Bonkers new rule at our GP surgery

I make a point of walking into the surgery (5 minutes walk) and asking for whatever it is directly, because the nurse I spoke to on the phone (after 40 minutes) said that I could.

Aveline

Joane123

You are very rude maddyone and also very wrong.
I rang my surgery yesterday for antibiotics that I had last year for the current problem I have now. "Can't do that". Why, always been done in the past. "Safety"! "You need to speak to someone" - that's fine, when can I do that. Reply 29th November!

Sometimes Joanne the only way to make people understand the problem is to be blunt. And even then some don’t.
What’s wrong with ‘safety’ being a high priority? I would have thought it should be the first consideration, but apparently you don’t think so.
Plus, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, because some people don’t appear to be able to understand. We have insufficient GPs. Actually we have insufficient doctors of any specialisation. Doctors don’t want to be GPs. Reading this thread I can see precisely why. The government have been trying to encourage more doctors to go into general practice but the doctors don’t want to. And even when I asked has anyone wondered why, the answer came back no. So there you have it. I’m not going to wrap up the truth in fancy paper and put a bow on it for you. The truth is WE DON’T HAVE ENOUGH GPs. THERE ARE TOO MANY PEOPLE IN THE COUNTRY FOR THE NUMBER OF GPs WE HAVE GOT.
And the government have tried to encourage more doctors to train as GPs BUT THEY DON’T WANT TO BE GPs.

Not everyone has difficulty in accessing a GP surgery.

Oreo

Frankly no maddyone it’s a career which amply rewards I think, job satisfaction at helping ill people and being good at what you’ve trained for plus very well paid and a status too.
Long gone are the two doctors who share a family practice and work all hours including day and night calls.

Your comment informs me that you have little idea of how it is for doctors in General Practice.
My comment about the difficulties of attracting doctors into training to become GPs should have informed you of the true position. Still, people believe what they want to believe don’t they? Don’t let the facts get in the way!

Our surgery doesn't allow emails, its not even on their website info, has told my dh off twice when he delivered a note about a post hip op query I had and it switches off the econsult option every day with a nessage to 'try again tomorrow'. '
The only way us to phone and prepare to wait and wait....and wait and then get a phone appt weeks hence.
I said on another post i have not seen a dr face to face since 2019 and think its very sad that GPs seem to be leaving in droves and not clear why.
My much missed previous gp left some years ago in her mid 50s. I thought she would 'see me out'.
Now its a struggle to see any doctor whike my dd sees her gp without problem.

I log onto the NHS app on my phone, click on the little stethoscope at the bottom where it says ‘advice’ and fill in my query.

One of the GPS will ring me the same day or the next one.

No problem.

CraftyGranny

Remember when you would go to the GP and sit down, when someone came out of the GP's room the next person would go in and everybody moved to the next seat.

Now they only see a set number of patients each day.

My surgery claims that GPs sometimes see 100 patients a day.

My GP has just introduced a "total triage" system. All appointments have to go through the online system and are then prioritised with the appropriate clinician. Apparently, those who don't have internet access or can't use a computer can ring reception, who will fill in the form for the patient. It hasn't started yet, so I don't know how it will work.

Remember when you would go to the GP and sit down, when someone came out of the GP's room the next person would go in and everybody moved to the next seat.

Now they only see a set number of patients each day.

Can you email them? Our surgery allows this and it is quite useful

Although we can still get face to face appointments or telephone consultations if we ring early in the morning, our surgery no loner deals with wounds and dressings.
I was recently attacked by a large dog, for no reason, and needed A&E attention. Stitches to my scalp and chin and treatment to my arm. I was told to make an appointment with the nurse at the GP's 5 days later to have the wounds checked and another in 10 days to have the stitches removed.
When I tried to make the appointments I was told that they no longer dealt with wounds and dressings and I should ring another number to make appointment. I did, The first appointment was at a GP surgery 8 miles away to have the wounds checked and the second about 3 miles away.
I wonder how people without transport manage to keep these appointments, as the bus services here are appaulling and would require several bus changes to go these relatively short distances.

If I needed an ECG or an Ultrasound Scan, they could be done at my GP's, but not basic wound dressings.

Yes there are shortages of GP's and practice nurses but I can't understand why basic treatments aren't available in some places but OK in others. Sounds like a jobsworth has been let loose.

