Still no face to face GP appointments, why??

[Emma2021]

It is still very rare to get a face to face appt with our GP's. I've spoke to a friend who live in another London area and same for them.

Why is this? GP's appear to be around at the surgery, people are having parieties, going to football matches, eating and drinking in pubs and clubs and next door is having a pre-wedding party for about 150 people in a small tent tomorrow (i wont be going to it as it will be high risk Covid) so why are gP's still avoiding face to face appointments?

I've asked our surgery manager and she cites, "Covid." Pathetic or what?

Yes it is odd. DH and I have both had routine appointments (blood tests, smear, mammogram etc) So evidently nurses, radiographers and the like are considered cannon fodder whereas GPS are not. Perhaps because there is such a shortage of GPs.

@beautifulgirls our vets are doing that too, but they do come out to the carpark to collect the pet and speak to the owners, so it's not the same. Plus you don't have to wait for ages in a queue system when you call.

@privateandnhsgp Emergency care only. No clinics. That's what the signs say and the website.

Of course they must wear full PPE for emergency care and, when taking temperatures at door before letting anyone in, or you too stupid to realise that?

Yes there's a massive disparity between surgeries. I know in my area they're all doing the same, so changing makes no difference.

My GP surgery is basically fine - I have been able to get phone appointments quickly, in for blood tests promptly which flagged a condition, and then a procedure which I went private for (thanks to my parents) because the wait time for the procedure to confirm diagnosis was like… a year on the NHS. I have been very lucky.

What I don’t understand is how on EARTH surgeries like the ones in these posts are managing to justify locking their doors and barely seeing people face to face when so many other public facing roles have gone completely back to normal ages ago? I’m a teacher and I am happy with my level of risk, doesn’t bother me. I am lucky that I don’t see people with health conditions regularly but it seems like a joke that I have 30 kids in a room with poor ventilation plus all their siblings in different classes, after school clubs, play dates with those in different “bubbles”… all of this is as it should be, I’m ready for schools to stop bubbles and get back to normal 100%. But apparently some surgeries have hazard tape?! Like.. make it make sense.

[quote Becca19962014]@privateandnhsgp Emergency care only. No clinics. That's what the signs say and the website.

Of course they must wear full PPE for emergency care and, when taking temperatures at door before letting anyone in, or you too stupid to realise that?[/quote]
Emergency care is still delivered via clinics.

You shouldn't call other people stupid when you don't even know the basic terminology yourself.

And for the record I think you're exaggerating, or maybe even lying. I hope I've put that in plain enough language for you.

@Becca19962014

Yes there's a massive disparity between surgeries. I know in my area they're all doing the same, so changing makes no difference.

None of the surgeries in your area are doing any routine clinics? They're ALL exclusively doing emergency clinics only?

Bullshit.

My GP surgery is also half closed. The practice nurse is seeing patients, there is one registrar seeing babies and urgent patients (after lengthy telephone negotiation), and I have no idea where the GP partners are.

I do not feel that I currently have access to primary care, and it is not good enough.

No human GP service is the future of the NGS. It’s great news for the private medical sector who are recruiting hard now to cope with NHS failure.

Short term, great news for doctors. Long term, GPs will have a fit when they realise how hard people work outside the NHS.

"GPs will have a fit when they realise how hard people work outside the NHS."

Lol, except for the fact that Private GP is MUCH easier then NHS GP. And better remunerated. I do both.

So the only people that are going to "have fits" are average patients, who are going to find out how much healthcare actually costs, and how good NHS primary care was for the pittance that was being paid for it.

@SpindleWhorl

It's a big story in The Telegraph this morning.

Exclusive: GPs still ignoring orders to allow patients face-to-face appointments

Access to practices remains unchanged despite health officials ordering all surgeries to abandon a system of total triage

So patients aren't lying about not being able to be seen at some practices. And obviously some practices are operating extremely well owing to the considerable efforts of GPs, nurses and other staff, often at significant personal cost.

It's the disparity between practices that's concerning.

Many thanks. It was a big phone in a radio station this morning LBC.

Many are taking the p and possibly dumping as well.

Sure many want to work from home but this is not the profession to be in if you want to WFH.

@TheYearOfSmallThings

My GP surgery is also half closed. The practice nurse is seeing patients, there is one registrar seeing babies and urgent patients (after lengthy telephone negotiation), and I have no idea where the GP partners are.

I do not feel that I currently have access to primary care, and it is not good enough.

Many thanks. This stinks and I for one will be contacting a clown of af an MP in my constituency.