So many problems with GP practice ....

As others have said, you should email the practice manager, fully explain your concerns and predicament and ask her to get this sorted out for you. There clearly is no continuity in your care and you are right to be concerned.

Thinking of you Susan56 hoping your medical problem has been resolved now.

I’m relieved for you lucky and concerned for you susan. Please use 111 if for no other reason that to have your situation on record. Health care is so stressful for so many people.

Iam64

To add short term savings in one department aren’t always cost effective

Not having "joined up" healthcare must be more inefficient, surely? How much does the 111 service cost? Would that money be better used improving the GP service with more GPs and ancillary services, providing full access, including 24 hour/7 day a week cover?

I moaned to the prescriptions clerk at our surgery after I had nearly died when I couldn't get an appointment. She said "Well for Heaven's sake email the Senior Partner" I composed a very detailed email and sent it off, and 20 minutes later Senior Partner was on the phone. He had the sense to start his call with "How are you now?" which gained him some Brownie points and we had a long conversation, and I've had no problems since.

To add short term savings in one department aren’t always cost effective

It’s shocking so many of us are really struggling to have a named consultant or GP managing our care.
I have had permanent atrial fibrillation for ten years. I have a slightly enlarged heart. . I was reviewed six then annually. My cardiologist was heading for retirement. At my last appointment he discharged me as doing well, to be re referred by my GP if necessary.
I also have mild copra, was on annual reviews at the respiratory clinic. Last year, doing well so discharged to be GP referred if needed
I have several auto immune condition, invkuding RA. The greatest cause of death in RA patients is heart conditions.

All these things combine. I felt much stafer on annual reviews and I’m in no doubt taking me and hundreds of others off is saving money in the short term. If I was a bupa patient I’d be asking to be reviewed. As things stand, routine appointment even at my good practice is 3-6 week waitl. Ref to specialist months
I can’t be bothered

That’s exactly it Allira.I am exhausted after the emergency situation I found myself in and trying to access help seems like a mountain to climb.Thank you for your understanding.

Susan56

Thank you Allira.The GP just called.He has ordered what I need but it won’t be available until tomorrow.Any problems I am to call 111 or 999🤦🏼‍♀️Trying to stay calm as stress won’t help.

Luckygirl I am so pleased you have your medication but so sorry for what you have been through.

The thing is, people who aren't well aren't on top form (that is probably an understatement) and trying to negotiate what is a path full of unnecessary obstacles is the last thing they need. Not everyone has someone to help them through this, either.

Our GP practice is hopeless too and has been since the start of Covid when they discovered the joys of not actually seeing patients. You can’t get an appointment under 4 weeks yet the waiting room is empty. You can’t speak to a GP, only a nurse or a paramedic. In a recent survey our practice came near the bottom for patient satisfaction.
Nearby village surgeries are all excellent yet here, in an affluent and beautiful little town, they say they can’t get enough doctors.

Thank you Allira.The GP just called.He has ordered what I need but it won’t be available until tomorrow.Any problems I am to call 111 or 999🤦🏼‍♀️Trying to stay calm as stress won’t help.

Luckygirl I am so pleased you have your medication but so sorry for what you have been through.

butterandjam

Luckygirl3

I had thought of that but the only problem is that this is a small practice in a small village about 7 miles (or 16 miles on a safe route) away and I am loathe to become "that" patient as I fear it might make the service even worse. It is not a big impersonal city practice.

With your first problem, as soon as it was handed to the correct person (pharmacy manager) it was resolved right away.

Had you ASKED to speak to pharmacy manager in the first place, your problem would have been solved right away.

Now you've been advised to take your other complaint about to THE RIGHT PERSON (practice manager) .

Just do it. This would be far easier and faster than changing practices.

What an unkind response, butterandjam. I know you can, and have been, abrupt to previous posters but there is no need to be so unpleasant to a worried and poorly person.
Not only did you ‘shout’ at her (frequently using capital letters) but you then ‘ordered’ her to ‘just do it’!
I suggest you try to understand what people are going through instead of jumping in with hurtful comments, which I am sure you thought were helpful! In my opinion, they were anything but!

Well ... the head pharmacist I spoke to this morning has done the job! The meds I need have just arrived at my door in the village volunteer run!

I think she knew that her assistant's behaviour had been out of order and wanted to set things right, so good for her.

Mind you they have given me 28 instead of 5 so I now have too many ... but I can see why this might be.

If only this simple solution could have been achieved without all the unnecessary aggro.

Can you phone 111? They may have the facility to prescribe and deliver medical supplies urgently.

I have just come out of hospital after being admitted as an emergency due to misdiagnosis over five months by a GP.
Without going into too much detail I now have to wear a sensor as my pancreas is in a mess due to wrong treatment.
The sensor failed about half an hour ago.I called the GP as I was told it was very important to be told by the receptionist to call dispensary which I did.Their phone line closed at 4.Phoned the surgery and was told to try ringing tomorrow.Explained I was only allowed home with this monitoring.She put me through to the dispensary and a lovely girl is doing her utmost to sort it.I suppose if it gets to 6 and I don’t hear anything it will be 111.
I pray not a return to hospital.
Feel so exhausted and not sure what to do.

I hear you, Luckygirl. I am constantly having to do battle on my dh’s behalf for medications and blood tests. I suspect in our circumstances this is about saving money. Whenever the hospital prescribes a medication or wants a blood test there’s an obstacle course to negotiate - we are constantly told ‘Get it from your GP/Hospital A/Hospital B/direct from pharmacy.’ I spend so much time on the phone trying to get what he needs because no one wants it on their account books. On one occasion when he desperately needed a blood test, I ended up on the verge of tears at the surgery and told the receptionist I felt bullied and belittled by being denied the services they have a duty of care to provide. Mysteriously, an appointment materialised in short shrift although I was also told in not so many words, not to let it happen again.

