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 can assure you that there are disabled people posting on this thread.

No doubt. And telephone consults are often not appropriate for disabled people either.

The point is, we can’t dismiss the system of phone consultations entirely because louder voices are shouting for it, when it is something that has been beneficial for a particular group who have been asking for it for a long time.

I don't mind telephone appointments for visible problems, but there are so many conditions where a photograph just isn't possible. Chest problems, internal pain, etc. As already mentioned, many people don't have the language skills to accurately describe their issues, and in these cases, face to face consultations are essential.

I agree. My DS is only 5 and has had a water infection this week and is very sore and uncomfortable. I was only given a telephone appointment at 4.40pm yesterday. The GP said he needed treatment that day so to take him to A&E straight away. So we spent ages sat in there. Why could she not just have seen him face to face and given us a prescription there and then? Ridiculous!

I wonder what can be done about it? Clearly the public are not happy with the way this is working.

My GP has a blended approach which I think is ideal. Yesterday I exchanged a series of emails with the GP during breaks at work for an important but non-urgent post-operative issue. It was great being able to slot things in and not wait for calls or spend 90minutes travelling to and waiting for a three or four minute consult. However there was no diagnostic uncertainty, and I am ok advocating for myself with medics (it's part of my job in fact).

I think face to face access absolutely should be available, not least for more vulnerable patients or where there is diagnostic uncertainty. DH has been seen face to face for long covid symptoms, to ensure his chest pain was nothing more serious. We're lucky to have a good, responsive surgery, and just the other night were discussing that this is why we stay with the practice even though we're a little out of area and have half a dozen practices more conveniently located.

My GP has resigned as he says he's overwhelmed.

They had a triage service and I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression when actually I think Im menopausal.

At every review (online) I said the medication wasn't working. I mentioned menopause but he just changed my ADs or upped the dosage.

It's a small surgery and he is the only resident doctor, with visiting locums weekly.

YANBU

I agree.
Currently battling to even get a phone consultation with a GP for my 3.5 month old baby. I call bang on 8 and 12 and there’s never anything. Interestingly we are often told ‘trust your instinct’ when it comes to our children but what’s the point when you get told there’s no appointments anyway.
Also my baby cannot talk on the phone, cannot tell the GP exactly what hurts or how he is feeling. And I’m not medically trained to make a thorough assessment. I do think face to face appts need to be available again.

I guess I'm lucky.
Our surgery offers Livi on line consultations, so I had an online consultation on Sunday morning. The doctor advised I needed blood tests and to be seen physically. My GP called me on Monday, bloods were taken yesterday and I'm booked in for a physical examination tomorrow.
I'm actually very impressed at this process.

@Bambam2019

I agree. Currently battling to even get a phone consultation with a GP for my 3.5 month old baby. I call bang on 8 and 12 and there’s never anything. Interestingly we are often told ‘trust your instinct’ when it comes to our children but what’s the point when you get told there’s no appointments anyway. Also my baby cannot talk on the phone, cannot tell the GP exactly what hurts or how he is feeling. And I’m not medically trained to make a thorough assessment. I do think face to face appts need to be available again.

Call 111 and see what they say? They may offer you an out of hours appointment or a call back from a GP.

@Ostara212

Moondust

I get the GPs are being told to act this way

But what is the penalty if they say "actually I need to do in person with some of these patients"?

Financial penalties for missed targets. You think they don't exist in the NHS? They do. If you can "see" 100 patients by phone, then the CCG may set a target of, say, 85 patients to be seen, which includes the extra time for f2f appointments for a few. If you only manage 60 patients because you saw more f2f, then, like any contract, there are consequences for failing to provide what you are bound to provide.

The NHS is not managed based on what is the best medical practice in the best interests of patients, nor on what clinical practitioners need to provide the best medical service for patients. It is managed based on cost and affordability. Now people can argue about whether the NHS model is still appropriate etc., but that is a policy and strategic debate and not something medical practitioners can control. Yes, they need to be part of such a debate. But that debate is not happening. Remember that the same thing happened to dentists. For all people on this thread have spoken about what their dentist is doing, and how they are seeing people f2f - currently NHS restrictions limit what NHS dentists can do. But that's if you are lucky enough to find an NHS dentist these days. Most have gone private, and if anything only have a small NHS practice. In the city closest to me you can go years without any dentist service, and new NHS dentists are full before they open! In some areas of the country finding a GP practice is getting that way too - there are literally not enough GP places for the number of patients and people have nothing at all - not just an inadequate service to their demand. It will get worse.

telephone consults are often not appropriate for disabled people either.

