GP Ratings in England

As long ago as the '70s, we had an Egyptian GP who had trained in the USA. She prescribed antibiotics for my children for every little sniffle or splutter, so I regretfully decided to consult one of the other doctors in the practice (Scottish) who was less inclined to over-prescribe even in those days.

That does not surprise me at all.

Anno I can imagine GPs having to explain to some patients until they are blue in the face that antibiotics will not help viral infections.

It is the same problem as some patients demanding branded drugs when there are a lot of quite as effective unbranded alternatives.

MY practice nurse friend use to be very aware of how in the very working class surgery where she worked, that the demand for uneccesary medication was far greater than in our local practice.

Far more public education is needed about this. They should teach this basic stuff in schools. (In an ideal world where pigs fly.)
It's taking some responsibilty for ones own health.

Idly watching 24 hrs in a/e last week, there were a couple of people turning up at a/e critically ill, who had not done anything about a health issue with definate warning signs, they had noticed months ago.

Durhamjen ...I agree, my GP surgery is a nightmare and really not very good..... I don't want anti-biotics, just some good doctoring!

Elegran

They don't believe that it applies to them. Their ailment is one which really needs those antibiotics to clear it up PDQ. All that stuff about making things resistant only applies to other people.

Just as not leaving litter applies to other people - their little bit of chewing gum, one drinks can, one takeaway container, one bus ticket, isn't going to make any difference to the vast amounts that other people leave. Other people defraud the Inland Revenue of millions, so they are justified in only cheating on a few hundres or thousands. Other people park in antisocial places. Other people skip appointments that could go to those who would turn up.

It is amazing just how much is down to these other people.

I do not see the link. Perhaps those doctors are unsatisfactory in other ways, too. Antibiotic prescribing could just be coincidence.

Not everyone believes the media

But how can they have missed the coverage in the media?

Perhaps some (most?) GPs simply don't have time to explain to patients why antibiotics would be inappropriate in their cases. I suspect that those who do prescribe unnecessary antibiotics are just too hard-pressed to have time to spend with patients and it's so much easier to press a key on the computer, sign a prescription and, hey presto! Another satisfied patient.

Yes. The problem is that GP practice income can depend on patient satisfaction so practices suffering from this patient ignorance lose funds. As you say, soon, there could hardly be a clearer illustration of how stupid it is to use patient satisfaction surveys in the assessment of GP practices.

It baffles me too.
It also effectively means that patient satisfaction surveys cannot be totally relied on. Well they can, but they cant iyswim.