GP Programme.

Yes I'm watching it too and am very impressed with the GPs' care and the way they listen and put the patients at ease.

My experience of GPs in the several areas we have lived in has been that they are rushed , a bit impersonal and reaching for the prescription pad as you walk in. So I only go when absolutely necessary! Perhaps I have been unfortunate.

I have sat in on many many GP clinics whilst doing various nursing courses including prescribing and quite honestly they have enormous patience (and patients). Day after day they give advice, support and even clear instructions which are often not followed or adhered to it must be soul destroying at times.

I haven't seen this. What channel is it on? I have a good GP practice and will always be able to see someone, be it a GP or a nurse practitioner, through the triage system which works well. Despite being officially limited to 10 minutes per patient, they don't adhere to this too strictly which is why I don't mind if I have to wait because I know that the doctor has been listening to the patients before me.

It is indeed compulsive viewing and the doctors in this challenging inner-city practice come across as compassionate, concerned, patient and humourous. They are a joy to watch. And their patients are far from easy. I take my hats off to them.

I agree about not minding if I have to wait - if the GP is giving time to listen to the person before me, he is likely to do the same for me. Ten minutes is a joke.

I've been watching it too and my respect for Gps has risen enormously.
I never mind waiting at my (very good) practice. I also like to watch 24 hours in A&E, which restores my faith in front line NHS staff.
They mostly do an amazing job in trying circumstances.

It's a good program in many ways.

It shows how difficult a job it is but also shows how a doctors time is wasted.

Have you caught the the program NHS What would you do. It gives a health scenario then tells you how much it costs and what that money would pay for. Example (not factual info), an alcoholic needed a liver transplant , cost £100.000 , that would pay for an extra 4 nurses for one year or 50.000 meningitis jabs, WHAT WOULD YOU DO.

It is a very balanced program and it does make you think somebody has to make decisions on funding everyday and it is very difficult.

Watching the doctors in the Putney Clinic you do have a sense that they are good doctors but they must want to scream sometimes stop wasting my bloody time.

I haven't seen it either - I'd like to! What channel? Please.

I'm wondering how people expected to see the doctors behaving when they know they're going to be seen on national TV. I could make a very different program.

Watching the patients on that programme left me baffled as to how I'm the one who ends up getting labelled a neurotic. I stuck it for about half an hour before I had to switch off.

It's on Channel 5 at 8 pm on a Wednesday.

Wednesday night 8pm on channel 5.

Snap!

Thanks - I will set the timer for it next week.