GP's are useless

[Sho2207]

Just need to rant.
I've never had a problem with my GP and always wondered why everyone around me complained about theirs.. until last week.
I'm heavily pregnant and requested to be signed off work due to aches and pains (PGP) and mental health deteriorating due to work stresses.
I got denied, so decided to self certificate and try again towards the end of the week.

Now this worked and I had a sympathetic GP who signed me off for the week, she told me if I wanted it extended I'd need to register to a new GP in my area (I moved at the start of the year and still haven't got round to doing this).
This panics me because what if I can't get into another GP for a while? Am I supposed to just go back to work and suffer until then? Because she's already said I need another GP surgery to sign me off..
I've registered for a new GP around my area so waiting back for a response.

Anyway, this is where I start to get annoyed. Because I live quite far the GP said she'd email my sick note to me so then I don't have to travel down in pain. Brilliant I thought. Well, I never received this sick note, I called twice before the surgery shut and both times got told 'it's on the system, admin just need to sign it off and send it'

I've now waited all weekend due to them not being open, I've had to put my manager on pause because he's obviously trusting in the fact I've told him I've been signed off.
They've been open a few hours now and still no sick note.
I'm not waiting any longer because it isn't fair on my manager. I'm waiting for a call back now to see if i can just go and collect.

I've only got 2 and a bit weeks till I go onto mat leave so I'm hoping if I can't get anywhere else GP wise then my current surgery will just extend till then

Hi OP, and sorry to hear you're having problems.

Why have they told you that you need a new GP?

I can see it's very frustrating about the sick note, but if you have a decent relationship with your manager then he/she shouldn't mind waiting, if you just explain. I'm waiting for one myself ATM, but fortunately my manager is fine and waiting isn't an issue.

@SpudsandGravy
Fortunately my manager is really supportive so isn't pushing me for it.
I moved to a new area so they want me to go somewhere closer to home.
I've registered for a new GP but not sure what else I do now.
Do I need to wait for the new surgery to accept me before I start trying to book an appointment?
I'll need to get my sick note extended from Friday so I'm a little worried I won't hear anything from the new GP and that my current GP won't extend it

So because you didn’t organise a new GP when you moved out of area, despite being pregnant, and because they are really busy on a Monday morning and haven’t emailed despite being “open for few hours” even though they have done you a favour by agreeing to certify you despite being outside their catchment you are saying they are useless.

Ever thought that the admin team are really pushed, answering all those phone calls about certificates from impatient patients who are “annoyed” because they have waited “all weekend” when the surgery was closed!

I wonder why the surgery denied you the certificate in the first place, backstory?

No offense, but you are accusing them of being disorganised when you yourself failed to be organised well enough to register with a new GP which is the first thing you do when you move, especially when pregnant. You were lucky they agreed in the first place.

It's not your GP that's useless. Admin staff send the emails out and they're really swamped at the minute with more pressing things than a fit note.

It’s your own fault for not registering with a new GP when you moved. Have you considered taking some responsibility instead of blaming other people?

So you couldn’t be bothered to change your GP when you moved, and it’s their fault?

And even if your GP was useless, it's a bit of a leap from ''my GP is useless'' to GPs are useless.''

In case you hadn't noticed...there's a pandemic on. They're probably swamped for sick notes....not only for long COVID but for those waiting on surgery for example knee and hip replacements that have had ops cancelled due to covid that now need time off sick. I'm waiting on gallbladder surgery, no date as yet, no doubt it will be ages due to covid, it may well be I end up needing time off sick because of it that I may not have needed if my gallbladder surgery was going to plan.

When you say you moved at the start of this year, do you mean a couple of weeks ago?

Another one for wondering why you didn't change GP, especially when you found out you were pregnant...

I'm surprised your existing surgery didn't give you notice when you told them you've changed address. Mine gave me notice saying I'd be off their records by X date and to find one closer to home!

