Doctors and how they come across

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.

All these innovations never seem to be for the benefit of the patient, do they.

Stand outside in a long queue at 8:15 to even get a phone call, then be assigned to any one of the nurses, if you complain you get a doctor, any one who happens to be there on the day.

You can book online if you want to wait for 1-3 weeks and go online about midnight. Then they may cancel or move this without letting you know.

If you get past all of this, they are mostly great and caring, but often not had time to read your history.

I had a major operation in 2002 which alters my health procedures.

Because medics don't read all my notes from years ago they are unaware of all my needs. I now have multiple copies of the situation vis a vis the operation in 2002 for handing out to relevant personnel such as the ward sister and my dedicated nurse when I am admitted to hospital.

I discussed this communications problem with a GP and she endorsed this is what I should do.

if I request an appointment with a female doctor it is at least two weeks wait.... the one I saw last looked like a schoolgirl! she was very good though but being an old lady I would like a middleaged lady if it's my nether 'regions'

When I was young our GP came out on house visits, sat on the end of the bed, had a cup of tea and chatted to my mother. He also had a garden party for his patients. Now I know the paramedic at the surgery better than anyone else. He is an interesting character and always goes for the worst case scenario first which can be a bit alarming, I wonder if it is his training. Before Covid we always saw one of two GPs on request.

I’ve always found the GPs fine. Admittedly I am lucky enough not to need them very often, but it seems to be a different one each time.

The last hospital doctor I saw - at least 3 times - the respiratory consultant when I had pneumonia/pleurisy, was a 10/10, or even an 11 - he was lovely.

What area has she chosen to go into Vintagewhine?
Did she think she might like to be a GP before?

GPs do a completely different job now and spend a huge percentage of their week doing paperwork. My niece who's a doctor said she'd rather work on the till in Tesco than be a GP as she'd get less abuse. This was after doing a stint at a GP surgery during her training.fwiw my surgery is excellent and I've no complaints.

When I was young our family doctor was a middle aged woman who lived a short walk away and held her surgeries at her own home. No appointments
necessary, we would just turn up and sit in the waiting room. She knew your family and medical history and would always do house calls if necessary. Only downside was that she smoked like a chimney throughout the consultation. We never thought anything about it at the time! We never see the same doctor twice now and they don't know you from Adam!

To see a particular doctor now I have to book at midday, on a Friday for 6 weeks hence.
So do I kitty - so I do that and am happy.
I'd rather have my favourite GP for non urgent things - and if it's really urgent I don't think I care who it is.

We have a few different doctors at our practice but whichever one you see seems to remember you. They also seem to have plenty of time for you. We have to book in the morning for a same day appointment but it is always possible to see the duty doctor in an emergency.

I had an appointment today with a 'Pharmacist'. He was like a robot and I found it a very strange experience. I would much rather have seen my usual doctor but the system has changed and now it isn't possible to book an appointment.

There is something very reassuring about seeing a doctor who knows your medical history and I think it's sad that the care isn't what it used to be.

Nearly all the doctors at our practice are pretty good. I have a favourite who is really excellent but most will actually give you that extra bit of time and what is good that the receptionists can triage an afternoon appointment if you ring in the morning and they are allocated a bit extra time. Morning appointments are the 10 min quickies if its an infection calling for antibiotics or a situation where a referral on is obvious.

But `I have had to chase referrals at some points and "join up the dots" in overall care and glad ~I still have the wits to do this - I sometimes come having sent a brief written list of symptoms to the surgery by email so they can copy and paste.

I think we have really lost something valuable not being able to see the same doctor or at least one who was slightly familiar with your history.
Do you know what I would love ? I would love a doctor , like in the old days. who would have the experience to have an inkling of what might be causing the problem. Now we have doctors who sit and google your symptoms in front of you when you could do that yourself at home. Sometimes it feels as good as going into the local newsagent, giving him your symptoms, he googles and then says 'I can sell you some paracetamol'

When DH left the Army and we moved to our first house in South Yorkshire we signed on with the same doctor that had looked after my family for years. His surgery was two rooms in a terraced house - just he and his receptionist, with whom you argued at your peril. He was lovely. Old school, seen it all, cradle to grave, never without a pipe in his mouth. Everybody was devastated when he retired. We moved to a larger practice and were happy with it too.

When we came to our current practice we were under the senior partner who was very no nonsense but an excellent physician. I think most people were a little afraid of her - I was myself but when DH died, she was kindness and patience itself with me and nothing was too much trouble for her. Unfortunately she herself has now taken early retirement. I had an appointment with her on the day she left. I remember her saying to me that she was confident that she had left the practice in the best possible position going forward. It seems as if she has.

When I was early 30’s we had just moved to Shropshire and I was pregnant and very concerned after nearly losing our second child.

Our new GP was kind, thorough, gentlemanly and good at his job, he reassured us all would be well and got as a referral the following day.

He came to the house after I had a car accident at 6 months pregnant, he visited twice after the baby was born and when I became ill with a kidney issue some weeks later he telephoned every week with my weekly blood test results.
I eventually had to be hospitalised and yes he visited me in the hospital.
This was 1994.

We then moved to Lancashire…..it was dire!

They did the bare minimum begrudgingly.

On marriage moved 20 miles away I joined the practice that my husband's family used.
First time I saw the head GP he offered me a cigarette and asked if I wanted a whiskey.
When told I didn't drink or smoke he called me a good girl.
Next time I saw a junior GP and he was just as bad.
This was 1980.

My recent experience has been very impressive. Maybe be he was new to the practice but the young lad was very competent and friendly and phoned two days later with test results and told me what he planned to do next. That also happened. I'd expected to have to phone for blood test results myself and was resigned to a long wait for referral for scan. Two days after scan received a text and appointment for follow-up review and reassurance about scan findings. 👍 NHS

Our family gp, when I was young, wore his coat in the surgery and smoked like a chimney but he knew all the family and asked how each individual one was.

Until very recently we could ask for an appt with a particular gp who, similarly, knew all our family situations - no of children etc. No longer. To see a particular doctor now I have to book at midday, on a Friday for 6 weeks hence.

The great benefit of any appointment that I have with the surgery nurse is that she regularly finds time for a purposeful medical conversation.
Appointments with any of the GP’s always feel so rushed so that they rarely meet the standard of a what a consultation really ought to be.

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

It's rare to see a GP, the appointment is usually with a nurse now which often means a repeat visit at a later date with the same problem. - that definitely happens round here and, given that it takes me 35 minutes to get to the surgery, that second journey is more than mildly annoying!

My Diabetes GP spends the 1st 5 minutes of my 10 minute consultation reading up her computer. Then she discusses whatever she wants not whatever I want to talk about. Very brusk and never says good morning or goodbye.
As a child the family GP drove to our house whenever my Mum phoned the surgery. He was an amputee and used a wheelchair. He knew all of the family and would do a general check up on any of the family at the same time. Those were the days. hugs

Right up until his death my husband always requested ( by phone) and got appointments with the same GP. She even sent me a personal letter after he died.
I’m not sure it would work now that the system has changed to online booking with very limited options.