Doctors and how they come across

JenniferEccles

When I mentioned fewer GPs I was actually talking about the country in general rather than my area here in the south east.

As regards the growth in population, of course it’s mainly down to immigration, which successive governments have failed to address despite all the usual assurances of ‘stopping the boats’ and, what was the Labour promise, oh yes, ‘smash the gangs’
That’s going well, isn’t it?

Immigration is uncontrolled. We have porous borders, open to all.

It all adds to a demand on everything, including of course the NHS.

I assume you are aware that most immigration is regulated and has absolutely nothing to do with porous borders or "boats". In fact, some of those immigrants are the very same people who are treating you in the NHS.

The vast majority of immigration is not uncontrolled.

we had wonderful doctor/s then we moved
I had a skin complaint which needed urgent attention a new young male doctor said he would consult with an nhs dermatologist.
weeks later I received a text!!! beginning…
“dear mrs X - I regret to inform you” I gasped as I thought it would read…nothing can be done.. but it went on to say, the nHS will not
pay for this../ which we had already discussed.
awful message, stressful, unprofessional, cruel

I'm always startled to get texts from my GP practice. I don't remember ever giving them my mobile phone number.

M0nica

Our first GP was an alcoholic. You only saw him if desperate.

Ours smoked during the consultation.

We used to have a fairly decent older male doctor plus a rabid nightmare female doctor! Now we have 2 cocky younger doctors but the same vicious, viper of a receptionist, who shouts at little old men if they step over a line, in front of the reception desk!

I was signed on to one particular doctor nine years ago and have never once seen him. Face to face appointments are rare here anyway, and it's always with different doctors.
I do feel that, for the first time in my life, I don't have a doctor who knows me. Something that was comforting at GP surgeries has really been lost and it's sad.
Our surgery prefers emails these days, even phone calls are discouraged. I must admit though that emails are well responded to.

Jaxjacky

Astitchintime

Our GP surgery have done a complete turnaround lately……..appointments are relatively easy to get and waiting times are agreeable.

I do find that it is important for the patient to talk to the GP as in, ‘good morning/aftrnoon’ , ‘how are you DR?’ Not difficult to strike up a conversation.

I much prefer the online e- consult form rather than hanging on the phone for ages with ‘you are number x in the queue’.

Yes, that’s how our surgery system works now…….I should have been more specific.
Those long waits in the call queue were a blessed nuisance, particularly when you’re feeling unwell.

When I mentioned fewer GPs I was actually talking about the country in general rather than my area here in the south east.

As regards the growth in population, of course it’s mainly down to immigration, which successive governments have failed to address despite all the usual assurances of ‘stopping the boats’ and, what was the Labour promise, oh yes, ‘smash the gangs’
That’s going well, isn’t it?

Immigration is uncontrolled. We have porous borders, open to all.

It all adds to a demand on everything, including of course the NHS.

The surgery I’m with is four miles away and serves quite a few villages. It is a well-loved practice and I’ve had the same GP for 33 years, he is a gem and I’m very lucky.

I’ve had the same independent vets for 34 years and feel equally blessed to have them, the original two partners are 70 this year, as I am, and I dread their eventual departure.

twaddle

JenniferEccles

We have too few GPs now and a rapidly growing population, in the main fuelled by uncontrolled immigration.
Then there is the fact that both male and female GPs only seem to want to work part time these days.
A sorry situation.

The problems with GPS are not fuelled in the main by uncontrolled immigration. Firstly. immigration isn't uncontrolled. Secondly, there are are other factors such as an ageing population, which are driving demand for GP appointments.

This is the kind of throwaway comment which becomes normalised and accepted as true - and actually prevents a critical look at the real causes of problems.

You are quite right, immigration is uncontrolled and is leading to a breakdown in services of all kinds. I recommend reading Suicide of a Nation by Matt Goodwin. Take no notice of the lefties!

A lot depends on where you live. Posters post about their own experience so it likely that JenniferEccles is quite right about her area.

JenniferEccles

We have too few GPs now and a rapidly growing population, in the main fuelled by uncontrolled immigration.
Then there is the fact that both male and female GPs only seem to want to work part time these days.
A sorry situation.

