New government plan to have GPs in supermarkets - what do you think of the idea?

[JustineMumsnet]

Hi all,
We've been asked to contribute to 5-Live discussion on a new proposal to have GPs available in Supermarkets. Would love to hear your thought on whether would be helpful/ work etc.
Thanks Mumsnet Towers.

I dread this idea passionately!

Whilst I can see it would be convienient for wolking people - do the shopping and see the doctor and pick up the perscription at the same time

I hate the idea that supermarkets are taking over our communities. Soon if councils and governments allow there will be very little that you cannot obtain in one place - Tescos extra/ Asda

I have heard that £1 in every £7 is spent in Tescos. They along with Asda seem to be cruising toward world denomination. I find the whole idea horrible.

Inverness - a smallish town with 50,000 residents has three Tescos stores already and they are trying to build a fourth. Utterly ridiculous. the idea of Gp surgeries in a supermarket will only increase this problem

A big Noooooooooooo from me!

Rant over

Is this like the priest in supermarkets ideas?

I find it sad that the supermarket has now replaced the High Street in so much as it now provides health care and your weekly worship! I think it just fuels our obsession with the supermarket.

That being said, I think that people would be more willing to visit a GP if that GP were more readily available in their immediate environment, whether that environment be the supermarket or the pub or workplace, whatever. As long as people don't have to make an actual effort to see the GP, then they will go. Men especially, and I presume that this is for them as women have no probs in going to the docs, for some it's a weekly outing!

Can't help thinking that this is just a publicity stunt by supermarkets and another way of slowly taking over our lives so that we become totally dependant on them for everything, from booking a holiday to getting a medical. We won't be able to function without them!

sudden visions of GPs sitting on shelves amongst the beans

I suppose in our consumerist society that is the way they would think .. would be interesting to know who funds and manages it .. is this another stab towards privatisation? how would they ensure privacy and availability of tests .. urine tests for example

in terms of access it sounds on the surface an acceptable plan .. but what about real access .. we would again need appointment systems .. anybody and his dog could see you waiting (privacy?)

and IMHO the big thing that is wrong with the medical system today is that there is not enough time to truly listen .. doctor's diagnose on the immediate symptoms presented and seem to have no time to truly listen or probe or ask the right questions .. so they end up with an initial diagnosis of most likely problem .. the issue is the 3 minutes they devote to each patient

on a marketing standpoint it would be fabulous for the supermarkets in terms of gendering loyalty to them and also shopping whilst waiting .. wonder if there's an especially strong lobby group of supermarkets out there

Pros

Convenience

Cons

Access to patient records
Lack of privacy
Funding

On the funding issue we have a walk-in centre next to us which you can use in a similar manner to your GP - it's now reducing it's opening hours due to lack of funds. Who will pay for this new service? If there's money available (presumably some forthcoming from the supermarkets themselves)then maybe it would be better to have dentists in supermarkets as there seems to be more problem finding one of them lately

I agree with Twiglett regarding the time. I think they would be better concentrating further on the availability of appointments.

Personally in my situation it wouldn't be much of an advantage. I live in a smallish village with a surgery in the next village (the two villages run into each other) - so it's about a mile away, walking distance for the baby clinic or a minute's drive if poorly. The supermarket is 8 miles away.

Also it concerns me that there is quite a correlation between the people who most need access to the doctor's surgery and who have most difficulty getting to the supermarket - little old ladies, for example.

I suppose it will be sold as an alternative not a replacement but these things tend to be the thin end of the wedge. As more of us fit, active adults make appointments at the supermarket for a repeat prescription of the pill or some holiday jabs the local surgery will be open less for the little old lady who is suffering shortness of breath or whatever. I know that's a generalisation but you get the picture.

I would prefer the money/effort to go into extended opening hours at local GPs (eg an evening surgery 7 - 9 twice a week) and the ability to get an appointment while you are still actually poorly and slots to be long enough that you have time to go through everything without causing the entire schedule to overrun.

Agree with Potty re dentists being an issue.

Actually though I work 3 days right next door to a supermarket so it would be highly convenient to pop next door for my pills/jabs in my lunch hour. However in reality I am at the doctor's far more often with one or other of the kids. I rang up yesterday to get an appt for DS who has had a high temp, v. sore throat, no appetite, coughing all night etc since Sunday and got an "emergency appointment" for today at 5.10 pm.

It's next to impossible to make an appointment with our GP - I'm sure most patients either die or get better before they manage to see a doctor. Despite my loathing for supermarkets, I'm in favour of any scheme that makes it easier to see a GP.

I believe the confidentiality and patient records problems could be overcome. The appointments could take place in cubicles, and patient records are held on the NHS computer systems.

Rhubarb - I imagine the GPs would be keener on the pub!

I think governments want supermarkets to rule the world. There was a report in the paper the other day that the Post Office is losing the franchise to deal with benefits and the government was planning to offer it to supermarkets. Why don't we just sell our souls to them whilst we're at it.

Convenience is what supermarkets are all about. But I can't see this being anything more than a publicity stunt by a particular supermarket chain, probably Tescos! GPs could do a lot to make themselves more readily available, to have them visit the workplace and schools once a week would be a much better solution. Supermarkets are just trying to make themselves mini-high streets and this will only force small practices who are already struggling, out of business, much as they have forced other small businesses out of business and pay local farmers peanuts for their produce which they then sell at a higher price.

Sorry but really cant see the point. How is going to see the doctor at the supermarket any more convienint than going to the gp's surgery? If we want to make doctors more avilable and convenient then have longer opening hours and longer consultation times. In what way does moving gps to a supermarket make this possible?

Hmm Freckle a comparison with post offices (especially rural ones but also suburban ones I suppose) had crossed my mind.

I think that having GPs in supermarkets would likely take resources away from local surgeries which is a BAD thing. OK the govt can promise that no funds will be diverted etc but as there is currently a shortage of GPS, a certain number that could be employed in surgeries will no longer be.

And if there are so many GP's available wanting to work in supermarkets, how come mine can't find a replacement and is running his practice single-handedly?