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?

@BuggerBognor "A very eye-opening article - thank god, for the sake of all the other patients out there like this one, this decision has been reversed. 100,000 undiagnosed cancer patients is a national disgrace, most of which can be laid at the door of NHS primary care."

You reckon?

www.gponline.com/urgent-referrals-rejected-one-three-gps-during-covid-19-outbreak/article/1682282

www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-us/cancer-news/news-report/2020-07-08-urgent-cancer-referrals-being-turned-down-during-coronavirus-pandemic

www.pulsetoday.co.uk/news/clinical-areas/cancer/hundreds-of-cancer-referrals-wrongly-rejected-claim-gps/

www.pulsetoday.co.uk/news/uncategorised/untouchable-hospitals-still-rejecting-75-of-gp-referrals/

[quote ExpulsoCorona]@pinkprosecco you're right, we all had our first jabs ages ago and a lot of us have recently had our second. Do you genuinely believe it's been about us catching Covid? Has it occurred to you that the most vulnerable are only just getting their second jabs, they're the ones we're trying to protect. Once they're protected, perhaps we won't need to socially distance patients in our waiting rooms (variants permitting). What actually is the risk? Are you for real?[/quote]
But vaccination cuts transmission allegedly, social distancing additional cleaning etc and PPE and managing the waiting room can protect people.
I don't understand why GPS can't (or won't) see people who need f2f but other healthcare settings are.
So what is the additional risk faced at a GP surgery as opposed to an outpatient X-ray or seeing an osteopath for example? And does the risk of a missed diagnosis not outweigh this?

I haven't seen my gp in over 18 months. I had a suspected stroke and gp wouldnt see me. I did however blue lighted to resus and spent five days in hospital so no NHS cash saved there.

I now have a suspected tethered spinal cord diagnosed over the phone, for a zoom call with neurology in three months.

If I had the persistent headache I had before the suspected stroke again, I'm.going straight to A&E. How this saves time or money I dont know. But my gp really is like a pharmacist service now but over the phone.

I cant see it ever going back to pre covid service.

@pinkprosseco with social distancing our waiting room can only hold around 10 patients. At any single time, there are three of us GPs, one practice nurse, one HCA and one phlebotomist working so our patients would have to wait outside if we fill all our slots with face to face which obviously isn't suitable for the elderly. Once we can stop the social distancing, this won't matter and we can fill up the waiting room.

I'm not sure why you have the impression that other healthcare settings are back to normal? The majority of hospital outpatient clinics are still on the phone. The osteopath will usually have 30 minute appointments and one client at a time.

@StressMagnet

I haven't seen my gp in over 18 months. I had a suspected stroke and gp wouldnt see me. I did however blue lighted to resus and spent five days in hospital so no NHS cash saved there.

I now have a suspected tethered spinal cord diagnosed over the phone, for a zoom call with neurology in three months.

If I had the persistent headache I had before the suspected stroke again, I'm.going straight to A&E. How this saves time or money I dont know. But my gp really is like a pharmacist service now but over the phone.

I cant see it ever going back to pre covid service.

A suspected stroke should NEVER go to a GP. That's a 999 call immediately.

Please remember FAST: www.stroke.org.uk/what-is-stroke/what-are-the-symptoms-of-stroke

I can't believe that post, why are you talking about saving money? What do you think a GP would be able to do about your stroke??

Would happily go back to the days of a 3-4 week wait, if it means I can see one.
Have increasingly awfully heavy periods, with spotting for 2 weeks. Cannot cope with not talking to a Dr and being told it is nothing, or getting a male Dr I have struggled with and end up saying nothing.

I've mentioned an issue to my Gp surgery for around 4 years. They've refused to act on it. I now have damage to one of my organs.

I finally spoke to a specialist ( on phone) this week. They've supported me and are writing to tell my GPs are wrong.

However damage is already done.
I think I deserve at least an apology.

However my faith in GPs is gone.

@Torvean

I've mentioned an issue to my Gp surgery for around 4 years. They've refused to act on it. I now have damage to one of my organs.

I finally spoke to a specialist ( on phone) this week. They've supported me and are writing to tell my GPs are wrong.

However damage is already done.
I think I deserve at least an apology.

However my faith in GPs is gone.

Sorry to hear that. You should definitely complain so they can review what went wrong and learn from it.

I think they will miss things in the pandemic and beyond with this way of working

People saying upthread how they’ll just go private. I’ve had a preliminary quote of £2500 per year for a family of 4. That’s without giving details of our health conditions (relatively minor), with loads of stuff excluded, and first £109 paid in addition. So people thinking they’d just go private and see a specialist directly, think again.

