Would you Skype your GP?

I think the chemists in Sainsbury's should be given the training/power to check the blood pressure, then. Let's face it, if they can do the flu jabs, chemists are trained professionals, why not take blood pressures?

That was your second post gj. The first one, where you were patronising and lecturing ("did you really think...") is the post I am talking about.

My online prescription has been "overdue for a review" for years. Still works.

ChristopherLee sorry I missed your "hello". No, I have no problem with the quick telephone conversations. My mother has dementia so anything that doesn't worry her helps. Calling a doctor out would worry her so it works well for us and the doctor has got the measure of what I understand I think. She does like the doctor and enjoys seeing her when she needs to come.

The reason that we have the blood taking at Saisbury's etc., is, I think, because the district received some extra funding to show the way forward. They were one on the first hospitals to use some of the NHS funding to pay for people to get the initial care they need on leaving hospital to stop "bed blocking", if I remember rightly. I'm not too genned up on this I'm afraid.

We cannot continue in the way we are doing but we must not make people feel that they must make changes they do not understand or cannot cope with. Doing it a bit at a time will work. The younger people will love it - they are so busy and their children will see it as normal. We have to make the best use of doctors expensive time.

you've lost me there jingl- would you mind copying and pasting- where on earth was I patronising here? Pray tell- I can't apologise if I have no idea. Which post?

Oh, I see, go that- was it patronising? I thought it was in direct response to that from you:

So doctors have to work from home as well as weekends now then? They'll love that. grin

which was a bit of a daft comment, really- and I do happen to know, having lived someone who did just that, on top of very very long hours, from 1969 till 2008, eg 39 years.

Yes. 39 years ago. Exactly.

Perhaps I'd rather make 'daft' comments than lecturing ones.

yes, which was made absolutely clear in my post- with almost up-to-date info for fairly recently 7 years ago. And my post was very clearly in the past tense and not the present. Even though I am but a foreigner, type very fast and never check (so make many typos- which sadly this site won't allow one to correct) my grammer (;) ain't (;) too bad.

Do look

Oh dear, rant away and throw your toys out of your pram- I won't be joining you this time (learning). Toodeloo.

I don't know what those symbols mean. But they do look faintly gynaecological.

Btw, I don't give a flying fart toss whatever about my grammar on here.

Gracegran I love that drawing- very interesting. And would be perhaps a lot more relevant re comments on opinions and evaluation of an issue or other.

In this case, the info I gave in the last few posts are facts, not opinion or vague hearsay- and not really open to different points of view. But yes, could apply to OP- as it has clear advantages and disadvantages. Trialling the system can't hurt though- and as discussed could prove hugely successful with some groups of patients, and totally useless for others, clearly those unable to use a computer, for whatever reasons/s.

Sorry forgot

on most sites, the

;)

turns into a wink

just as the



turns into a smile

and



into a groan

gracesgran very true

And very hard when you can see both sides, but the participants may not be able to, or only one can. Still, no-one can say that this board doesn't give us lots to think about.

Our doctors receptionists work a sort of triage system which seems to work quite well. Actually seeing a doctor is quite difficult but because A lot is filtered out to the nurse practioner (blood tests, reviews etc) and by telephone appointments - these work very well and are popular. Our practise has two surgeries in two towns ten miles apart. Phone appointments are done in surgery time and are always prompt so you're ready waiting by the phone and the doctor can run his surgery from home via his computer link. It seems to work well as I no longer need to wait several weeks when I do need to see a doctor.

Skype wouldn't work at all here as internet connections just aren't up to it. We've mediocre reception here in town where speeds are rarely up to the level they're supposed to be, but further out it's chronic.