I am fuming

After a major shoulder operation I only had a physio phone call and some exercises on my phone admittedly due to lockdown. When it came to issuing a statin I saw a paramedic, a nurse and a chat with the pharmacist surely one of them would have been enough. Very much pot luck

Our surgery has now proudly announced that they can dispense medicines from the surgery because they have new staff. I dispensed medicine from there for twenty years. I don’t understand what has happened to GP surgeries since the pandemic. A friend of mine that has gone back into nursing works at a walk in centre and she says they just can’t cope.

i've seen heat pads in savers recently.
you put them in the microwave, if that's the same thing.

Sorry to butt in, Travelsafar, but just wondering if you have tried heat pads? I have been having physio lately (had to pay privately as NHS waiting list round here is massive) for an aching back and an aching leg. The physio exercises do help a bit but when my daughter recommended heat pads (the sort that stick to your skin and last about 8 hours) I tried them and found they made a big improvement to the extent that I have been able to stop taking pain killers. They can be bought at chemists and are also available on Amazon. Worth a try.

Having spent most of my working life in the NHS, I find it very sad that the early promise of care 'From the cradle to the grave' has not continued to be fulfilled.
This is not the fault of the staff on the front line who have to cope with acute staff shortages and incompetent management on a daily basis.
The NHS never was perfect but at least we were able to maintain a reasonable level of care, most of the time.

Lucky girl thank you for the reminder. 😊

Baggs

Sometimes a photocopied exercise sheet is enough. It was for me when my broken wrist/mashed hand cast came off.

It was actually good to know exactly what I should be doing immediately after the cast removal rather than having to wait, possibly days, for a physio appointment.

So they could get anybody to give you that …. A receptionist, auxiliary (can’t remember what they call them now) and save a shed load of money by not paying a physiotherapist. 😉

travelsafar

I am in so much pain my sister has given me some of her cocodamol meds to try. I just taken one after my lunch, so...... watch this space.I know we are not supposed to do this but paracetamol do nothing. I can't use ibrufen as I'm on blood thinners. I shall tell the physio what I have done and perhaps they will send a script to my chemist.🫢🤔

Don't forget to also take some lactulose or movicol - cocodamol will block you up and you really don't need that when you are in pain. I dop help you can get some pain relief soon.

welbeck - I should have made myself clearer - yes, usually that’s what I do (I pick medication up from pharmacy)- but, when I came home, I noticed that the Ventolin was missing. So that’s why I went there the next morning.
And for those who are on Ventolin, I was told that they are phasing out the Ventolin Evohaler - it now comes as a Dischaler, the round blister one .

I am in so much pain my sister has given me some of her cocodamol meds to try. I just taken one after my lunch, so...... watch this space.I know we are not supposed to do this but paracetamol do nothing. I can't use ibrufen as I'm on blood thinners. I shall tell the physio what I have done and perhaps they will send a script to my chemist.🫢🤔

CrazyH, can you not get repeat scripts by ringing the pharmacist.
that's what we do here, they even deliver.
so much easier not having to deal with surgery for this.
it's long time since i had a script in my hand.
if it is out of hours, or an extra item, eg antbx, the docs send it electronically to the pt's usual pharmacy or nearest open one if out of hours.

travelsafar, I hope you can get the painkillers you need. Have you spoken to a pharmacist for advice on what you can take?

Sometimes a photocopied exercise sheet is enough. It was for me when my broken wrist/mashed hand cast came off.

It was actually good to know exactly what I should be doing immediately after the cast removal rather than having to wait, possibly days, for a physio appointment.

But NHS physios only give you a photocopied exercise sheet and take you through your exercises.

Most of our receptionists are fine and helpful; however there always seem to be one or two who are downright rude and sarcastic.
The completely clueless one, who didn't even know the surnames of the doctors ("Oh, you mean Gemma!") seems to have disappeared or been re-assigned thank goodness.

Rude and sarcastic I can deal with, completely clueless is a bit more difficult. 😃

Physiotherapy over the phone is daft! They need to see you and exactly how your muscles and joints are moving or not. Ridiculous.
However, our GP practice receptionists all seem to be very nice and helpful. I really can't complain about them.

Primrose - NHS admin staff can take NVQs at levels 2 and 3 but this is generally available for hospital staff more than GP staff. Also the work is generally done in your own time, you are not given time out of work and it does not lead to promotion, so there is little incentive.

Luckygirl13 For me it is a physiotherapist who has at last, suggested a diagnosis for a problem my GP has been ignoring for the last 10 months and given me a referral to another group who may be able to refer me to a suitable consultant.

I had the opposite problem today. I only went to ask for a repeat prescription and the receptionist directed me to see the Nurse Practitioner. I seriously did not want to see anyone. I was dressed in street clothes, no bra, just brushed my teeth and jumped in the car to drive to the Surgery to pick up the prescription. Call me a lazy slob. I thought I would just be in and out. No way. I had the full works, Oxygen level, stethoscope, throat check. I had to apologise to her for looking so rough. Now I’m wondering whether I was mistaken for another patient. Strange !

What is it with these rude receptionists? We have a couple like that at my doc’s surgery. I know they are under pressure but ….

We can also self refer to a physio. All general appointment requests are triaged by a GP, it is my understanding anything mechanical is automatically passed to a physio. This could be anything from sudden onset foot pain to long standing osteoarthritis joint issues. I’d be much happier if the GP saw the patient first.

Luckygirl3

I have a bee in my bonnet about patients not being referred to a physio until a doctor has made a proper diagnosis. It can do damage. It would never have happened in the past. It is entirely wrong in principle.

Yes, we can self-refer to a physiotherapist in this area!

I have a bee in my bonnet about patients not being referred to a physio until a doctor has made a proper diagnosis. It can do damage. It would never have happened in the past. It is entirely wrong in principle.

HelterSkelter1

I am sorry travelsafar. On the other thread we advised you to contact your GP and you have ... with this disappointing result.

Hopefully the physio will prescribe painkillers if you ask for them and explain you are doing the exercises already. Stress to them how your mobility is affected which also has a knock effect on your general health.

Our GP surgery had a needs improvement result to a recent Care Quality assessment and the standard of the receptionists has improved. And I think one particularly unhelpful one has gone. I was discussing with a friend recently whether there is a specific NVQ or similar training for health receptionists. I think there should be. Maybe a GNer will know.

I hope you get some help on Monday.

Re your third para, I despair at the staff being taken on now.

At our large GP Practice there is a team of receptionists. I was shocked to learn that they employ a woman who is from a notorious family around here! The whole lot of them are trouble and they literally cannot complete a sentence without using an F word. She must have come over well at interview!!

Tell the physiotherapist what has happened.

Who is on duty on Sunday that they can't help you? Bugs Bunny?

A sarcastic receptionist asked me "So you're asking for a second opinion, are you!" when in fact we hadn't had a first one from a doctor.
Just as well I persisted.