All that aside, I fail to see why this is the GPs fault? You've asked for the sick note, they're giving it to you? You just have to be patient... apparently there's a pandemic on, so that might explain a few things about timescales.

I can understand your frustration but no, GPs are not useless. It's an idiotic thread title at any time but, at the moment, really...

Of you only moved in the last couple of weeks,then it's understandable why you aren't with a new GP yet.

However.... They're still not useless

I wonder why the surgery denied you the certificate in the first place, backstory?

I doubt there’s a backstory on this aspect. The sure very acted normally and correctly, as you self-certify for the first week

My GP is useless, he did not listen to me when I clearly stated my symptoms and their severity over the last few years, resulting in me having major surgery during the pandemic.

Your GP is not useless, you should have registered at your new GP the week you moved there.

You have had one negative experience with one GP. This does not make all GPs useless. You should have already found a GP in your area, they GP could have removed you from their list and not offered to email it to you to save you the long journey which would have been a direct result of you failing to move to a more appropriate surgery.

GP surgeries are incredible busy places and they will have lots of other things to be doing beside emailing you a sick note within a couple of hours because you’ve moved too far away to collect it.

So actually your problems are down to you not registering at the correct surgery & the surgery admin team not having got round to emailing you the sick line.

Struggling to see how even your GP let alone all GPs are useless to be honest

This is why working in General Practice is such a laugh.
Get it together.

Agree with the above. "Gps are useless" is an insulting and ridiculous statement. I'm pregnant too, and my gp has been amazing.

I'm surprised your employer hasn't asked you to start your mat leave early. I thought that was standard if you're unwell for pregnancy related reasons towards the end of your pregnancy.

Sorry to hear you're feeling so rubbish.

How pg are you? They could enforce an earlier start to ml if the certificate cites it as pg related pain.

Our GP has my DP in group 8 for a covid vaccine, DP has bile duct cancer and is on active chemo, he should be in group 4. The same GP also didn't refer him when DP turned yellow and his bilirubin levels were dangerously high. This GP also advised me to take our young fosterling, who was suffering from croup, into a steamy bathroom. The receptionist at the surgery told DP that painless jaundice was not a good enough reason for an urgent telephone consultation. Those things are all indicators of a useless GP.

Every surgery has hundreds, if not thousands, of patients on the books you are expecting a lot for them to drop everything to get a sick note to you when you didn't register with your new practice until it suited you.

@iVampire

I wonder why the surgery denied you the certificate in the first place, backstory?

I doubt there’s a backstory on this aspect. The sure very acted normally and correctly, as you self-certify for the first week

I read it as the OP wanting to be signed off until her maternity leave was due to start rather than just for a week.

If you're off with pregnancy related pain/sickness then really you should be starting mat leave rather than asking for a fit note. It's not likely to get better any time soon is it?

Well aware of a pandemic going on considering I've been working during it since the start. I didn't change GP surgeries straight away due to working in the area still and not being pregnant so didn't think of the importance of changing it.. yes my own fault but I as I stated I've also been working so haven't had the time to even think about changing surgeries. I'm not annoyed at the fact I have to change surgeries..

I suffer from severe anxiety and depression, so when I'm being told I'll have the email in a few hours then never getting it I start to panic.

Probably shouldn't have pinned the useless term on all GP's but I did in frustration.

Post wasn't intended on annoying anyone, so I apologise for that but at the end of the day we're all allowed to complain, whether that be over something minor to some.
Apologies again

You shouldn't actually have pinned the useless term on your GP either though.

The issue you've got isn't down to them at all. You asked for a sick line - you got one
The fact it hasn't arrived yet isnt down to them nor is your failure to register at the correct practise

@NoMoreFlowers

It’s your own fault for not registering with a new GP when you moved. Have you considered taking some responsibility instead of blaming other people?

Sick notes are an important part of the GPs' role, and also the admins' role, because without them their patients' employers can refuse to pay them/take disciplinary proceedings against them.