue going forward.

Think it's only phone appointments here. Though I quite like it, I can get on with work right up until they call and then get back to work after - no travel, no half an hour in the waiting room surrounded by ill people and screaming kids.

@Isadora2007

Even more weirdly why are podiatrists not back working face to face?!?

I think they are. I know someone who has been working as a podiatrist throughout, wearing in full PPE

I've always wondered how come it's supposed to be so risky for a GP to see one person at a time,

Because the people they are seeing are ill.

I’ve seen mine face to face after a telephone consultation first. I much prefer the telephone consultation first especially if it means not needing to visit

I’ve seen mine twice in the last 8 days. I saw the nurse today, too. They did do a telephone consultation first, but when I they found out what the problem was they told me to go to the surgery straight away.

I saw a different GP in November, too.

I do hope that telephone consultations continue after the pandemic as it saves all the hassle of going to the doctor on the occasions it’s not needed.

Ours have since day one after a telephone triage call. Ask to speak to the practice manager.

I don’t want telephone consultations. I want to book a face to face appointment in a couple of weeks time, when I can arrange it around my job.
I can’t answer the phone when I’m working, so a call simply doesn’t work for me. I don’t have set breaks or lunch hours either, so cannot ask for a call back at a specific time

@Musicaltheatremum

I dealt with 16 patients today half of them face to face. Internal exams, baby checks, breast worries, bloods and mental health assessments. Seeing loads face to face but telephone is useful for some things. We have been seeing patients face to face throughout the pandemic although people didn't want to come out to us earlier on.

Wish you were my GP. My DD (6) had a really sore skin infection three weeks ago and (I still can't believe it) the GP told me he wasn't comfortable prescribing anything without seeing it - and yet he couldn't see it....I mean - honestly! I was told to 'let it take care of itself'. We're lucky - I've heard of much worse happening - but it does make a mockery of the whole 'Protect the NHS' mantra. For some of us there has been NO NHS for quite some time now.

You and your surgery sound great though. Good on you.

The trouble with phone consultation s are at my practice they say we will phone between 9.30 and 11....so if you are working and can't take a random call or don't want to discuss your health in front of co workers its all a bit awkward..i wish they said we'll call at 10.15, give or take 15 minutes

Our GPs are also seeing face to face (alongside phone consultations, emails etc). I hope the different ways of accessing care they have had during the pandemic, continues afterwards.

I work in a supermarket not an office, i can't jump off the till to take a call and i can't ask for my break to be flexible between 9.30 and 11 incase the dr rings...

What utter nonsense. They discuss on the phone first then if they need to see you face to face, they do.

Cuts out plenty timewasters.

Dumplings it's not utter nonsense. There are plenty of cases of this happening. Me included.

GP’s are seeing patients face to face. The majority are just triaging everyone by phone first, so that they can reduce the amount of footfall into the practice, by dealing with things over the phone or on a video call if possible and are trying to schedule appointments so that they do not have too many people in the waiting room at one time. You have to remember that vulnerable groups, like patients needing blood tests because there are on chemotherapy or immunosuppressive medications are still coming into practices and GPs need to avoid them coming into contact with people who could be infectious. New baby checks too.