It’s exhausting and dehumanising to be treated as a nuisance. I have no answers for you but understand how you feel. Xx

I wish we had such clinics. It has taken me 3 years to find a good cardiologist at the hospital ... I have seen so many on my frequent emergency admissions all of whom gave different advice.
The chap I now see is lovely and lets me enail him!
But a dedicated out patient team would be just wonderful! I am so glad you have found this supportive team.

Luckygirl Without wanting to ask for personal medical information. Have you beendiagnosed with 'heart failure'? I ask because DH had a heart attack and bypass surgery, he now has a pacemaker. He was gettibg appallingand casual treatment both from the surgery and A&E and like you having endless problems with prescriptions, when after an emergency he got referred to the Heart Failure Clinic run by the cardiology department at ourmain hospital.

It was like miracle. They look at everything, check everythib

I’m with an Outstanding GP practice. I moved there six years ago after the one in our village went rapidly downhill

I was with the centre of excellence for rheumatoid arthritis but it was huge and impetsonable. I waited two hours for a 4pm appointment, saw the consultant at six. He was exhausted, drinking coffe and told me how well I looked then had me out the door. He didn’t read or had forgotten my GP letter asking for urgent review due to symptoms

I moved to the small rheumatology dept in my town. Fantastic service, I’m doing well and now have a specialist nurse who is supervised by my consultant who did the first six years of my care. When mr I died, my nurse phoned with condolences from her and my consultant

I know how fortunate I am

Iam64

Speak to the practice manager.dont worry about being ‘that patient’

Ask to speak to the Gp you see most often. They should be managing this

I have eight weekly bloods as in on all kinds of meds. My rheumatologist arranged for the blood forms to come to me via post. My GP surgery do the bloods so I don’t need to drive the other side of town to our hospital

Twice a year my practice add their blood tests and I come home with empty arms )thank you mr Hancock

You shouldn’t be managing this x

Our GP surgery will not do hospital bloods but thankfully we have phlobotemists at the hub. The surgery receptionist was really awkward when the GP and the Consultant wanted bloods and refused to do both lots at the same time so I had to trek there two days running.

I have looked at changing practices and the only option is to go over the border into Wales and that in itself creates various logistical problems. All other nearby practices have very clear geographical boundaries that are immutable. I live in a rural area.
My first reaction was "oh goodness, NO!!" but I suppose every GP Practice is different.

Our GP surgery is in Wales with a subsidiary in England. Everything has become more and more difficult, so I can understand your frustration, Luckygirl. It's difficult to get an appointment, one or two receptionists are lovely but others are quite rude and refuse to give urgent appointments as they've been told to triage but are not medically qualified. We can't phone for repeat prescriptions now, only urgent ones. Because mine are out of sync too and apparently it was too soon to order, I ran out of one of them. Seeing a GP is nigh on impossible, it's usually a nurse now.

I read about the treatments and care other posters are receiving from their surgery and think 'it used to be like that here'. If you get to see a GP it's usually fine but it's like wading through treacle to get that far.

Having the informal chat with the Practice Manager rather than writing was probably best.
Perhaps there's a high admin. staff turnover and they never get properly trained before they've left. Ours always seem to be changing.

Speak to the practice manager.dont worry about being ‘that patient’

Ask to speak to the Gp you see most often. They should be managing this

I have eight weekly bloods as in on all kinds of meds. My rheumatologist arranged for the blood forms to come to me via post. My GP surgery do the bloods so I don’t need to drive the other side of town to our hospital

Twice a year my practice add their blood tests and I come home with empty arms )thank you mr Hancock

You shouldn’t be managing this x

It does feel as though bureaucratic rules have taken over from humanity. I worked in the health service for 25 years and our joint aim was always to do the best for all patients - if there was not an easy answer we would find a way round it.

You have my sympathy. I am on holiday waiting for a call from my surgery since 9 am. I need medication for a problem that has been going on for six weeks and the latest meds prescribed have not worked so my UK much look looked-forward-to holiday with my sons dil and gc has been less than perfect as I am in a lot of pain. 111 passed me on to the local health centre who were so kind and caring but said I needed to contact my surgery as my records needed to be consulted. I was told to say it was an emergency. My surgery’s reply was ‘sorry all appointments have gone, you should have phoned at 8. I had to plead to get a telephone call. Here I wait, six hours later and am wondering if I will get a call at all.

butterandjam

Luckygirl3

I had thought of that but the only problem is that this is a small practice in a small village about 7 miles (or 16 miles on a safe route) away and I am loathe to become "that" patient as I fear it might make the service even worse. It is not a big impersonal city practice.

With your first problem, as soon as it was handed to the correct person (pharmacy manager) it was resolved right away.

Had you ASKED to speak to pharmacy manager in the first place, your problem would have been solved right away.

Now you've been advised to take your other complaint about to THE RIGHT PERSON (practice manager) .

Just do it. This would be far easier and faster than changing practices.

There is a separate phone line for the surgery pharmacy and I had chosen that option so the first person I spoke to was from the pharmacy and not a general receptionist. As I was on the pharmacy line I should not have to ask to speak to the pharmacy manager to get a polite and helpful response.

There is a fine line to tread when it comes to deciding the efficacy of writing to the practice manager as explained above. It is something to which I will obviously give some thought.

I am not sure that judgmental posts are in the spirit of Gransnet which is usually thoughtful and helpful.

To all those facing similar problems with their surgeries, you have my sympathy. I find it particularly hard to deal with as my OH was a hard-working GP and I know what good practice looks like.