New series of GPs Behind Closed Doors

[TakeMeToAnIgloo]

I've enjoyed the earlier series. The new one started last night, with a surgery in Fulham. It will be interesting to see how different things are than the previous ones filmed pre-Covid. Even the recent one, the mobile surgery, things were seeming somewhat different - the updates at the end of the show couldn't tell what the actual outcome was (in the way that earlier series did) but just said things like 'xxx is on the waiting list for...' I imagine that might be worse now! Of course the episode always shows face-to-face appointments, but I wonder if the types of issues that are shown will be different, as there must be a lot of phone appointments these days as well that they can't really show on TV. In previous series, the doctors were often saying 'come back and see us' in a day or two if things didn't get better, or for follow-ups, reassurance, checks, etc, and that doesn't happen in quite the same way these days for sure. Though even in some of the later of the previous series, there was clearly pressure on appointments and various other HCPs shown, including the slightly obscurely named 'urgent care clinician', as well as physician associates and so on.

anyone else watching? Thursdays at 8. It's not on Channel 5 normally the way it used to be, but on 5 Star (which is channel 32 on my freeview), so easy to miss I think. I don't know if maybe it's on normal channel 5 another time.

Lots of the doctors in previous series (and this one I'm sure) seem very nice and caring, and really interested in their patients and caring about their lives, not just doing the minimum basic job. Some of them are so lovely. I think it also shows the pressures that general practice is under.

I love GPs behind closed doors, but I'm amazed at how many people seem to get same day/next day appointments at all the surgeries featured. Lots of the consultations start with "I woke up this morning with a sore throat/painful knee/etc)

I'm also constantly amazed by the number of people who see the GP because they've had a sore throat or painful knee "since this morning". It's no wonder really ill people can't get appointments

I wish my GPs were like the ones on GPBCD... do you think they're more thorough and attentive and willing to refer because the cameras are there?

Also, as @KnickerlessParsons (GREAT user name!) says, I'd certainly wait a lot longer to see if my sore throat or knee cleared up before I tried to make an appointment...

Thanks for this. I hadn't realised there was a new one. I skim through channels, but rarely get to 5 star so I missed last nights one. I'll make sure I record it next week.

I have always liked this series, the doctors all seem really lovely.

Thanks for posting - I also missed there was a new series. Looking forward to watching!

Yes - I wonder if that's one of the things that might change with the new series? It must still be harder to get appointments now. I expect with the mobile surgery ones, they must have had to agree to filming to get an appointment there, as it was very much billed as an 'extra' to the normal surgery work. But it would be a bit exploitative I think for them if there were more appointments available for people who agreed to the filming, so that probably isn't how it works normally. I don't know what would happen if the doctor you normally see happens to be filming that day - whether you'd just see a different doctor, or if they'd take off the mic/cameras for your appointment, or use a different room, or if you'd just have to wait for another day.

I think it would have to change the doctor's behaviour knowing they were being filmed all the time, but I remember reading an interview with one that said as it goes on for months and months, they forgot after a while and it was just always recording, so maybe they are really just like that. I definitely have lots of favourites among the GPs on the previous series, as well as several that I wouldn't want. Some of them are incredibly lovely and seemed to care so much about the patients!

By the way, if you missed last night, it should be avialable on the My5 catchup, even if it's on 5 star.

I'm amazed at some of the things that people are happy to share on TV!

Loads of people shake the doctor's hand at the start or end of the consultation, which I have never ever done. I hope I am not the rude one! I do say hello and thank you, of course. But never shake hands, at least not with the GP. I suppose a hospital doctor might have initiated a handshake, in which case I'd have responded. I wouldn't have done it myself though. Maybe it's regional. Or just patient/doctor specific.