Some disabled people.... Lumping all people with disabilities into a group and assuming that something is "often not appropriate" for us is patronising and insulting. Having a disability does not prevent the vast majority of people from using a phone. Or a computer. Or many other forms of access. We are no less likely to be disenfranchised from our health providers than any other group.

I am severely disabled, and perfectly capable of using both a telephone and digital access. I don't need anyone to speak for me or assume what I am capable of.

In fact, if you really want to know who is most disenfranchised by telephone/digital access to medical services, all the research suggests that it is the poor, who are already far more likely to suffer ill health and early death rates.

We are now giving times for phonecalls as per our pre covid appointment schedule. Once those appointments are gone you wont get a time...as we have to fit those calls around our surgeries but the vast majority get a time. We give the time and say it might be a little late as we still run late on the phone. I sometimes call earlier but will always call back if I get no reply but if I call during the appointment time I dont usually phone back. Mind you I'm always sympathetic to the patient who phones back straight away and says they messed up answering the phone as I always do that!! 🤣🤣

If you feel you need an urgent callback and can't wait for an appointment we will always phone by lunchtime if in the morning and by close of business if it's in the afternoon.

I did eventually get a call back but obviously not a face to face appointment, but it’s something. The doctors are always great when you eventually speak to one.

My GP sees us face to face if they think we need a consultation, all other appointments are by phone call. I actually prefer it like this, I’m not sat in a small stuffy waiting room an hour past my appointment time still waiting to be seen with a hot and bored toddler to entertain.

@BuggerBognor if your employer won’t allow you to take a phone call from your GP I assume you’re not allowed to go in for a face to face appointment either, which is illegal. They are not allowed to deny you time for medical appointments whether that’s a telephone consultation or a face to face appointment.

Feel very lucky with our GP as service has worked quite well for us. End of last year, I had a weird face lesion that I thought might be skin cancer. Sent photos to GP who said he thought not, prescribed steroid cream and said if it hadn’t cleared in a week, he’d arrange for me to see another GP with more experience in dermatology in person (it cleared). Recently my 6- year old had a problem that was prob 90%+ chance of being nothing serious and after a consultation with me on the phone while she was at school, he saw her in person and did a thorough exam, that felt like normal times except for face masks. The surgery has asked for feedback on patient preferences for service (in person v phone) post pandemic.

Would feel very concerned if the GP would not see us in person and sorry to read experiences of prior posters.

Just to see it from a GP point of view. 57 million in person visits a year are unnecessary.

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/society/2016/nov/05/millions-of-patients-putting-strain-on-nhs-with-minor-ailments

These are the reasons GPS get swamped and miss serious illnesses/can't give enough time to people who are really ill.

It's also why pre-covid it was so bloody hard to get a GP appointment within 2 weeks unless you had an arm hanging off. Because there were hundreds of people having appointments about colds.

I suspect GPs have welcomed the fact that covid has given them a reason to use telephone/email triage. Which they would loved to have done but would have taken years and endless terrible PR to do in normal times.

Just like millions of people and businesses have realised that they can do their jobs in more efficient ways - from home/digitally.

Yes it's different but it's possibly a much better way of managing the process.

And remember - although GPs are paid by the NHS each practice is actually running a private business.

@ConfusedAdultFemale there are plenty of jobs where you could leave for a face to face appointment at a specific time, but couldn’t just have your phone on you and be able to answer at some unspecified time ‘after 1pm’ which is what we are told. If you were a nurse, doctor, checkout person, shop assistant, bus driver, teacher...you’d have to take a whole day/half day off to wait for a randomly timed phone call.

I totally understand much of the need not to see doctors face to face but this is combined with pharmacists stopping services too.

I am suffering recurrent migraines and puffiness. Need to get bp checked I assume. Pharmacy said not doing it, call GP. GP not doing blood pressure appointment. Buy a machine or call 111...

BP can't be checked via Zoom.

I have seen my gp several times. If they do not suggest that you see a gp face to face then say that is the course of action you want.

As @Schulte says this is the new guidance. I had the same problem recently with my mum, she is 90, there is a problem with her legs. But trying to get an appointment for a face to face consultation with an NHS GP is ridiculous. So I paid £50 and went to a BUPA GP, amazing they could see her face to face, had enough time to consult properly and prescribed some cream which is really helping. I am pleased she has help, but disgusted at the local GP.