GP Surgey, is this the new norm.

[jenkel]

Since the first lockdown my family have successfully had dentist appointments, orthodontic appointments and dental surgery in hospital. Everything is getting back to near normal apart from our surgery. They have stopped the walk in and wait service which is never to be restarted, I understand why they initially stopped it but obviously just a money saving exercise for it to never be restarted. I recently made an appointment, I knew a phone consultation wouldn’t work and explained this to the receptionist, but I had to have a phone consultation, the soonest they could offer this was 5 weeks, when my appointment came, I briefly explained to the gp who immediately said I think I need to see you, the soonest appointment was 2 weeks away, so 7 weeks in total. And it’s like trying to break out of a prison to actually get into the drs. You can’t just walk in, you have to shout through a closed window, to the receptionist with all your details. It’s not so much the gps, but it’s the receptionists, are they really that vulnerable that they have to be protected at all costs. I am a teacher and have worked throughout, I just don’t get it and not sure how they are allowed to continue like this. One of my elderly neighbours health has deteriorated quite quickly in the last week, they are in their 80s, they have tried to make an appointment to see a gp and and had to wait 5 weeks, so they are so worried that they have had to pay and go private to see a gp quicker. Fortunately they can afford to pay, but this is awful, I have tried to persuade them to explain to the gp how potentially serious this is but they aren’t those type of people. Is this the new normal?

Not like that in my surgery, you have to wait outside to be called in rather than sit in the waiting room but that's all. I had an appt with the nurse, referred to dermatology clinic, then referred to minor surgery and has skin lesion removed in less time than it took you to get seen.

Our gp surgery you have on the day appointments. The gp (or nurse practitioner) will ring first, and then book face-to-face if needed. (Usually same or next day). If it’s not urgent, you can book in a few weeks time.

I’m not quite sure how it’s a money saving reason. The gp is paid per hour, not patient.

Same here Standrewsschool. Telephone triage, then same day appointment if necessary, if not then a face to face appointment booked for 1-2 weeks time.

Same here

They even sealed up the postbox which caused havoc for people dropping off repeat prescriptions. It's still sealed off.

Our surgery physically locked the doors and even put crime-scene-like black and yellow tape across the entrance, just in case you were thinking of crossing the threshold

But yes, they probably think they are frontline NHS, unlike my DH critical care nurse who spent most of the past 16months engulfed in a cloud of covid, properly treating patients and saving lives

@runbyscum

Our surgery physically locked the doors and even put crime-scene-like black and yellow tape across the entrance, just in case you were thinking of crossing the threshold

But yes, they probably think they are frontline NHS, unlike my DH critical care nurse who spent most of the past 16months engulfed in a cloud of covid, properly treating patients and saving lives

Oh yes we have that too

With a big sign saying "no unauthorised entry".

btw the black-and-yellow tape across the entrance wasn't just during the panic of the first lockdown, it was in May, when all NHS staff had been double fully vaccinated.

even those who locked their doors and only cared for patients by phone while being among the highest paid in the NHS

Well for a start I'm not sure what you mean by "it's not so much the Dr's it's the Receptionists".

Who do you think dictates the rules of operation for a practice? Certainly not the Receptionists on NMW.

At the practice I work at there are no closed doors. People are asked to wait outside but they generally just ignore the signs & walk in.

It's very much open.

In your situation I think I would’ve gone to a and e...

No, ours has improved really. Phone up for a telephone appointment. They ask whether it's urgent (same day) or routine (within 3 days). The doctor phones and either deals with the issue or invites you in to be seen (often same day, sometimes within an hour!).

The other option is e-consult. I put 2 e-consult forms in yesterday. The doctor phoned today about DD2 (hayfever). He sent an electronic prescription to the pharmacy. I then asked him to look at DD1's e-consult (repeat medication needed). He looked at the form, saw that I was asking him to prescribe a medicine another clinic had initially prescribed, and said 'yep, I'll send it round to Boots'.

20 minutes later, I phoned our pharmacy, they downloaded the prescriptions and said 'give us 5 minutes'. I walked down to the village and they were ready.

I love it!

I did an econsult for DD and they've asked for a ftf appointment next Monday at 7.15pm. It's not urgent so I'm happy with that

Absolute joke

Our receptionists have chairs around their front desk so you have to shout from about 8 foot away from them

The doctors are all in head to foot sealed suits

Absolutely mental ! It’s a cold in 99.7 % of people !

Our GP has phone and face to face appointments in advance and on the day face to face emergency appointments. We have to call from outside when we arrive, they check us in over the phone and then call us back when the GP is ready to see us. Works really well - I love the telephone appointments as I work full time so it saves me taking time off work.

It’s a shame that GP services vary so much around the country. I can’t fault ours at all and we haven’t struggled for appointments, either telephone or in-person.

I don't mind telephone consultations- I used to get annoyed with having to traipse in to see a Dr to be told that I need a steroid for my asthma (which I already knew). Now they just put a prescription through.

But I hate the idea of waiting outside. I was told to come down at a specific time. You have to shout your details through the front window a d then wait to be called in. Last time there was a lady with a toddler, an elderly lady and me waiting - in the searing heat, no shade and no seats. Awful.

I do think GPs have used the pandemic as an excuse to get away from their patients. Some GPs are great (I used to be a receptionist) but some are awful.

Good Lord. Our surgery is pretty casual by comparison! You have to press the buzzer on the door before they'll let you in, but you can wait inside with masks. All the chairs have been spaced out but that's it. Loving the telephone consult option as it saves a trip if you're 99% certain you've got another UTI and just need the usual please. But we don't have to wait 5 weeks for an appointment if we need f2f. That's appalling!

Is there another surgery nearby you could change to?

Ours is similar to yours OP

There’s a 20-30 minute wait on hold any time I call them. Then get offered a telephone “triage” appointment in 3 weeks (surely triage is supposed to be done immediately to determine who needs urgent treatment). Then there’s various administrative cock ups which mean back to hold music… They say we can book online, nope, only for certain specialist appointments (eg smear).

I’m not in catchment for any other surgery or I’d leave tomorrow

I singled the receptionist out because, you have to shout through a closed window to see anybody, once you get into the surgery, past the ‘do not enter sign’ the receptionist desk is completely covered by plastic screens, and you have to stand at least 2 ft away from the screens and not allowed to cross the line on the floor. But once you get into the actual drs room it’s service as normal. I appreciate the practice manager has made the rules but seems a bit over the top, they tell you on various tv shows, the drs are open, they want to see you, not quite the experience Ive seen. Also, vast majority of drs patients are probably vaccinated, the drs and staff are, I work in a school, vast majority of children aren’t and younger staff have only recently been vaccinated. Fortunately I don’t go to the drs very often, let’s hope next time it’s a more positive experience.

Ours is frankly shit. After being told a GP would call me in 3 weeks about a new lesion, I’ve diagnosed myself with a squamous cell carcinoma via google and am going to a private dermatologist for excision. (Obvs consultant confirmed). Gp still hasn’t phoned me back 😡

jenkel they have to be so careful with the reception as otherwise people will get too close to the receptionist as they explain they've got a cough and a temperature and can they have an appointment please? They are on the actual front line trying to stop covid getting into the surgery.

It's shocking op. I don't understand it at all. Surely they have all been vaccinated now? Our surgery looks like a crime scene too. No seating, yellow and black tape everywhere. Last time I was there me and another lady got told off because we weren't stood on the special yellow stickers on the floor. We were more than 2 meters away from each other. I understand how bad Covid can be, I worked as a front line nurse in the first wave, but this madness needs to stop.