Doctors receptionist fobbing off with nurse

[noclothesinbed]

Hi. I have been really ill for the last four months. Every month I have had a period of up to 2 weeks where I'm wiped out with symptoms of Covid but it is not Covid. Terrible painful chest and hacking cough temperature aches headache. After being in bed again all weekend I phoned the doctors this morning and the receptionist was adamant I needed a phone call from the nurse. I really wanted to see a doctor to discuss what I've been going through. My question is how do you see a doctor these days when they seem to think a nurse can see you instead.

Unfortunately it’s normally speak to the nurse and hope they think you need a doctor

I don't think the receptionist Is blocking you from seeing a GP it's more than likely the way the surgery is run and they are just doing their job. The nurse will hand you over or consult the gp at your appointment. Fwiw I think it's disgraceful that we have to jump through hoops to get a gp appointment but it isn't the receptionist fault.

Tell the nurse everything and she may give you an appointment with a doctor. At our practice the nurses are in every day seeing patients and doing more and more, whilst the doctors are still doing as many phone appointments as they can.

Speak to the nurse. It is a start. I am sorry you have been so poorly.

You ask specifically for a GP appointment? But be warned I had to wait 3 weeks for my last one.

If they can offer you a nurse appointment in the meantime, take it!

It’s very normal to have a triage appointment, I can’t remember a time I could ever phone on the day and demand to see a GP the same day. If you see a nurse they will usually be a nurse practitioner with extra training who can prescribe. Have you seen anyone for this problem so far?

Not yet as I don't tend to go to the doctors I just wait to get well and treat at home but I do need help with this now which is why I'm so upset that I never use their services and still can't see a doctor when I feel I really need it

Ask for a chest x Ray.

@noclothesinbed

Sorry you feel poorly but now you're just starting to sound like a martyr. Phone the surgery and take whatever help they can offer! Why would you not?

No-one can see a doctor immediately at the moment.

talk to the nurse - they are brilliant and sometimes they even bypass the GP and send you to the specialist directly

Martyr ? Sorry how I don't understand why you would say that ? I've said I've been ill for a while now and would like to see a doctor. Of course I am having the chat with the nurse I havnt refused it no where did I say that I just wanted a doctor as I've been so rough. Why do you feel the need to be be horrible to soMe one who already feels terrible. Does it make you feel better ?

I think nurse practitioners have become the way forward. If there aren’t enough gp appts. available, then it’s sensible to have this level of triage. If the nurse feels your problem needs escalating, they are able to do that. If they can deal with it, they will. Hope it gets sorted for you, op.

Nurse should be able to arrange blood tests and things which would most likely be the first step anyway

I"m not being horrible. You said you didn't want to talk to the nurse.

If you are talking to the nurse then good.

Honestly, you cannot get an immediate doctor's appointment at the mo, no matter how much you 'never use their services'. That was the bit that made you sound like a martyr, since you asked.

In our local GP, you'll only be asked to speak to a nurse about low level health issues. So it's a shame the receptionist is minimising how unwell you are.

Is there an online form you can use? When we fill ours out we can request a GP and they usually text, call or book an appointment same day.

Get well soon :)

I’m sorry you are feeling so poorly. As others have said, you may be booked to speak to an advanced nurse practitioner who will be highly trained and may well be able to treat and/or refer you on as necessary. Or you may be booked to speak to a triage nurse who will talk to you about your symptoms and book you into an appropriate GP appointment. The role of nurses in general practice is very wide now. I hope you feel better soon.

Having said that, having a nurse take some blood tests is a brilliant first step as that's what your GP will want to see anyway!!

Ours is triage too.

Depending on the problem they sometimes get you same day GP appt when you're actually seen by a GP rather than a nurse.

To reassure you though that nurses can do what most doctors do, referrals, prescription etc.

Why "unfortunately"?

Surely it is positive thing to be appropriately triaged by a qualified and experience HCP so thet you can then be referred on to the best person to manage your presentation. It also means that you can be seen at the most appropriate time relative to other patients who may be more or less unwell. Can't see anything "unfortunate" about that.

But please don’t accuse the receptionist of fobbing you off. They are using the system they have been given and are acting on instructions from their GP partners and managers.

A lot of nurses that work in GPs are very good and well equipped to see and treat patients or at least arrange other appointments. Advanced nurse practitioners in GP surgeries are common and usually able to prescribe and have done clinical skills qualifications to allow them to see and treat patients to such level. I don't think 'fobbed off' is what's happening here, they're arranging for you to be seen at likely the quickest opportunity.

Here we are triaged by nurse over phone. Then called in to either see nurse/Dr a couple of hours later if required, or prescription sorted to pick up. It's actually easier to get to see a Dr now at our surgery than it was three years ago.

It may be a nurse practitioner, they can do basically everything a doctor can do.

That's their process so you need to follow it. See the nurse and they'll decide if you need to see a doctor. It's not necessarily your choice

The nurse will escalate if necessary. it could actually be that the receptionist has gone out of their way to get you an app with someone and all of the GPs are fully booked- it's a shit show out there but as long as open and honest about your symptoms and your concerns you'll be able to access the appropriate care.