Telephone GP consultations.

I've been impressed with our surgery this week. I have a very itchy Pfizer booster rash which antihistamines aren't helping.
I rang yesterday and explained it to the receptionist. She booked me a telephone appointment with the nurse practitioner for today.
The nurse rang early and I missed her as I was driving, I phoned back a couple of times during the day but she was really busy.
We finally spoke this evening and I described my symptoms. She wanted me to go and see the doctor tomorrow morning, but I have three small boys to look after and she didn't want me to take them to the surgery (nor did I!).
Instead I said I had taken some photos (a friend had advised me to do this) so the nurse sent me a link to forward them for her to look at. She soon rang me back and has prescribed a course of steroid tablets.
They're waiting at Boots and my husband will collect them on his way home.
Each time I rang the phone was answered very promptly, with clear advice on how to talk to the appropriate person.
I have no complaints at all and I feel really sorry for anyone who has trouble getting help from their local surgery.

They all seem to be doing their best.
DD1 who lives in Berkshire says her local sugery has had no face to face appts fo about a year. Whereas our Health centre here in Gateshead (10 +Doctors) are more flexible.
ie personally as I'm suffering with shingles I seem to have one doctor who is following my progress on the phone and I have a face to face appt. next week.
From the current gloomy predictions it doesn't look as if we can expect anything to change for the better.

Daisymae

My DS has been forced to go to A & E today as he cannot get a face to face with his own GP. The telephone appointment was just missing the obvious. The A & Es' doctors actual words were 'Your doctors crap' Seriously you could not make it up. He has had a referral for the treatment he needs.

^ 'Your doctors crap'^

The telephone appointment was obviously not appropriate for your DS. That's really bad.

Glad he did get to see a doctor - what a worry for you.

Sparklefizz

I hope your son soon feels better Daisymae.

I had a text from my surgery earlier this week asking me to read their notice on the website.

The notice said that they would not be seeing any patients, speaking to any patients or dealing with any patients until next year unless it was a really dire emergency, because they were busy with vaccinations and staff were absent due to illness.

Sigh.

... presumably if it was a dire emergency, you'd be going to A&E?

I've heard other surgeries are doing this, too.

Of course, what will happen is that even more people will go to A&E because they can't see a doctor.

I've called NHS111 twice... both times they told me to go to A&E because my medical history was 'too complex' for them to give me the relevant advice, and they thought I needed to be seen by a doctor. I called them to avoid clogging up A&E, in the first place.

My own doctor, who knows my history, would've been able to tell with a face-to-face and a few prods and pokes whether I needed to be hospitalised, but he wasn't seeing any patients.

I did go to A&E on the one occasion - via ambulance because I had no-one to drive me, and was too ill to take a taxi (I was vomiting) for the 40 mile journey. My local hospital's A&E department was closed down some time ago - I might have made it there in a taxi as it was only 12 miles away.

,,, and this was during a lull in the pandemic. Our health service is falling apart...

Ours have been excellent, they do telephone triage but there’s no problem seeing a doctor face to face when needed, and the follow up telephone calls are organised by the surgery and come when they have promised. I actually prefer this system to waiting. My son has been this afternoon, and they even gave him a flu jab unsolicited while he was there. I know how lucky we are.

Sparklefizz

I hope your son soon feels better Daisymae.

I had a text from my surgery earlier this week asking me to read their notice on the website.

The notice said that they would not be seeing any patients, speaking to any patients or dealing with any patients until next year unless it was a really dire emergency, because they were busy with vaccinations and staff were absent due to illness.

Sigh.

I received a text stating the same.

Ours has been very good Dr called my husband this afternoon he has a appointment for the nurse in the morning followed by an appointment with the dr
I actually have an appointment every 15 to 20 years I had suspected food poisoning a few weeks ago I think the Dr was so surprised to hear from me I got an appointment within an hour

I have just had yet another text from my surgery telling me not to get in touch. I am beginning to feel nagged !!!

Very similar to Sparklefizz, nothing here at all until the 10th January!

Poppyred

My DH has been referred to ENT due to a hearing problem. I phoned the department to check that they had received the referral and told that yes they had and that the first consultation would be over the phone! Only just managed not to laugh out loud!
Surely the first appointment should include a hearing test??
COVID = Excuse not to see patients.

That is actually quite funny Poppyred

My DH has been referred to ENT due to a hearing problem. I phoned the department to check that they had received the referral and told that yes they had and that the first consultation would be over the phone! Only just managed not to laugh out loud!
Surely the first appointment should include a hearing test??
COVID = Excuse not to see patients.

I hope your son soon feels better Daisymae.

I had a text from my surgery earlier this week asking me to read their notice on the website.

The notice said that they would not be seeing any patients, speaking to any patients or dealing with any patients until next year unless it was a really dire emergency, because they were busy with vaccinations and staff were absent due to illness.

Sigh.

Daisymae

My DS has been forced to go to A & E today as he cannot get a face to face with his own GP. The telephone appointment was just missing the obvious. The A & Es' doctors actual words were 'Your doctors crap' Seriously you could not make it up. He has had a referral for the treatment he needs.

I recently had a phone consultation with a new GP at our local practice. She prescribed pain relief that were totally unsuitable and due to an underlying medical condition they shouldn't not have been prescribed to me and I almost ended up
in A & E. So yes, I can relate to your DS having to resort to going to A & E because his GP missed the obvious.
I hope your DS gets the treatment he needs.

My DS has been forced to go to A & E today as he cannot get a face to face with his own GP. The telephone appointment was just missing the obvious. The A & Es' doctors actual words were 'Your doctors crap' Seriously you could not make it up. He has had a referral for the treatment he needs.