General Practitioners

I had an issue with my eye earlier this week. Opticians at 245pm, at 315pm the optician decided to refer me to the hospital.

Appointment at 430pm same day, saw an opthamlogist on the dot, at 445pm was out the door (luckily everything was fine).

We don't have an issue with our NHS dentists, whilst the local GP is part of a larger practise so can get appointments when needed.

My wife has needed a few appointments recently and has been seen when needed.

My experiences have been nothing but positive. The NHS is doing a great job.
 
I think if you are having a bad experience you need to complain to the GP rather than on here. In writing.

Also consider changing your GP if realistic to do so.

I have always had fast, efficient service for childrens complaints and my elderly in-laws visit regularly and have no issues.

GPs have been in charge of their budget forever, are currently massively over burdened I would suggest due to people being in hiding for 18 months and appearing with lots of problems and huge waiting lists for care- leading to many many people with only a GP to access while they wait for care.

On top of this the pandemic unfortunately means they are working differently- this leads to dissatisfaction if you aren't seen to be caring as people expect. GPs will make many healthcare decisions based on subjective conversation alone, and will often be guided with face to face consultation if they feel their is uncertainty. A patients uncertainty is not accounted for in that decision which often leads to dissatisfaction, or seeking further appointments down the road.

Not to mention, you want to keep consultations to a minimum while covid is around- so as not to put your most vulnerable patients at risk or have to isolate yourself which will really lead to problems and reduced appointments.

Do go back to the first line though, if you are not happy with your surgery let them know about it. If nobody voices this displeasure outside of your home/ a message board people wont care. Complaints/ feedback are monitored in the NHS and reported on regularly. Make your voice heard and discuss why you arent happy- they can then respond in kind.
 
Cambsred said:
I think if you are having a bad experience you need to complain to the GP rather than on here. In writing.

Also consider changing your GP if realistic to do so.

I have always had fast, efficient service for childrens complaints and my elderly in-laws visit regularly and have no issues.

GPs have been in charge of their budget forever, are currently massively over burdened I would suggest due to people being in hiding for 18 months and appearing with lots of problems and huge waiting lists for care- leading to many many people with only a GP to access while they wait for care.

On top of this the pandemic unfortunately means they are working differently- this leads to dissatisfaction if you aren't seen to be caring as people expect. GPs will make many healthcare decisions based on subjective conversation alone, and will often be guided with face to face consultation if they feel their is uncertainty. A patients uncertainty is not accounted for in that decision which often leads to dissatisfaction, or seeking further appointments down the road.

Not to mention, you want to keep consultations to a minimum while covid is around- so as not to put your most vulnerable patients at risk or have to isolate yourself which will really lead to problems and reduced appointments.

Do go back to the first line though, if you are not happy with your surgery let them know about it. If nobody voices this displeasure outside of your home/ a message board people wont care. Complaints/ feedback are monitored in the NHS and reported on regularly. Make your voice heard and discuss why you arent happy- they can then respond in kind.
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I had a similar experience last year to the bloke on the phone in. Fortunately mine was operable, disappointingly it took the GP a long time to refer me. Two sets of photos and eventually a visit that the GP didn't make. When the GP eventually turned up, despite me being fended off from coming to the surgery by the rottweiler on reception, he finally referred me.

I phoned the consultant directly last time and was seen within a few weeks.

The GPs aren't playing the game at the moment, I've talked to a number of people with similar issues.

As for changing GP, my wife has and the service is no better.
 
the practice i use you can book an appointment online, new appointments become available at 9am each morning. Never had a problem getting an appointment.
 
BoroFur said:
I thought I'd need to go in face to face as it were, to discuss my situation or to consider non-drug related treatment but no. Just crack on with this stronger dose.
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I suppose that you could do this over the phone anyway. It is odd that they just gave you the stronger dose but they might have done that anyway face to face. As previously stated you can always speak to your pharmacist.
 
I can phone up for a telephone appointment on the same day. They invited me in to listen to my chest 6 weeks ago and gave me stronger hey fever medication. I can't praise my doctors enough.

I might be lucky compared to some but maybe write to the surgery or switch.

My mum moans about hers all the time but the real reason behind it is that she doesn't like change. She liked the face to face appointments despite the fact she gets the same service over the phone.

It's just moving with the times - needs must thanks to a pathetic pandemic response and years of under funding. That's what you get with Tories in power.
 
Glover_elbow said:
the practice i use you can book an appointment online, new appointments become available at 9am each morning. Never had a problem getting an appointment.
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You're lucky, we have to call from 8am, obviously there's little chance if getting through.