The problems with GPS are not fuelled in the main by uncontrolled immigration. Firstly. immigration isn't uncontrolled. Secondly, there are are other factors such as an ageing population, which are driving demand for GP appointments.

This is the kind of throwaway comment which becomes normalised and accepted as true - and actually prevents a critical look at the real causes of problems.

Can't you say your relationship with your existing surgery has irreparably broken down (if it has).

We changed surgeries that way.
We have not regretted it.

I’ve given up on our hopeless surgery and will never go there again.
They send a stream of letters wanting to check things they have targets for, irrelevant to me, but do not want to actually see patients. Their reputation locally is abysmal.
Why don’t I change surgeries? There’s only one and we cannot register with the excellent village surgeries nearby.

We have too few GPs now and a rapidly growing population, in the main fuelled by uncontrolled immigration.
Then there is the fact that both male and female GPs only seem to want to work part time these days.
A sorry situation.

I remember in 1980 when applying to adopt our son we got an appointment at 18.30. for our medicals. When we arrived we were invited into his house (attached to the surgery) offered drinks and had a talk! Yes we passed the medical! What relaxed happy days.

Our surgeries ( we have four in the practice) have really good listening GPs plus great senior practitioner nurses!
Yesterday I saw a GP at 8.00, by 4.30 I had had an X-ray of my pelvis plus blood tests are being done on Friday !NHS at its absolute best !

My doctor who looked after me with my third pregnancy was very famous, allegedly killed his wife, probably did, but when he was sober, morning appointments, was brilliant doctor, he really cared, in safe gynae hands, was exceptionally good when I had post natal depression, the drs I have to see now, seem not to care one iota!!

Sometimes our doctors we see are good on other times do not really want to bother with a patient! Have a problem tied to something I am being treated for so when I filled in the 3 forms we now have to finally got a text saying doctor thinks I need a routine appointment! What is that as filling in yet another online form I can have an appointment next week at 8am or one in 3 weeks at 9.30. So had to take that. Other appointments available all very early which is difficult for me as meds have to be taken hour apart then wait till they work. So would be up about 4-5 am to be ready for the walk to the surgery! Wish I was a child again with our doctor who was like part of the family. Good old days for sure!

My GP Practice has 25,000 patients..
I have been with them for nearly 40 years.

I found the two older Doctors,now left or retired. to be rude and arrogant and just in medicine to advance their careers in Primary Care.

I am still sorting out two medical conditions that were misdiagnosed or ignored by them over twenty years ago

They were rude and arrogant and patients were just treated as research fodder to advance their careers in medicine, medical education and Primary Care.

The female Doctor was very well in with being a Consultant to NICE and post COVID Research. She also received an OBE a couple of years ago.

The other is now a Regional Director of a National well known medical organisation.

Another other Senior Doctor did not send off several.referal.letters and it has taken me over two years to sort out this oversight and get appointments.

My medical Practice now has a lot of female Salaried GP's who are much better than the old brigade. More caring and down to earth and not full of themselves.

That is.my experience

In the practice I attend very infrequently GPs use Mayo Clinic site. If I think I have an issue I just check the issue myself. If nothing fits, I'd seek a GP appointment for probably 3 weeks' time.

I had lots of blood tests on 5he 10th February and no one has sent a letter with my results, do they let you die if you have no computer or phone

My local practice used to be so good until the retirement of the senior GP and now it's pretty dire. All GP's are part time, the only appts ever available are with trainee GP's who are at the surgery for a few months as part of their training. No appts ever advertised with the resident GP's.
Last year sometime all patients were allocated a named GP who is supposed to have overall care of them. We had texts telling us who this doc is but it was emphasised that this didn't mean we could always see this person or that they would treat us so no idea what the heck the point of the exercise was, probably just a tick the box exercise with no benefit whatsoever to the patients.

When my DH died twenty one years ago, our family doctor who knew the family well, sent me a lovely hand written cards saying his sorry he was and how much he admired my husband.

Sadly retired now and the doctors and surgery were never the same after he left,

The town centre GP practice I go to is so different from the way it was when we came to this town 46 years ago.
Most of the doctors now work part-time and as an elderly patient who is having to use the NHS services more, I feel like a unit to be dealt with rather than a person. No-one engages with my life as I want to lead it, they just want me out of the door with a prescription for another medicine.