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?

No, our GP surgery has been fab but they had a good system in place before covid. Ring up and get a call back in an hour or two. If you need to be seen they'll offer you a same day appointment, or in a week or two for routine things such as blood tests. You can phone anytime before 4pm and still be seen same day if necessary. Prescription requests are dealt with via email and the GP will phone if they need to ask questions. It's a large surgery too, and it works well.

The dentist, on the other hand... my routine appointment is now 18 months overdue and I've heard nothing. Apparently they're 'catching up'.

YANBU. I got a reminder for a smear the other day and just put it in the bin; if I manage to get an appointment to have it (doubtful, they'll probably try to do it by phone) there won't be any follow up, so why bother?

@ichundich unfortunately I could no longer be described as young .... Also don’t make assumptions about who wants to use digital services- plenty of older people I know are more whizzy with tech than I am .

I also have two children with health problems, one has a birth defect requiring lifelong regular appointments and therapeutics. So my family are heavy users of the NHS and it’s a huge time sap for me as I work full time. Being able to use online services eg after kids are in bed, would be a huge help to me.

I’d much prefer the online service options - with f2f options when required- this includes for any non-digital patients and my child who has to be physically examined every 12 weeks. That can’t be done online. But if others who want to use online can, it will free up appointments for the people that can’t.

The ability to put in online consults for the matters that don’t require an appointment, will make a huge impact for patients/ families like mine. Not every query needs an appointment or f2f. This will free up appointments for people that need them.

The system isn’t working and needs to change.

@ichundich it’s also quite obvious why you can’t get through on the phone. It’s because everyone is using the phone to access the service. That’s the issue. Steer people away from the phones and the people who need to speak to someone will be able to get through.

I recently had a practice nurse appointment. While waiting to be seen I noticed that there were no phone calls to the surgery and the receptionist was at her screen all of the time. I then thought back to the telephone call I received to give me my appointment (used econsult to contact surgery) and that I had almost not answered as it said it was coming from Birmingham and I live in Hertfordshire. It seems that my GP surgery has outsourced their telephone contacts. I wonder if this is why I once tried for three days to get through and failed, finally sending a desperate email. Now econsult is in place contact is easier for me but maybe not for everyone.

@DrRamsesEmerson

YANBU. I got a reminder for a smear the other day and just put it in the bin; if I manage to get an appointment to have it (doubtful, they'll probably try to do it by phone) there won't be any follow up, so why bother?

This is ridiculous. If you have been sent a reminder it is because they want you to make an appointment. No follow up? I can assure you if something is found there absolutely will be 'follow up' - if all is good a simple letter to say so is adequate.

I think you are using this as an excuse to avoid a potentially life saving test.

@DrRamsesEmerson

YANBU. I got a reminder for a smear the other day and just put it in the bin; if I manage to get an appointment to have it (doubtful, they'll probably try to do it by phone) there won't be any follow up, so why bother?

Wrong attitude from you there. Of course they can't do smears by phone.

Phone up and insist on your appointment. If you have difficulty getting through then email them or turn up there and get it sorted.

Smear tests are important and absolutely are followed up.

I've dutifully gone along for smear tests all my adult life. But it's like breaking into Fort Knox trying to get into our GP's surgery lately (absolutely no possibility of turning up in person, the doors are locked). They tried to give DH a phone appointment for a

Posted too soon - they tried to give DH an appointment by phone for a blood test.

If the smear found anything, it wouldn't be lifesaving, it would just mean I went onza waiting list, and waited. I don't have the cash for private cancer treatment, so I'd die anyway, but I'd know a bit sooner that I was going to die. Great, really worth the bother.

@Topseyt, I don't think you have any idea how bad some surgeries are.

Phone up and insist on your appointment. If you have difficulty getting through then email them or turn up there and get it sorted.

Ha! My surgery is completely closed due to COVID and I've been made a temporary patient at a different one.
I was on hold for an hour today to book an appointment only to be told there's none available and to phone again tomorrow. I wasn't even asked what the appointment was for, just "sorry no appointments phone at 8:30 tomorrow" phone slams down.
This is the third day of ringing, I was told on Monday by 111 and the out of hours GP to make an urgent appointment yesterday although OOH Dr laughed when I told him what surgery I'm with and said good luck getting one.
I went to the surgery yesterday just to see if I could drop off a letter from the OOH GP and was told to leave unless I had an appointment or they'd phone the police.

I've been trying to book a smear for months they're not offering them, same for DD for the contraceptive injection.

I have mixed thoughts about our surgery's current system.
They've introduced econsult which is good for non-urgent issues and i've had a couple of successful telephone conversations. However, whilst they promise to respond within 48hours in reality that often means booking you a consultation phone call a few days away and then if they decide they need to see you in person that can be in another few days time. I logged an econsult about an ongoing issue earlier this week and asked to speak to the GP I've been seeing about this for a couple of years but they booked me a phone call with the nurse as the GP wasn't available before July and the outcome was if i want to change medication then to speak to the GP!
If you do go in person it's almost impossible to get into the building, it's an intercom and there's 2 practices in the building who don't seem to have shared patient lists so if the other practice answers they don't let you in! I rather object to standing in the middle of the village shouting my personal details to all who happen to be passing. It also made me late for my appointment as there was a queue of people all having the same issue. I've no idea how anyone hard of hearing would manage. If they're going to limit access to the building then they need a person with a clipboard of appointments at the door!

Our gp is go in, use the check in computer (not cleaned), sit SD in waiting room and wait.

There are no receptionists now though. Very odd as lots of people were coming for paper work etc.

I don't know what (some) GPs have been playing at.

But it's not all roses at the dentists either. The receptionists are definitely of the age that they have been vaccinated, probably twice, and anyway healthcare workers were done earlier - and yet the doors are all still locked and at the local NHS dentists everyone has to hang around outside before they can get in for their appointment.

I actually think my own (dental) surgery would be safer if they left the door open and ventilated the premises. But lets never put common sense ahead of covid theatre. One day I may be able to get in there to make an appointment.

I went to the surgery yesterday just to see if I could drop off a letter from the OOH GP and was told to leave unless I had an appointment or they'd phone the police

Seriously? They really have got a problem, haven't they!

[quote motogogo]@Lougle

Same here, much preferred to pre covid. Love e consult[/quote]
Ours havn't activated online consultation requests on the online systems at all. You still have to phone at 8am and wait in the queue to get a phone appointment. Just shows the huge chasm between how different practices operate.

I understand each practice has its own way of doing things but they are all the NHS and it is about blood time they are given specific orders as to how they should be running their practices both with regard to necessary safety features and the service they should be providing. It is unbelievable and unacceptable that there is such disparity between Dr's

The telephone triage and being seen if they deem it necessary is working well for me on maternity leave but must be a nightmare if you're working. You don't get a time for the phone call and in many jobs (including most in a GP surgery itself ironically) people can't just stop what they're doing to take a call, even if they're allowed their phone on them in the first case. Even if they took the call, they couldn't necessarily go into the surgery with no notice for their work.

Yes we have had terrible trouble seeing someone. Same as you we had to send an email asking for a non urgent appointment for my daughter -then a week later we got a phone appointment sent which was 3 weeks ahead.

The phone appointment was 2 minutes and then saying we were now allowed to book a non urgent face to face appointment. Which of course was another 4 weeks away.

So 8 weeks in total .