We get the 'you can only be seen if it's an emergency routine' lately, so you tell them it's an emergency and they'll phone you back the same day. I've been prescribed antibiotics twice now without being seen, when I pop to the chemist to pick them up there's a warning about antibiotic use.

The other thing that crept in and is becoming more and more common is the offer of an appointment with a health practitioner, who invariably then refers you to the GP.
 
120 plus redials last mon , promised call back turned into a out of hrs call after 8 & half hr wait , given antibiotics script , sent to closed Pharmacy, got them 24 hrs later , had pcr test, neg . Week later tried again was getting nowhere appointment wise , another 50-60 redials got through , explained was becoming a long running thing , got to see a doctor , but by god it was a process
 
JM14 said:
Anyone had any experience of private health care? Thinking it might be the way forward if this continues
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I've looked into it for my family but haven't took the leap yet.

Might do now after my daughter's latest diagnosis.
 
I think what is most frustrating is that some GP's are clearly so much better than other.

I simply cannot get in contact with my GP, by phone, before I moved house I could just go online and book, now I can't. Only way is to go through the NHS app e-consult service. However that often tells you to ring the surgery and your back in a never ending circle.
 
The question is why are they still not seeing patients in person?

Go back to the fella in the video in my opening post. He's adamant that if he was seen by a GP in person with his original symptoms he would not be now watching the clock waiting to die. It's disgusting.
 
Chris_Boro said:
I think what is most frustrating is that some GP's are clearly so much better than other.

I simply cannot get in contact with my GP, by phone, before I moved house I could just go online and book, now I can't. Only way is to go through the NHS app e-consult service. However that often tells you to ring the surgery and your back in a never ending circle.
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Will probably end up being off work for 2. & half weeks for a chest infection that could of been got on top of v quickly with earlier appointments ,hardly helps when GP's only want locum work as it pays more & they dictate their hours '
 
Randy said:
https://twitter.com/x/status/1433054600475693061

What's happening? What's the bigger picture? Why is it easier to get an estate agent round your house to help you sell it than it is to get a face to face appointment with a GP? Rules from above? Fear? Are they all now comfortable with the current diagnosis by photo thus lessening the workload? Are we seeing a shift into a.i diagnosis?
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It easy to get sucked in by the story and tarnish all gps with the same brush.

this gp could have anxiety around covid so is reluctant to see patients face to face. That could have a knock on effect in their decision making. Unfortunately I don’t think we have people assessing gps ability to do their job.

memebes of my family have had several face to face doctors appts during covid
 
GazC_MFC said:
It easy to get sucked in by the story and tarnish all gps with the same brush.

this gp could have anxiety around covid so is reluctant to see patients face to face. That could have a knock on effect in their decision making. Unfortunately I don’t think we have people assessing gps ability to do their job.

memebes of my family have had several face to face doctors appts during covid
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Very much depends on the practice.
 
Gps are seeing patients in person, one big limiter is how many patients you can fit into a GP surgery at any one time. Also the need to clean/ disinfect afterwards. Need for space/ ventilation in surgeries. None of which are insurmountable but you need the resource to change/ expand surgeries or improve provision. I can't comment on the case in this story as to what went wrong, unfortunately when it comes to a global pandemic, massive system change and health errors will occur. We will never know if it would have occurred anyway.

GPs being locums is a systemic problem and one that is very valid. Unfortunately there are not enough GPs/ Nurses/ AHPs in a lot of areas, so instead of being employed as a permanent staff member and doing the donkey work, these staff are working as locums on higher wages and with more flexibility. Supply and demand and training provision are an area that could be addressed by any government that chooses- pay people to train, you get a bigger workforce. As it stands my understanding is nursing and AHP training funding was stopped. Medical training I am not as sure about but believe there has been little increase in places.

@Chris_Boro the inequity across healthcare is ridiculous. Good service is hard to come by and the difference between GPs in a surgery, let alone surgeries is phenomenal. If you get a good one keep tight hold.
 
Corcaigh_the_Cat said:
You're lucky, we have to call from 8am, obviously there's little chance if getting through.

We get the 'you can only be seen if it's an emergency routine' lately, so you tell them it's an emergency and they'll phone you back the same day. I've been prescribed antibiotics twice now without being seen, when I pop to the chemist to pick them up there's a warning about antibiotic use.

The other thing that crept in and is becoming more and more common is the offer of an appointment with a health practitioner, who invariably then refers you to the GP.
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its a strange one the online booking, it makes it a bit like going on ticket master to buy rolling stones tickets you have to be ready on the button, for me its really useful, but i also think its a bit unfair on the elderly who are not online and have to go the conventional telephone route.
 
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