I can see a dentist, an osteopath and have an x ray. Why can't I see my GP face to face?

[pinkprosseco]

Where I am Registered the GP only does telephone triage and almost never invited anyone in for face to face appointment whether that's a persistent cough (not Covid), abdominal pains or potential arthritis, a ? Lesion on the skin etc etc. I feel that long after other key workers have gone back to normal, GPS who we depend on as a first line of advice and diagnosis, are shirking responsibility. Surely the missed diagnosis the BBC and other current affairs websites are referring to are only going to get worse. Why isn't there a mandate they return to work properly. Anyone else?

I'm with you OP. How can you diagnose skin conditions via photos. In the interests of fairness, my GP has been very responsive and generally great with quick appointments/follow ups etc

However when my DS 2yrs is unwell and they want to video call, how they expect me to hold the phone in one hand and get him to sit still so they can SEE him breathing/check rashes is beyond me. He's had a cough for three weeks now and on trying to get Appt yesterday at 9am I was told to try the after hours service at 6.30PM. Infuriating!

I think it's being pushed as the way to continue. Not satisfactory though and I imagine a And e will bear the brunt.

Completely agree.

According to the news this morning the NHS has told all GPs to keep triaging patients by phone before agreeing to see them in person. Face to face consultations should be discouraged.

It’s in a few papers www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9573177/amp/GPs-told-screen-patients-online-total-triage-continues-lockdown.html

I’ve found phone consultations useful and quicker but I can see that this system will cause issues too!

Took me 3 phone calls and a lot of arguing for my gp to see me for an ear infection and when I got there she treated me like I was highly contagious and told me next time not to waste her time and go to a n e . For an ear ache. First time I'd seen a gp in over a year and it was awful.

Last year my partner developed a really odd growth on his neck, the GP rang and said it sounded like a melanoma, no need to come in Fortunately he insisted on being seen and had an urgent referral in the end which showed it wasn't anything sinister but I was really quite shocked at their attitude without even seeing it or asking for a photo.

Reading MN really gives me the impression that most GPs are cowards. We live in an european country that was also one of the worst-hit by covid (cases per 100K were higher than UK) however all doctors remained open throughout. There was actually a mandate forbidding them to shut their doors or cancel appointments because providing treatment is a critical part of a functional society.

We have several friends who are family doctors (equivalent of GPs) who worked tirelessly throughout the entire pandemic treating their regular patients and dealing with special protocols for face to face treatments with covid patients. By a miracle, they were not infected and very deservedly were first in line for the vaccine. Doctors take a lifelong oath to help people and hiding from your patients while knowing for certain that some of them will come to harm due to incorrect diagnoses is unspeakable really.

Also cannot see NHS mental health practitioners, OTs or physios f2f still. Spoke to my son's teacher and they are all feeling it's ridiculous as they've been working all through.

DH has been granted an in person appointment next week. They do happen, but he has had several phone appointments beforehand.

My daughter had an allergic reaction and her eyes were swollen shut.bwe were supposed to have a video consultation but the video was too flurry for him to see properly. I was just told she was 'probably fine' and to give piriton.

I'm seeing an NHS physio f2f.

*blurry! Sorry for typos.

Physio is going the same way longer term I believe (from a family member in the profession)
Quite how that will play out I have no idea.

Yes, it’s shameful. Really dangerous.

It's absolutely shocking. I just hope people will take GPs to court in droves because of missed diagnoses.

@romdowa

Took me 3 phone calls and a lot of arguing for my gp to see me for an ear infection and when I got there she treated me like I was highly contagious and told me next time not to waste her time and go to a n e . For an ear ache. First time I'd seen a gp in over a year and it was awful.

Absolutely ridiculous! and meanwhile the local minor injury and illness departments are also closed. What about not overwhelming a&e, and unnecessarily sending people into hospitals, where you know, there are vulnerable people with serious issues!? Just have to hope that there's nothing serious that needs looking at!

There will still be a proportion of f2f if they decide you warrant it.
My relative thinks it is hampering the care given though because you are starting remotely trying to assess and missing obvious ( in the flesh) physical clues.

We have telephone triage and then the doctor decides if we need to come in. My son has been seen face to face twice this year.

I like the telephone triage. Much better idea

My fully-vaccinated, 90 year old father couldn’t get an appointment for a persistent cough. The GP practice would only allocate phone appointments on a daily basis, and you had to phone them at 8 am, when the lines opened, to get one.

The phones were engaged until 10.30 am, at which point the receptionist would announce that there were no appointments left for the day, no she wouldn’t give him an appointment for later in the week and he needed to try again the next morning.

This went on for several days.

Eventually I called them and insisted that he be given a face to face appointment, which he got, but why make it so difficult?

Sorry that's regarding physio.

I’m very happy with phone triage because quite often that’s all I need. My GP has then arranged face to face for both myself, husband and daughter without any argument. I think it comes down to individual practice decisions.

I do agree that healthcare has been rationed inappropriately. I work in healthcare and can see that different services in my area have either adapted and continued (perfectly safely) or just stopped!

If teachers and supermarket workers can continue seeing people with virtually no control on contact then healthcare who control access to buildings (one at a time) insist on full PPE and cleaning and have lots of space generally (compared to supermarket checkouts/classrooms and crowds) can do so.

Yep it’s ridiculous. Australia here. Much shorter lockdown and phone appointments were preferred but they would see you. Waiting rooms are rejigged so people can social distance and you are temperature checked as you go in.

So the telephone appointments are triage.

If the GP needs to see you they can decide to.

Skin lesions/dermatology lends itself very well to this in that you can send in a pic.

This has worked very well in our GP practice and I got a triage, a review by the GP and a specialist referral very quickly for a cancer assessment

From an article in the Telegraph today

"Proponents of the system say that it helps GPs to identify and focus on the most urgent and serious cases and ensure that those who need them get face-to-face consultations.

The guidance also suggests that online consultations can be carried out “very quickly”, recommending “quick wins” such as using preset messages.

When the NHS first issued guidance recommending use of “total triage”, it said that such measures were necessary to “protect patients and staff from avoidable risks of infection”.

Diagnosis's are being missed because people can't see their GP face-to-face and people are dying as a result.

Plus not everyone who is feeling ill has the energy to push push push to be seen.