Designated GP

I have had the same designated GP for several years now and have never even seen her passing by in the surgery, I would not know who she is.
She took a years maternity leave and now only works part time as do all the women Drs but one.

Happy to say mine knows me

If you're over 75, you should have a named GP responsible for co-ordinating your care.

The GP service is changing beyond all recognition, isn't it?

We have that awful telephone triage system, and you no longer have one GP overseeing all of your health issues. I very much doubt there will be a callout service any more (although I haven't needed it since my children were babies), and the onus is on the patient to manage their health, despite usually having no medical training whatsoever.

I can't help wondering if there will soon be an optional semi-private service which lets you pay for all of the things we used to take for granted, but get the actual treatment on the NHS. It is heading that way already with the subscription telephone services.

I wouldn't mind so much, but people of our generation have paid in all our lives and many of us haven't budgeted for needing to pay for things like this, now that we are no longer earning. It seems most unfair when changes are made without recognition of the fact that we 'bought into' one system and are being given another just as we start to need it more (see also pensions).

I have a designated GP and he is wonderful.
He recognises me straight away and always has a smile on his face.
I dread the day he retires.

I feel very fortunate to have had the same GP for many years. She knows me and is a really good doctor.

I am 82 and have very little contact with my surgery.
If I do phone for something I will get told I need a meds’ review but this is now carried out by a visiting Pharmacist.
I haven’t seen a Dr for 2 years or more,
I saw a physio when having hip pain, again he visits one day a week, he referred me for an X-ray and then he referred me to Orthopaedics.
I am waiting for a hip replacement all without seeing. GP.

I'm in my early 60's and when I was a child we had a designated G.P. who had God like qualities, was trusted and respected. The G.P. would visit you at home if you preferred that to going to the surgery. My father had a bad back and was advised by the G.P. that he must spend his days in bed on a board until it resolved and under no circumstances cross his legs. He didn't think my father would heed this advise so he went round to our house and hid under the window to the living room, then jumped out and caught my father on the sofa, legs crossed. Father had a good ticking off and was sent back to bed.
We had two very good G.|Ps at our surgery who were full time and very friendly. Since they retired they have been replaced by one full timer, who it is impossible to get appointments to see and two very unpleasant ladies who work part time and see only to want to argue. The locums are great, I usually book to see one of them.

I go to a large health centre and, although I rarely need to visit, I'm lucky to get an appointment (at all) with any GP in a reasonable time.

They look me up on their screen, ask questions - and continue to focus on their screen. I might as well be on the phone nine times out of ten! A yearly weigh in and blood pressure check with the practice nurse seems the standard 'care'.

I attend the largest GP practice in the country and have a named GP. I always see him by virtue of booking my appointments on line with him and have done so for the past 9 years. On the one occasion I had occasion to need to see a doctor and couldn't book with him I saw a perfectly charming locum who went through my notes , diagnosed and treatment appropriately and quickly. Quite frankly I felt so ill a clinically trained gorilla would have done.

I’m just glad I don’t have to see my GP often enough to form a relationship.

When the children were little with all their ills and checks, we had a wonderful fatherly Irish doctor who always made you feel better just by seeing you. Apparently there’s now one at our surgery who is so handsome the same applies, but I haven’t met him yet.

Our practice goes out of its way to avoid communication.
When you call it’s automated, you are then advised to go online to book appointments etc.
In the highly unusual event of an appointment then you have to book in via a machine on entering the surgery.
Staff is rude and the doctors are without empathy.
My designated GP can’t even be bothered to tell me about the medication she prescribes.
I hate having any contact with them and pray I stay healthy.

I agree with growstuff when over 75 one has a designated GP. Mine is lovely and is not one of those who will discuss one complaint only. One of the male doctors will only do that.

I have an appointment this month but only because I cannot order drugs online without a review. I will not be spending long there.

The surgery I worked in had a strict policy that you could only see your allocated GP. Great if you had a good relationship but a nightmare if you didn’t. Can remember a neighbour saying that she felt too ill to see her doctor!

Have kept away for the last few years but theoretically you can see who you choose but the good ones are always booked up well in advance.

My wonderful GP retired last year

I'd been going to her for over 30 years

Sadly I have to visit the GP far more than I'd like due to chronic health issues

I've yet to see the same GP twice

My named GP remains a mystery to me. Never managed to get an appointment with him

Mind you, he only does 2 days a week

Last paragraph refers to my current surgery! GN is becoming tedious! Infuriating when you can’t amend posts!

Oopsaminty. They used to notify you when you were allocated to a new doctor. If the same name appears on your prescription that might be your allocated GP.

Some GPs used to try and use other GPs prescription pads so it looked as if they prescribed less! Probably all changed with computerisation.

I've had a designated doctor for three and a half years now, since my old GP retired, but I have never yet set eyes on my new one. He seems impossible to get an appoinment with.
So, on the very rare occasion when I can actually get an appointment, it's with any doctor available. So I don't feel that
I have a doctor who knows me. I find it rather unsatifactory,
but that's the way it is these days.

I really miss the gp we had for years. He knew me, my children, their ages, if they were at university etc. He retired through ill health and we changed (within the practice) to a lovely man who I get on with very well but he doesnt know my back story and he shocked me when he thought I only had 2 children. Its inevitable I suppose as gps retire.

Dh and I are now trying out the younger gps to see if we can find one to 'see us out'!!!

There was report a few months ago saying that there was a link between continuity of care and good health, which is common sense really.

When I got married in the late seventies I had to change to a new practice and my doctor was a similar age to me so if I’ve chosen to retire why shouldn’t he be able to?

I don’t understand why people insist on only seeing one doctor anyway - what if they’re away on courses, holidays, ill themselves? Would you rather be seen or suffer?

I don't know who my designated doctor is but I tend to see the same doctor whenever I go. I went to her when she first started at the practice and we sort of hit it off. She doesn't undermine me but at the same time doesn't mollycoddle me.

Although I tend to see the same doctor it doesn't mean I won't see the others if she's not available.

Pantglas The reason I prefer to see the same GP is because I have a number of chronic conditions and take medication and have treatment for all of them. The problem is that they're partly linked and I can't take certain medications because they're contraindicated.

When I used to be able to see the same GP (and I didn't mind a wait), I didn't have to spend half the appointment explaining why I was there and what other conditions I have.

Even now the GP says "Come back and see me in six months (or whenever) to see how you're getting on", but I know I won't be able to make an appointment with the same doctor, so any treatment plan is never followed through.

I've been forced to become a Google DIY doctor and only ever go to the GP when I need a medication review or know I need to be referred to secondary care. I'm reasonably Google savvy, but there are loads of people who aren't or are much frailer than I am.