GP surgery

Similar issues here.

I have MS and one of my more annoying symptoms is the feeling of an army of ants marching through my bones.

I had a particular antihistamine for several years that really helped, but it was taken off the market 3yrs ago, and since then I've tried so many different ones that I've lost count.

I've recently been given a new one but the paperwork that came with it says you shouldn't be on it for more than a week or two and I've just been given another 2 months worth, so I asked for a telephone conversation with the doc or practice pharmacist.

48 days' wait for the pharmacist
49 days' wait for the doctor

For a flipping phone call!

Oh yes, I booked this with a receptionist (with great difficulty, as they don't like to give out appointments when you're in the surgery), whilst I was in the practice complaining about them not sending the full list of medication I'd ordered via the app (practice doesn't like paper or f2f requests), and that the app has now thrown me out and won't let me access it.

maddyone

My GP is excellent. The whole Practice is good too.

so is ours

I haven’t seen a GP face to face for over three years. I had a chest infection recently, the receptionist said I needed to see someone F2F, it was with a nurse who was able to prescribe antibiotics - I’m not complaining as it was lovely to see a human, rather than just hear a distant voice on the phone with a GP who seems to have a 10 minute timer going. I can’t even imagine what any of the doctors look like as I’ve never met any of them, having moved here 4 years ago. When you get the call back it could be any one from a big pool of doctors as our surgery is part of large group of practices.
It’s not even an option to move to another practice as where I live all GP surgeries are part of larger group practice and other surgeries won’t accept patients out of area.
There aren’t any online forms on our GPs website that we can fill out to get treatment and of course the online booking service was withdrawn as soon as COVID hit. So the only way to get urgent (and non urgent) treatment is to join the telephone queue at 8am. 😐

Mallin have you emailed your GP and spelled out this situation in writing as you've outlined in your post?
Does your GP practice have a manager or senior partner you could complain to?

Your situation is totally unacceptable.
I'm so sorry you've had such awful treatment ☹️

Ours are terrible - very few face to face appointments. A friend of mine who is in the lucky position to be well off now has a private GP. I take myself to the Walkin Centre. They know me so well I have an invite to their Christmas party.

Ours is OK ....... the receptionists go off on one telling you how busy they are .... they don't care if you are in pain ........ but the doctors are professional

When I am due a review of my medications in a telephone call, I always ask the name of the doctor who will be phoning me, and then google him/her.

It's never been a doctor from my practice, and last time it was a private knee surgeon from the BUPA hospital who asked me about a test I had 8 years ago which was completely irrelevant.

We have varying degrees of service here in BC.

Last month I badly twisted my ankle while walking. I called my GP as soon as the office opened the next day, I was seen by 11:30 and sent to the hospital for xray; done by 12:30. The next day my Dr. called me to tell me to stay off it for 3 days, and sent an email with prescription to pick up crutches and info on physio exercises.

Meanwhile in my DH's clinic there is often a 10 day wait to see a doctor, then it is a phone call to see if you really need a face to face appt.

In my DD's city it is very hard to even get your name into a clinic, so they have to rely on either walk in clinics, or emergency.

I think the government really needs to revamp the system, and encourage more graduating doctors to become GP's. Most are specializing, for higher earnings and better work/life balance.

Thank you for all your replies....

I have been down to our surgery and havr been told to ring up at 8am and ask for a sooner phone consultation appointment...

This left me slightly baffled because I thought the appointment I was given WAS the soonest appointment!

But after all that I have given it much thought and decided to wait till May (( 32 days precisely)) because there will be people out there who are in far, far, far greater need for a doctors time.....

Edith3

Thakyou BlueBelle,
I have worked as a receptionist in primary care for many years.
The insults, agression and even threats have become commonplace.
Staff turnover is enormous and morale rock bottom, many of us end our day in tears.
Please remember that reception staff can only work within the terms of their remit. The practice partners are the ones making the rules.

We thank you for what you do....
X

Its good to read the posts from people in praise of their GP surgery....

Really positive .....

🙂

They have simplified things in our surgery as follows:

1. You call to request GP appt or phone call with GP
2. *Receptionist answers (eventually....) asks you to describe symptoms
3. *Receptionist diagnoses and moreorless tells you to go and do one.
4. Phone call ends
* if receptionist happens to have nipped to loo or on coffeee break, phone answered by cleaner - repeat steps 2-4

i went to see my doctor 3 weeks ago and was due to see her yesterday but due to problems with my legs and lymphedema i could not get to the surgery, she called me and then came out to visit today. i live in scotland, glasgow and even during the pandemic i have always been able to get any help i needed from my surgery, i am so lucky with the gps i have.

Most GP Practices have an online solution that will let you submit a form directly to the practice. I would really recommend using this method. Most practices will then contact you with regard to your submission.