Our surgery is great and this works much better than hanging on the telephone we send an E mail which is answered quite quickly in my case sent it at 6 pm was rang at 9 am next day
Face to face appointments and if it’s an emergency they see you same day

Joane123

You are very rude maddyone and also very wrong.
I rang my surgery yesterday for antibiotics that I had last year for the current problem I have now. "Can't do that". Why, always been done in the past. "Safety"! "You need to speak to someone" - that's fine, when can I do that. Reply 29th November!

Does the surgery have an online system? If you need antibiotics, the sooner you start, the better, so it's almost certainly urgent. Maybe you could ring 111.

Blondiescot

maddyone

Just tell them it’s urgent because it’s an investigated lump. Mind you, if it’s been there since before Covid and it’s unchanged, it’s probably not urgent at all. You could send a picture in with an email of course.

It's changed and there's nothing to actually see. It would need to be 'felt' in person.

In that case, you really do need to kick up a bit of a fuss. GPs can now send patients directly for scans, etc.

I say that as somebody whose breast cancer was misdiagnosed and I was made to feel as though I was making a fuss about nothing. Six months were wasted before I was diagnosed.

The one small advantage is that the surgery jumps when I contact them now and can't see me fast enough. I did investigate suing, but decided against it in the end.

You are very rude maddyone and also very wrong.
I rang my surgery yesterday for antibiotics that I had last year for the current problem I have now. "Can't do that". Why, always been done in the past. "Safety"! "You need to speak to someone" - that's fine, when can I do that. Reply 29th November!

How rediculous! I would be changing surgeries.

maddyone

Just tell them it’s urgent because it’s an investigated lump. Mind you, if it’s been there since before Covid and it’s unchanged, it’s probably not urgent at all. You could send a picture in with an email of course.

It's changed and there's nothing to actually see. It would need to be 'felt' in person.

Very strange! My surgery sometimes gets a bit shirty about having a diabetic review too (even though the nurse doesn't actually do anything), but I can book my tests via the online system. These days, I have access to the results online. The surgery is supposed to contact me if there's anything to be discussed, although they don't always. I understand the results myself, so I make an online request, if there's anything concerning me. The HCA takes my blood pressure and weighs me when I have my blood taken. The surgery actively discourages letters and phone calls to reception.

Frankly no maddyone it’s a career which amply rewards I think, job satisfaction at helping ill people and being good at what you’ve trained for plus very well paid and a status too.
Long gone are the two doctors who share a family practice and work all hours including day and night calls.

Our surgery always responds to contact on line, and although it’s difficult to get through in the morning, it’s usually okay in the afternoon. Whenever I have needed to see/speak to my GP, I have managed to do so. I can make an appointment for a phone consultation usually a week or so later. If it’s urgent, the GP will see you, as happened when I had a kidney infection.

Oreo I may well be overly defensive but I don’t understand why it’s too difficult for the population to understand that over the course of the pandemic we lost 2000 GPs. We also have an increasing population. Fewer GPs are being trained because it’s a very stressful job and doctors don’t want to go into it. We can’t force people to choose that speciality over others. We have too few GPs, it’s that simple. We cannot attract doctors into that particular speciality. Given the constant complaints, I’m not really surprised.
It would be pointless to write to your MP because the government are trying to attract more people to train as GPs but they just don’t want to. Have you ever wondered why?

maddyone

Just tell them it’s urgent because it’s an investigated lump. Mind you, if it’s been there since before Covid and it’s unchanged, it’s probably not urgent at all. You could send a picture in with an email of course.

Unless your surgery doesn't look at emails from patients.
Ours doesn't but, luckily, does answer the phone and does make appointments - phone or in-person as needed.

maddyone

Why don’t you stop moaning and be glad your husband has got an appointment?

You think having to write a letter in order to have someone phone you to make an appointment is an improvement?

We do everything on line.
That leaves the phone free for people who don’t use technology.
The surgery get back to us, usually the same day.
There is one question that I take literally- What would you like us to do?- I do tell them but, sadly, I don’t always get what I want!

maddyone I would bet that you or a family member is a GP as you are overly defensive.
Btw my own surgery has the same doctors (6) that it had pre pandemic and no population ‘surge’ nearby.