I’m not looking forward to the much longer waits pre-Covid if going back to in-person appointments. There’ll be more moaning and bashing, that’s for sure.

Also in the private quote I mention above, guess what?! It’s digital/telephone/video first. I will look at other insurers too.

stress that's a prime example of inappropriate GP use, a suspected stroke is an A&E job. An ambulance. That's people complaining about the system again when the patient is in the wrong.
Our waiting room would hold six people max socially distanced. And other services aren't all back to normal. My dentist for example. Buildings are too small.
We can open up the appointments tomorrow for a free for all, but you wouldn't be seen until autumn. stress misunderstanding deminstrates how quickly slots would fill inappropriately.

Is it possible that it's more efficient bc it weeds out 'time wasters'? People who want to have some contact?

Now that I've been vaxxed and things have calmed down, I've been going to Urgent Care to get a couple of outstanding issues sorted. It's been completely dead (London), I was seen almost immediately and I've been referred very quickly for onward care.

@MattDamon I’m surprised there are still UC around. Our local one is gone.

Essentially this will be survival of the fittest.
Those who are articulate enough to describe their symptoms accurately or pushy enough will be OK and/or get seen.
Really goes against the lockdown 'ethos' of everybody having to lockdown even though the vast vast majority aren't seriously affected by covid.

C*s.

I know through my work that sadly it's not uncommon for people to die alone at home, and for nobody to know until something triggers an interaction with that person.

I can tell you for fact that as we speak, lockdown measures will have rocketed this phenomenon and that there are deceased people all over the UK currently not found or registered.

This is going to take years to unravel.

People dying home alone is a terrible thing, is that because families are too scared to visit or not allowed till recently?

@Lilyminilli

Have just had to go to the Gp surgery to book an appointment as the phones are constantly engaged. I need a smear test as my last one had anomalies. I’ve been told they are not booking them at the moment and I’m on a waiting list.

I’ve also been given a phone consultation with the Gp on 27th May as I need a coil check. Not sure how they will do that by phone ! 🙄

Gosh that is shocking. I had my smear at the end of the first lockdown.

I think there is a balance.. They do need to start bringing back services. I take bp medication- it used to be unless you attended a review your medication would be stopped. I haven't seen nurse since before the pandemic.

My ds is on controlled drugs and should be regulary monitored. I am more than capable of doing that but many parents aren't.

They don’t want to call between 8-9 unless urgent. Closed between 12-2. Doesn’t answer after 4.
When is someone with a full time job meant to call then? If you don’t have a computer or smart phone?

It’s worse as normally they were so amazing.

@cptartapp my symptoms started with a contents headache that no pain killer could touch with BP 165/120. I phone the gp on the 8th and 9th day of these symptoms.

The stroke like symptoms started on day 13. How did I know I was going to have stroke symptoms before they happened? I was told to phone 999 by the gp if I was sick so they was worried it might be serious but you dont go to A&E just for a headache seriously?

In normal times a go would want to check my BP. But a was booked into see a nurse 6 days in the future. I have a stem degree. I'm no ones fuck wit.

So if the gp knew I hadn't been sick, in their mind I hadn't had a bleed and was safe to wait almost three weeks from symptoms starting until I had my BP checked.

I phoned pharmacists but non would check my BP as they cant sanitised the cuff.

So if that happens again I would go to a&e with a persistent headache for over a week. But persistent head ache and high BP is not stroke symptoms. Or are they?

I’m with you op
Since the covid crisis began ive now been to the dentist 8 times and the osteopath a dozen times and an in depth check up at the optician yesterday .
All relatively normal

I went to the docs lat may for a blood test with the nurse and it was like getting into Fort Knox

Just ridiculous

@FakeColinCaterpillar

They don’t want to call between 8-9 unless urgent. Closed between 12-2. Doesn’t answer after 4. When is someone with a full time job meant to call then? If you don’t have a computer or smart phone?

It’s worse as normally they were so amazing.

Exactly my experience. And if you're older and vulnerable you will likely give up therefore not receiving the help you need.

@shewalkslikerihanna

I’m with you op Since the covid crisis began ive now been to the dentist 8 times and the osteopath a dozen times and an in depth check up at the optician yesterday . All relatively normal

I went to the docs lat may for a blood test with the nurse and it was like getting into Fort Knox

Just ridiculous

My GP prescribed inhalers for me then sent me for a chest X-ray rather than see me. Costs more and was all unnecessary as it turns out. Surely a physical examination would have told them that and saved the money on the medication and X-ray.